Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-03-07

50 it is with this party, with which L am
dealing 1t regards mans wisdom as its
al-suificicnt counselor It sets aside the
higher wisdom of the Great Eternal, as hay
ing little to do with the matter. For peo-
pie, ignorant Of or regardless Of, this su-
prelne wisdom and authority, our rcpubll-
can institutions is the worst form Of govern
ment on the face of the broad earth. We
boast of the nice "checks and balances" cf
our government but if we ignore the
check Of this great counter balance, we shall
acquire such an accelerated momentum, as
will certainly carry us over the dangerous
precipicc of human folly and presumption.
Enlightened liberty, christian liberty, does
not mean license to do whatsoever may
arise in the heart. 1t means only the privi-
ege Of doing what is right, and not that
right either which may be the Interpretation
of human wisdom but that which comes
down from the purer fountain Of Divine
Light Any other Interpretation of liberty
is but to pander to the worst passions and
prejudices of the human heart. We talk
much of our inherent and inalenable rights .
What arc they? Sir, cannot see that we
udfS any, cACcpG tuC iliHCICIO W Op
evil, and suffer its consequences, which we
have inherited from our fallen father. All
other rights are not inherent; they are
granted. given to us by the unmcritted
mercy of benifccnt God. So that we hold
nothing by our own natural, inherent and
inalienable right. Life, liberty, knowledge,
pleasure, happiness, privileges, good govern
ment, hope of Immortality, are not inherent
and inalienablc. And they can only be
held as granted, by that people who ac-
knowledge the authority and goodness of the
grantor all others hold them at their peril,
the peril of a severe judgment for the abuse
of them.
We claim to live in an age of unwonted
progress The rail car, steamboat, tele-
grayh, deguerreotype, and a host of ether
modern inventions in the higher sciences
are thought to be triumphant proofs of the
boundless capabilities of the mind Of man !;
and yet it may very seriously be questioned
whether this progress is not for the worse
instead of the better ;-because from it, may
be drawn the inference of the suficiency of
mans intellect to provide for all the contin-
gencies of his own happiness. How else
could the doctrine of 'higher law than
the Word of God. have been arrived at, but
from the idea of human perfectibility, un-
assisted tLing attsidleo It's o7 n ir1=
herent powers? This "higher law doc
trine is made to supersede and set aside the
Bible itself, as having attained higher de-
gree of human perfection, than the Bible
presumed to teach And yet how absurd
is the idea of this climax of human attain
ment, the ''higher law'-if there had been
no Bible as point of antithesis or opposi-
ton. If the Law of God had not said ''thou
shalt not covet," ''ye had not known sin. :"
So, if the Bible had not defined the posi-
tions and relations Of men there ceeld have
been no ''higher law
Well may this nation fear that the AL
mighty hath a quarrel with us and that
He will avenge his insulted majesty from
the contumly Of such paltry worms.
It is remarkable, with what pertinacity,
we cling to the idea that we, like the an
cient Jews, are Gods peculiar and chosen
people ; and we seem to think that He could
not carry on His omnicient purposes with
out our aid. And seeing that we are so es-
sential to Him, we have become proud,
high-minded, self-suficient and careless
Alas! for US, if this is true of us as a M
ton. The fate of the Jews of old ought to
be warning, and will be, if we are not
stricken with judicial blindness.
Then again whence comes the idea of this
''irrepressible conflict" but from the same
pride of the human intellect, which brooks
not the dictation Of other authority? Is
there any 'irrepressiblc conflict" between
the conditions Of life, celibacy and matri-
mony? Must one or the other Of these at
length prevail to the entire exclusion Of the
other? Must one or the other finally be-
come obligatory upon all men? If SO, then
we must admit that other constitutions is
in the same category. What is this ''irre-
pressible conflict doctrine, but living.
palpable, active manifestation of the ''enmi-
ty" of the ''carnal mind' to the :'law of
God? The "carnal mind" or human wis
dom, makes out man to be something "a
very august personage-a very important
entity. The law of God regards him as a
creature, whose highest perfection is humili-
ty and obedience; and here is the enmity,
the conflict between the two, 1T is now and
always has been irrepressible, the one exalts
Tue OtucI NeUdScS-tue ouo Is lepellloUS, tuS
other obedient
And now, Mr.. Editor, what sad and
deplorable spectacle does not our country
present? And what is the cause. but these
same impractical, delusive doctrines? Did
any sane man look for any other result from
the triumph Of such aggressive principles
over the peaceful protecting spirit Of our
Constitution Can man take a serpent
into his bosom and not be stung? Can be
60 upon Goals and not be burned ? In all
our former elections for President-no mat
ter how high and furious party spirit run
no matter how bitter the feeling between
section and section, or State and State-no
matter how personal, abusive or rampant
" when the grand result has been announced,
, every man, woman and child have become