The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1863-01-05

Tue present LmpsEOr u an uOOttttOUlSL, mol ling
Slavery in the most intense Getestation, while
your assistant Editor endeavors % PEI petuate it +;
and leave it to your readers to determine which
is the true Christian and which the real despot.
Your assistant says, " How can we, who believe
that Government is a Divine lsstitution, and who
render it obedience always as unite God, argus
with one whs makes the Law written upon his own
heart higher thaa any human law, or human Con-
%s'itution ?" He may well put The enquiry, but
to answer it, perhaps, would be more difficult.
10 me. the denial tina. God has written upon
every human heart the love of life, the love Of
liberty, a thirst for happiness, constitutes the most
arrans infdehty; and the idea that human Gsv-
ernmeats or Constitutions can change, alter, re-
peal or modify this universal law Of Jehovah,
or that the Government that processes to do so is
a Divise Institution to be always obsyed, 10 moth
ing less than heaihcnish stupidity. Psgans, bar
bar!ans, and heatsens are conscious of the right
Of innocent persons to live, and lhsy ali punish
murder. They are equally conscious OF their
right te iissriy, and caerish its enjoyment. They
are also constant in their pursait Of happiness.
II is the law Of tho Most High written upon every
heart. Cain vislatsd this law and suffered tbs
appropriate penalty long before human govern
ments or constitutions were formed. The fat of
the Holy One uttered in a voice Of thunder
from Sinai," saying "Thon sh1it not kill" conSti'
tutes a higher lAw" than hsman ensctmentG or
~ ma N aoUStitu1iopa ard No stav.bciHfDp
ernaeRts can repeal il. Yet there is not a slave
state in the Unlen, or in the southern CQnfedsracy,
where the master is not permitted by (ap, Il use
this term IN its general and vulgar sense) to mur-
deT bis slaves without 8 trial. But your Editor
says he will render obedience unto such govern
meat always as unto God" In every slave state
the master may sell the children OF his slave; may
consign the daughters OF his slave TO nameless
pollution may dishonor the wife in the presence
OF her husband. All these crimes are permitted
and authorized by, and practiced under, the laws
OF every .laye stale.- And your Editor will obey
thsm -always as unto God. Cas- any intelligent
man suppose that such laws impose upon the
sibvs any sbl!Batlon, social, political, moral or re-
iigious, to quietly see his daughter sold to NAME
less pollution, his children torn rem him, his wife
~pollaled, himself degraded and butcherss! VIII
the stakeholder, in the day of retrisution, justify
bis crimes by saying, | was authorized to commit
them By The ia'os Of .Sonth Carolina? VIII yeur
Editor then stand beside the stakeholder and saw,
proposed 10 continue these crimes 40 a common
upon tohich tee could all agree 2" All,
my dsar sir, this agreement Of Northern dough
faces to maintain the damning crimes which con-
stituts slavery, has brought upeu our Nation the
terrible Judgments under which We are suffering,
But | repeat the very object Of human govern
msnts is TO prersnt crimes, to punish those who
commit them, to destroy slavery. oppression, and
crime; to maintain, net TO destroy, the rights
which God has given, and snforc, the duties which
He has im imposed. Here the divine will and human
are blended and stand connected.
|, 10 the "highsr law" Of Gods will that each
soul shall live, d~evslope ITSELF acquire
knowledge, and prepare for Heaven. "To secure
these rjghts--these gifts of God"-(not to DESTROY
them governments are instituted among men,"
10 invade these rights 10 to violate Gods will.
Such violation must be crime, of the deepest dye,
against God and mankind. Here lie the bounda-
ries OF human governments. Here the line o.
between . governments y properly
and despetisms. Here the point o d.
between right and ,crong, between
freedom and slavery, between heaven ard nell.
1t is this point on which your associate Editor
appears most uniformed. 10 it | would kindly
invite hs attention. Let him study contemplate