The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-01-29
A Heresy Avowed.
rron psnor,. RerIov @, Anrpsl l,sa-

Law and liberty are The opposing for
ces that keep societies and governments
alive. Too much of law or too much of
liberty are equally destructive 10 human
we'll being. Under the influence Of over
legislation individual action is tso much
restricted, and society stagnates and re-
hand, too little OF law, anarchy super
venes, the strsug opprsss the weak, and
might becomes right. There is always
equal danger that the wOrld will be 700
much or too littlo ESyORnOd Yet il 10
strange and anAeosuAtablA tASt in All
ages the HHRSpsNn rscSs AsvS Pscommen-
dsd liberty - . COED, sAd tASsshy in
fsreAtiAlly condemned leg and govern
nsnt ~ evils, fOs Lev asd sOVSSnnsnt are
thS RSsatiOn Of liberty.
These TsnAIks would kS kVated -
useless AbstfsctiSna, sad Dsss uAkssdsd
in srdiAaYy tiwea, Bat rev every 0AS
peroiSvss the necessity Of SsstFiStinR,
Hay, OF bAniSAiss liberty, for the E@S, in
order that whsn peace 10 restored We
may Rgaih sRjoy Q reasonable sRount Of
il. Nobody, however, looks forward to
sr hspss for that lsrs rule, EAd Approri-
nation 70 ansrchy, thAt nadS our insh-
tutions andsT the late Union the laugh
ing stock Of Europe. HXcsss Of liberty
was the evil uAdSr which We laborsd uA-
til q few months past Now martial law
has corrected all that, and everybody
halls martial law as blessing. The
whole white male population Of the
South, between the ages Of eighteen AAd
thsrNr- g.. Nlrnnah k.,.
tatiVSs. "alienated life, liberty and the
pursuit Of happiness" Their slaves are
ten times freer than themselves. Yet
everybody feels that all this is emnently
right. Liberty and slavery are neither
good of themselves, good when unre-
stricted, but only gooa when duly appor-
toned ard balanced, and administered
pathologically, as times, circumstances
sex, classes ages, individuals, and races
may require.
Our rulers, State and Confederate, Leg
islative and Executive, have, of late,
shown themselves admirable pathologists
and seeing that the nation was sick OF
too much liberty, have based it we'll with
law, which is the negation and corrective
Of excess of liberty.
In Richmond, where we reside, the
declaration of martial law has banished
panic, treasured the people, and giving q
feeling Of safety and security 10 all our
citizens. Liberty Of speech and liberty
of the press are sufficiently restricted ~
stringent public opinion, which nc
man dares tamper with If they were
thus restrained the public authorities
would readily step in and punish and in
carcerate any enc who, by indiscrSet
talk and indiscresi writiag, jospRrdsd
! the public safety. You 1sSt At every
corner of the street ErmSd men who pre-
serve order, keep the peace, aHd turr
over to summary punishment the crini-
nal and disordsrly. Prices are regulated
by law, Sxtortionsrs punished, and the
making or vending Of liquSr strictly pre-
hibited.
This is not liberty, but the reverse o.
it, yet none but the corrupt aad criminA
object to il. The right TO cheat aRd
swiAdls your Aeighbor is suspended foi
TIE present, and it may be that kOFsaf-
ter, when peace ia restored, that we may
discover that this free trade principle il
not indispensable to the well being o.
society.
LIMITED asvEANHRNTA
Oar present experience will teach nj
another valuable lesson, to wit; "Fhat
limited governnenta, or gOVePn@Sntt
with written constitutions, arc uanatu
raj and inprScticAble." KnglaHd ia, /,
tho true snd only tru6 sense, limited or oon
shtutiopal government; but there tho onll
kmits to The poser Of government oys tinso,
honored prsoeients, ana tbs checks spd JaLan,
ces Shich commons, lords, the church aN5 III
sSOns iIterpSSs 40 each other. HsAcs, il bal
been truly said that "kisg, LORDS aRC
sommons nay do Anything except max,
q man aWomRa." Here is q aoVernnsn
"At all points" ready to meet sad apply
the proper means TO any Sxigsncies tia
may arise, Aad 10 WELD the whole uBrs-
stricted power Of the AAtiOA 10 cope will
inimieal people. No enc chA foresOs WhA
day may bring forth. and tAsrefors i
is rash and unWiSS TO prescribe hKeS
unbending rules for eur fSturS conduct
and still more unWise aAd rash TO pre-
scribe such rules fer the con duet OF 9th
ers. What would become or child il
the jostle and struggle Of life, il at III
birth programme of it's conduct throSEl
life, strictly prescribing what il shoulC
and what it should not Do, were 10 be thu
guide Of itE conduct through life. A hu
man being with such unlimited power
Of action, would not be a greater ab
surdity than government OF a natiol
similarly limited, for the e1gehoies o
national life are as various, complex ant
unforeseen as those Of individual life
Yet written constitution is programm
Of conduct prescribed at the birth Of
nation, for its future con duct throughou
all time. Or at best it is an attcmpt 4
make an organic law, which may not b
changed readily as occasions for chang
mey arise
The Constitution Of our Confcderac
provides that "alter the 4lh Of Marcel
1868, the expenses Of the Post Office De
parmont shall be paid out Of its revenue,
D II this be done the people will be de
priyed Of great part Of their accustom
ed mail aud travelling facilities, an