Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-04-17
lContinued from first p5ge

Aud because oi the relation between him and
thechld, il sis the duty of the latter to honor
and obey the father. Here are corelative OBJ
legations and duties springDg up from the re-
lations that exist between them. SO, sir, IN
the relation of families there are obligations
and duties that spring from that relation Sup
pose you meet a poor fellow being by the way
side unable to lift himself upon his feet, from
the relation that exists between you end him
as members Of the same great human family,
you are bound to administer to his wants even
If there was no law, human or divine, requiring
it. Justice, truth aud virtue are everlasting
principles that spring from the relation OF
things. Human laws AMI human constitutions
ere supposed to embody these eternal princi-
pies and when they 90 embody them AM
are in harmony with them then they are legal
ly and morally obligatory, bot when they con
traVene these prior principles they ale per Sc
null md void. If the law of Con aud nature
demauda thing and the law Of the land pro-
bibits it, the law Of Gop and nature are par
mount. If the Almighty commands thing,
and The Constitution forbids it, ! say GoDs
law frst-aud | au neither u fanatic or a trail
tor. Now, mark, sir ; l believe the Consttu-
tion of this country, rightly interpreted, is the
embodiment OF the everlasting principles of JUS
tice aud truth, liberty and right hence when
/ swear 10 mGintaiD it, | swear to maintain
the principles that the great Creator has or,
dained OF old. But follow this abstract prin-
ciple little farther. did not come here to
preach, although probably there are as great
suners here as any were. Now, sir, how
does the Senator'S doctrine operate? Let me
look lat il You observe he did not conine
himself to the Constitution merely be was
battling this higher law" principle that has
been hissed at aad hawked at. How does. his
position strike in certain directions whom
does it effect practically The old Statesman
Daniel was prohibited by the Constitution Of
the country from praying. You recoltct the
history He faced the window, prayed to GoD
and took the consequences. Was he a fanatic
or traitor You remember when the image
was reared by legal authority, and every man
commanded to fall down and worship it, there
were three men who STOOD erect and said
+" GoD FIRST and kings afterwards" They were
throw1 ilto fiery furnace, but the form of
the fC4fth was with them, aud there was not
so much as the smell of fire upon their gar
ments Were they fanatics or traitors The
Apostles were sent forth alone and single
handed TO do battle against the world No
kngly smiles illamed their pathway no royal
patronage attended their progress without
titles, moneyless and friendIess, their rule Of
duty, their hope and heritage was thus Go
preach. Lo l am with you" The author-
ty of the land forbade them, under penalty of
death, and :heir calm reply was, Judge ye
whether it be right to obey GoD or man.
THEY acknowledged higher law were they
fana tics or traitorsY How was it with Re-.
fo:mers-with old Luther when he woke up,
Eun against the Greek Testament, and found
that the church and the world were all estray?
He lifted the trumpet to his lips aud blew
blast that shook all Europe the Vatican
quivered and the Pope covered The legal
authorities commanded him to desst but bis
reply was, d" l shall go to the Diet of Worms,
though there stood 10 my way as many devils
as there ere tiles on the house tops" And he
went Was he fanatic or traitor? Ola
Bunyau, the eloquent thinker, and author OF
work that imOrtalizes him, was forbidden by
the great ration of England to do what was
abstractly and absolutely righ- forbidden to
preach the Gospel to the poor. lie refused
compliance, went 10 Jail, lay there twelve
years, and during these years wrote . work
that adds more to the glory of England to day
than the martial conquests of any king that
ever sat upon the throne He bowed to the
supremacy of higher Law. Poor old Iimuer
Pilgrims Progress Though the good and
the great honor him noW-though his native
land, in atonement for the past, rears monu.
ments to his memory, what avails it Accord
ing to Berks county Democracy, he was either
a traitor or fanatic
What shall we do with the patriot fathers
Of '76 They lived under a Constitution, one
too, that was perverted to their oppression,
and they were blessed as we are with sopho-
more tutors, who declared that there was no
higher law than the Constitution Their re-
sponse was as they drew the sword aud threw
away the scabbard-" resistance to tyEants is
obedience to GOD" Were they fanatics or
traitors Allow me to say to Senators, that
eur Constitution, the BEST think, the world
ever saw, acknowledges its own possible i'm
Perfections by containing within itself CLAUSE
providing for its own amendment, while the
perfect, Interchangeable, infallible, everlasting
code of GoD and nature contains no such pro-
visions. All sir / must tell the Senator
from Berks, that while he may be a very good
lawyer. be is most miserable divinity schol-
ar while he may live long enough to deserve
IL. D., he must recant the heretical, and |
will add silly, principles asserted by him yes.
terday, or be never can become D. D.
Mr.. Speaker, the simple truth of the whole
question is this: 1t is the providence Of con-
ana laws to embody and enforce
what is naturally and iutTiBsically right aud
just When they do this it is the duty ofmen
TO respect and obey them. When they fail to
do this, it becomes q duty to change, aud if
needs be, to resist aud overthrow them by
force. This is the higher law doctrine, and it
is neither fanaticism nor treason. You must
indorse it or reprehend the patriots and soges,
the moral heroes and reformers of all past
fiD'o