Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-04-30

slavery, and save themselves from visitation, IN
bodily presence, Of that scare-crow, dsunion--
scout the idea of higher law The article bears
the impress Of MR. Harms the editor whose
course during the 0berlin trials, has been Of
that manly, unwavering, and decisive character,
which commends it TO public approval. We
commend the article to the attention of such of
our readers as may not have seen it.
The Higher Law versus the Fugitive Slave
Law.
Educated as are the people of the Free States
with a reverence for Law, and willing to bear
long rather than resist, an enactment however
odous having even the forms Of Law, there is
still point where forbearonce ceases to be
virtue and where men will no longer stiae the
voice of God and conscience. The Federal
miuioDs of the Slave power are fast driving as
to that point, and the persistency gusto with
which they Haunt the inhuman Fugitive Act
under our eyes, are leading thousands to inquire
what is binding Law, whence comes it and how
acquires it force and vitality
The Covenanters of Scotland, meeting with
arms in their hands. in her fastness and glens to
worship God 'contrary to law" examined and
decided these questions. So did the Hugenots
Of France SO did our Revolutionary Fathers,
and so must we.
What then is Law, aud what makes IL Law
Law says Blackstone, us a rule Of ciUR conduct
presented By Gbe supreme pOscer in a State com
handing ,chat is right and prohibiting ,chat is
,Crong" Here then is the topchstone by which
to try Law, does it command what is right
and prohibit what is ,crong. II it does it is
Law, that is rule Of conduct if it does not,
then it is no Law.
But Blackstone goes further and speaking of
the orly true foundation OF Law says:
aThis Law OF nature being coeval with man.
kind and dictated by God himself is Of course
superior in obligation TO any other 1t is bind
ing over all the Globe, in all countries and at
all times No human tI,0s are of amy validity
If contrary to this, and such of them as are
valid derive all their authority medialely or i'm
mediately from this original
Further on he speaks Of Gods will as reveal
ed in the Scriptures as this Law of nature, which
lies at the basis Of all binding Law.
But who shall decide the question whether
Law conforms to these principles or noti The
State or the Courts Surely neither, for they
are not mems conscience keepers and cannot
absolve them from responsibility to Gods tribu-
nal for violation of His laws. In matters in
voving no moral questions, and of this kind
are the great majority OF laws, they may and
should decide and men will reverence their de.
cisions; but when they affirm that 10 be Law
which violates the laws of God, then conscenti-
ous men, as did the Apostles who were impris-
oned for speaking in the name of Jesus" con-
trary to the Law of the land "must obey God
rather than man."
Here then is the "higher law" which Federal
minions sneer at. 1t is simply Gods law, guild
ded and applied by an intelligent conscience.
Try the Fugitive Slave act which demands
that we shall not harbor brother fleeing from
cruel stripes, or q sister fleeing from unbridled
last, or that we shall not rescue them when the
blood hounds of slavery have them by the
throats try that Act we say by this standard
and what becomes of it.
Clearly it must be pronounced no Law, for
thus demanding it violates the law of nature
ard of God and reversing Blackstone's defni
tion prohibits what is right and commands wha,
| is wrong.
| As well claim that the Law commanding
worship Of the golden calf, or that other tc
which we have referred, "foTbidding the disciples
TO speak in the name of Jesus" were worthy o.
obedience as this. They ali violate the "higher
law" and are therefore no laws.
True, despotic power enforced those of which
we read aud enforees this. but this only proves
that might is often stronger than right
We know that from the day when Mr.. Sewart
in the Senate publicly affirmed the existence o
~higher law" down to this, shareholders anc
their Northern dough-faced allies have throw
up their hands in holy horror at the doctrine
And why Simply because they well know
that chattel slavery and the Fugitive act cal
stand the test Of no such Law.
Before its shackIes fall of, the God ordainet
relations Of husband and wife and parent anr
child are halowod and respected, aud man mad
in the image OF his Maker, takes rank among
his fellows as man and not as a thing.
The fathers of the Republic recognized thi
"higher law" as applicable to slavery, and trem.
bled for the future.
Said Jefferson, 10 his Notes on Virginia
speaking Of il;
" Indeed I treBibie for my country toheH I re
feet hGs God is jus, and that his Justice can
NOT sleep forever; that considering numbers ma
ture and natural means only a revolution Of tn
wheel Of fortune, an exchange Of situation
among possible events, and that it may becom
probable by supernatural interference.
" The .4tmighty has no attribute phie ca
take side lcih US IN such a contest"
Said Patrick Henry in letter to RObel
Pleasants. January 10, l773;
BeIieve me, 4 shall honor fhe QuGkers 70
theiy noble efforts TO abolish slavery 10 Is
debf lne os0s 10 Le purity of our religion 10 shOl
HAT IL is at v0risAes sihA that lao that DarTGAt
Slavery"
In 1887, an Abolition Society was formed 4
Virginia, Of which Robert Peasants was Presi
don't. This Society sent memorial TO Con
gress. headed. The Memorial Of the Virgini
Society for promoting the Abolition Of Slave