Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-30

20 Layy--Hon. Thomas
COrwfn.
"a READER,r well pleased with the extract
we made Monday from the discourse of Hon.
THos. CORwIN, asks US for more of it. We
comply with pleasure Here is an extract on
the moral obligation of all citizens to obey
the law. At such a time as this, such teach
ing is needed in all sections of the country,
but particularly in the North-and we trust
may be OF lasting benefit:
do hold that no man is under any obliga-
ton to do anything unless it is reasonable
that he should do it, unless he has agreed TO
do il. In either one of these cases there is a
moral obligation upon every mortal man to
do that thing If he has agreed to do an act
positively wrong. the moral obligation at
taches to Withholding and repenting.
What. then, is the duty of the American
Christian citizen? That is the question which
/ wish for very few moments to drop few
suggestions upon.
You hear a great deal said about the latter
part of the seventeenth century, and all
through the eighteenth about what is called
the social compact as the origin of the obli-
cations to society. put away all the thoughts
that have been printed on this subject, and
put this plain view of the matter TO every
honest hearted Christian man. Here let me
pause to say that don't mean alone the peO-
pie that belong to this or that church, but
mean every one that accepts the Christian
ethics as his guide. There are great many
of those, my reverend brother, out of the
Church, that understand as much of that
business as those that are in; for Christian
morality is not hidden under a bushel. nor
confined within the walls of your churches;
il comes from the Church. but it has perva-
ded everybOdy's understanding in all this
country, and the understanding Of three hun
dred million Of human being besides.
What is the obligation of a man? For
Government is a necessity--an absolute ne
cessity. Even now, in this town of Lebanon,
what expense are you at merely for the pur-
pose Of keeping the peace? First, you pay
a gentlemen who sits in from. of me- salary
tor sitting in Court House that you have
built at great expense, and determining who
shall go TO the penitentiary, and who shall
not. Then you pay five or six clergYmen. |
know not exactly how much-about as little
a. you possible can, however-you pay these
gentlemen a stipulated sum, that they may
meet you every Sunday and tell you that
you are great rascals, which some of them do
J in pretty emphatic terms, L know. The cd
dest sight TO me in the world, is, that a man
| should be perfectly satisfied that ignominy
and exile would meet him if he would not
| employ men to tell him that he was scuun-
| drel. True it is he tells you how TO get out
of it, but it seems that in some way you
never get so far out as to dispense with this
man telling you the same old tale.
That admonishes us again that human ma
ture is very shabby concern. A ricket1y
kind of fellow is this man. Well, all that
! expense We are put TO for what? You say 10
| obey the law of God, that is the Constitution
| that man Is to obey the law of Ohio and the
! United States, there is the Constitution
| Thus you endeavor each in your respective
vocation 10 make men understand that there
| Is an obligation upon them TO do certain
! thing.
! Now, if this obligation was imposed by q
mere man, who had power to control yGul
| obedience, don't say that there would be d
moral obligation to obey that law. But wt
| have found that we can't have king; We
don't like him; we must establish system q
morals in government for ourselves. How
shall we do ii? Here are three Of us-whC
| shall give the law to the three? We have
agreed that the majority, as the safest rule
shall give the law to themselves and the min
OrIty also. That is our social compact, anC
| If there ever was system in politics that de
served the name of compact, We have it
! Thus shall the Constitution be, so shall tho
! laws be; but how then? You have agreed
/
| you have agreed to that; signed to it; a ma.
jority Of all the people of the United States
| have done that in regard to the Constitution
| of the United States, and in regard TO the
Constitutions of all the States. Now if gov
eminent is necessity, we have to come to
the conclusion that as ii promotes the happi-
ness Of mankind, ii is the will of God that
we should have government, and we have
said, by appealing to the God Of Battles that
we do believe that man should make law for
himself, by the ordinance Of God.
Thus we have the divine authority to make
law for ourselves. Are you then under any
moral obligation to obey the laws when they
are made?
/ say you are. / say that every Clergyman
is under that obligation. Every man, every
| oman and evely child, after he comes TO
years of accountability. has imposed upon
them a moral obligation, the discharge OF
which will be accounted as an acceptable
service at that great tribunal, where we must
all stand after our ignorance has gone, and
when we stand in the sun light OF eternity.
! How the pardOning power may be exercised
when poor ignorant man staads up, say ing it
was conscience that taught him it was right
10 .lisobcy law, | have no knowledge.
Thus you will see that in the nature of a
compact which we have entered into, we
must either violate our compact or comply
with its provisions.
But what is a man TO do when we differ
about the law! We have made IL compact
on that subject. We have declared that men
shall be elected by ourselves to determine
that and when they determine IT, IL shall be
final with us. Judges are to decide if that
law is in conflict with the OF ganic law, and
We are then to obey.
But what when the judge has determined
that this is law and out of that law arises a
duty, who shall enforce it? We have made a
bargain as 10 that. We have said that the
muu called the Governor, and the man called
President, shall take the army and navy,
and if these are incompetent, shall take the
whole militia force of the whole United
States. and shoot and destroy and kill every
man in America, until that judgment Is en-
forced. That is what We have bargained to
dO-what we have contracted To dc. When
government is a necessity, and when this
other necessity comes through the voting OF
the majority. hold there is just as strong a
moral obligation in the citizen TO obey this
Judgment, when pronounced, AS there is n
moral obligation admitted on all hands, by
all Christian people, arising out Of the posi-
tive commands in the deeulogue, not to do
those things forbidden there. There is no
enlightened Christian man, if he will put
those faculties where wiihal God has eu-
dowed him, TO work as a rational man
should, but will come to this conclusion.