Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1860-01-09

Natural Rieht."


in Virginia, and in the course Of IL, as ''lhe
result Of long meditation upon the subject" he
ASSERTS the following propositions, which We
give in his own language;
1. man held agaiast his will a. slave
hss a natura al right 10 kill every one who seeks
10 prevent his enjoyment Of liberty.
3. II may be a natural duty Of the slave to
develop this natural right in practical mans
ner aud actually kill all those who seek to
prevent his enjoyment Of liberty"
. The free man has \ natural right to help
the slaves recover their liberty, and in that en-
tefprise 10 do for them all which they have a
right to do for themselves.
4. II may be a natural duty for the free man
TO help the slaves 10 the enjoyment Of their
liberty, aud ss means 10 that end 10 aid them
iD killing all such as oppose their natural frees
dom.
Here We have q carefully compiled synopsis
Of the creed Of the most intense AbOlitionism
II scoFnfully discsrds all the rights Of the agN
gTegate Of indvidnals-that is, Of society
and claims to recognize, solely and exclusively,
the natural tight Of each separate person in his
natural condition as man. Assuming, for ar
gument's sake, this position Of controlling SUI
periority Of natural right Of individuals over
the rights Of political civilized community, and
assuming, also, for slucidation, that the four
Rttentively digested propositions Of Theodore
Parker ought actually TO govern mankind, We
win at once ind that beside the "DAtural right
to the enjoyment Of his liberty" man, in gems
ersl. has other natural rights. Following out
the course Of reasoning Of the Apostle Of Abo-
litionism, upon the supremacy Of the individ~
ual rights Of man over the conventional rights
Of society, to its logical consequences, the fol-
lowing several propositions must be admitted
to be equally as true as those advanced by Par.
ker iu regard to negro servitude;
1. Man has natural right to life and its enS
joyment.
2. Hence he has q natural right TO food
clothing and shelter
3. In the exercise Of this natural right il may
come his natural duty TO oppose and kill all
those who obstruet or prevent his enjoyment
thereof.
4. Every man is his own judge as to the exN
tent of his rights, and as to when they are inns
paired or eDcrOAohed upon.
5. Hence every man is also his own Judge as
TO the amount Of force necessary to repel such
epcroachmsnt.
II We once assume this theory of "natural
right" TO be the true basis Of human life, we
don't see how any Of the above positions can
be gainsayed or cOntrovsrted. Now let us look
where that will lead us TO- In the first place
1t will destroy all rights Of property. In the
natural condition Of man, without the guards
and restraints OF established society, things are
the property of an individual only until some
other person, stronger than himself, takes them
from him. This one commits no wrong; for it
is, according to his individual judgment, his
naturalIduty:to possess himself Of ii in conseN
quence of his natural right to the enjoyment
Of life and of all things necessary to it, even
to the extent Of despoiling his fellow, if he has
power TO do SO. Such condition at once SUBJ
Verts all government, which is instituted fol
the protection Of the life and property of those
who live under it, for, according to the logical
sequence of this Abolition theory, the natural
right of man overrides all requirements Of ra'
tional government and the individual man
alone being the supreme judge as to when gov
eminent interieres with his rights, it then be-
cImes his natural duty to oppose the govern.
ment. even TO the extent TO kill all those who
on behalf Of society, seek TO restrain him. In
such a condition, man standing upon his
"natural rights" will see in every one Of his
fellow men an open enemy, aOd will necessarily
be at war with the whole Of mankind. LARGE
ny and murder would become every day ocA
euuences. without law or power in any one
either TO prevent the offence or punish the of
fender The life Of Theodore Parker himself
would be at the mercy Of any one who thought
that HIS natural right was invaded and it's en-
joyment obslructed by PArker's teachings, and
would consider it his natural duty to kill him
We are not wandering off upon untenabl'
extremes. By no means. We are only stating
what necessarily must follow the doctrine tha
the self>assumed ''natural right" Of each indi'
vidual and his natural duty" closely connected
Herewith. should be the sole and guiding rule
of action instead Of the law Of the land. W,
are only d-monstrating that doctrine which
il logically carried out 10 all its consequences
must lead to such monstrous convulsons Of all
ties Of regulated society. cannot be true, rational
or humane. We only sought to show that the
advocates of this "nEturAl right" and "natural
duty" of individual persons, as in opposition
to the commands OF society, legally expressed
in the form Of laws and statutes. where, fol
the infringement Of every night. the proper
remedy is established, would, perhaps uneon.
sciouslY, lead US to state Of utter anarchy and
to the destruction of all the forms, and the sub
STAGE even, of civilization, and would deprive
us of liberty and the pursuit Of happiness.
II Abolitionists aud other advocates of thii
"higher law" maxim would but eoolly reflect
they must at once see their fatal delusion. Fo
if they deny all human authority to prescribe
valid rule Of sctiOn for man in a civilized com
mrnity. which does not agree with their owl
individual notions, they give free scope to in
dividual passions and csntiousness by making
mans own will and judgment the supreme ar
bitter of his acts. This is the tendency Of Alb
olitionism. To submit to and obey the law
and TO remedy its defects, if any are found. il
aquiet and lawful manner by the voice Of Al
enlightened public sentiment, is the object anC
spirit Of true Democracy. Speak ye which Il
choose
TIE BRIOKBAT IHsuRREoTIoN AT BOLIVAR
FNNN