Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1862-02-06
speech OF Hon. a. Harding, of
Kentucky.

we make the lOIlOWlnS extracts from
this speech, delivered in the House Of
Representatives, December, II, 1861, on
the joint resolution relative to the right
olthe President in regard to persons held
as slaves in any Military District in a
state of instruction. lie said
But the gentlemen from Massachusetts,
Mr.. Eliot in these very resolutions,
says, in substance that "we disclaim all
constitutional power to interfere with sla-
very" How, then, ] enquire, are we to
emancipatc slaves Why, he says-and
it is about as strange as anything have
heard yet--that ''the recognized authoii.
ty of the maxim that the safety of the
State is the highest law, subordinate
rights of property, and dominates over
civil relations" Now, from this fearful
subordination, pray that this Govern
ment may be delivered Why, sir it is
the higher law Where did the maxim
come from Who recognized the au-
thority Of this higher law / know no
higher law to control my actions in gov
ermcntal matters than the Constitution
of my country ; and departure from the
one is no more cxcusahe than depart
ure from the other. The man who pro-
poses to depart fran plain provision Of
the 6 constitution is, in a certain sense, a
a transgresSor Of the whole. We are
told that he who violates one plain pro
vision of the Constitution is, in the same
sense transgrcssor against the whole
He shows his disloyalty to his Maker if
he is willing to violate one provision of
the Divine law and demonstrates that he
is making war against this government
OF Heaven and so, if he violates the
Constitution Of our country willingly and
knowingly, he is making war against the
Government. This is higher lava law
higher than the Bible higher than the
: Constitution higher than the oath to
support it. There is no proposition
more monstrous than this none fraught
with greater evil. Why, sir, what is it
: but revolution to attempt to lcgislate
with reference to any higher law than
the Constitution of the country? What
but rebellion against the government Of
Heaven to attempt to regulate religion
and morality by higher law than the
Bible a? Why, sir, it made its appearance
at the time the Mormon Bible came up ::
it seemed to rise with it, as if then resur,
rected but not so ; it has been in the
world long time and it is upon this
principle OF a higher law which subordin-
ates government and dominates over
civil relations" that fierce mobs have
armed themselves and madly rushed on to
bloodshcd and riot, to the breaking open
of prisons and to the fstruction of hui
man life without evil. lce trial. This
is mob law. This is higher law .
Why, sir. it was the spirit Of this same
higher law that put forth its sacreligious
hand and plucked
"1'hat forbidden fruit
Whose mortal taste brought deatl into the world
And all our woes"
Sir, it was this higher law spirit which
dominated over France in that fearful
reign of terror, made her streets run with
blood. 1t is the rawlings of that impious
spirit in the North which declares the Con
stitution, framed by our patriotic an
cestors, to be ga league with death and
covenant with hell" 1t is the spirit
which moves the Abolition Disunionist
of the North to gather up and furnish fu-
cl with which the fiery Secossionsts of
the South have lighted up that fearful
and burning conilagration, which is
now consuming and dcsolating tho whole
land in its wild and spreading lIamc.-
1t is the spirit determined "to rule or ri.
m"-its motto is, "bcttcr reign in hell
than serve in heaven" 1t is this higher
law spirit that lately took possession of
the once calm and conservative John
Cochranc, changing his whole character
making him as fierce and wild as the
man who dwclt among the tombs, and
could not be chained or confned-and
causing him to cry out with wild fury,
Plunge the whole Southern people, black
and white, into n sea of indiscriminatc
carnage and blood - Sir, it is the spir-
it which "has hitherto worked, and now
works, in the children Of ofdiSobedence"
; But sir, war upon the institution of
slavery would not only be unconstitution-
al and revoutonary-not onlya criminal
violation of the plightcd faith of Congress
and of the Administration but utterly at
war with every principle Of sound policy,
Who ever lives to see that fearful and
mad policy inaugurated, will see the sun
of American liberty so down in clouds
and darkness to rise no more. The last
hope OF a restoration Of the Union-.thc
last hope Of free government upon this
contncnt--will then sink and utterly per
ish, 1t would seem to be a question of
no great difficulty to decide what is
sound policy in the conduct of the pres
ent war.
Now with every good man, every
friend of his country, and with every true
patriot, the object and end of the war is
not to deStroy, coRQHcr and dyipc o8,,. but,
with the least possible destruction of
! property and life, to maintain and estab-
llsh the authority of the Government, and
subduc, rcrlaim and b,pg back to their
allegiance the misguided rebels and thus
bring together and harmonz, the great
family of States in the bonds of union
and common brotherhood, under the glo-
riouS old national banner, If any man
suppoScs this great and good result can
be reached by the destruction and conlis-
cation of property, by making war upon
slavery IN the South, by melting the