Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1864-02-27
SATURDAY MORNING. FEB. 81. 1861.
Mr.. Emmons and MIR. Brown on Higher
Lew.

ers that Mr.. Lodge when he assumed control
of the Pioneer and DcmocrGfa few years ago.
published n $, r.non of Rev. ID. Ellis Wiilcs,
for the purpose IS he said Of purifying the
material of the office, (which had in years
past been engaged in some 'ii>rrpuable fight
ing" 1t appears that some OF or more ultra
friends hold to the same notion of the nccrssi-
ty Of occasional "purification. We can no
more attempt to s.a;c cur views if they con-
flict with theirs than we are called upon to
"purify" our columns by publishing god old
" covenant with l.ll'' doctrine from the Her
aid of Proyress. and papers of,hat ilk.
We publish this week on our first paS', as
n mild disinfcctive," by request of IL friend
a letter published in the abovo-named paper,
written by Mr.. Emmons of Bristol Wis. The
writer argues that slavery being :hc cause OF
the war, it can only be blonsh, to II termlna-
ton by the extinction of that institution.
As we have already in commenting on the
speech of Wendell Phillips. pointed out the
policy of the Administration in regard to the
rebellion, we are glad to refer those who have
any further curiosity on the subject to portions
of the letter of Mr. Emmons, as it lays down
the premises from which Wendell Phillips
and all who believe with him argue These
premises are so destructive of all order and
government, that they are seldom stated
in so many words, except by those who have
the fanaticism without the craft of Phillips
Here is the foundation Of the whole super
structure:
"By Liberty, mean ffec1om To do mhdie'er
is y;gIt. Freedom to do what is wrong Is H.
conse, and the practice Of such freedom is
RIGHTEOUSNESS. Enac.ments by lcgis-
latiye bodies or statutes in books, are ty no
means always law; they may be, and often
are very bad; but law is always good and
never bad. Evil enactmenS are not even bdd
laws, but are no laws at all; they are null
and void from the beginning
The general definition of Liberty would do
well enough, were it not for the definition OF
Law which follows. The difference between
free and absolute governments is, that whilst
the one has legislative and judicial branches
with defined and limited powers, to make and
fxpound the laws which determine what is
hight and what is wrong, the other depends
uron a single will with 10 limitation Or re-
s,iction, except it's own sense of right
ana wrong. Human laws arc necessarily
imperfect, yet bad as they sometimes
are, we prefer them to the higher law as
it is revealed to us from time to time by such
self-constituted prophets and interpreters as
Wendell Phillips, the Herald Of Progress, Mr..
Emmons, DR.. DeWolfe, John Brown, and
others of that ilk, who can only justify their
fanatic and licentious acts by referring them
to the pure tribunal Of their own sense Of
what is right.
In few words, it is the theory of all free
governments that the statutes and enactments
of the legally constituted Legislative powc, are
the rules which will be recognized by the judi
cha branch in determineins disputes between
those who cannot agree between themselves
as to what is right and what is wrong-it
makes no difference what may be the matter
in controversy Or what may be the opinions of
the person or persons affected by that rule.
The slaveholding States claimed for them
selves just what these people claim-freedom
to do what Mey considered right. The rea-
soning of Mr.. Emmons was their reasoning,
viz: Slavery is "divine institution" and
consequently right, and should be extended
everywhere. The laws of Congress were cal
culaied to cripple and confne that institution !;
they being ''evil enactmen.s, are not even
bad laws, but are no laws at all they are
null and void from the beginning
This doctrine is horrible, and the Govern
mcnt was forced for its own preservation to
make war on those who first acted upon it..
Are not those who still proclaim it, making
war on the Government
After our editorial comments OH the
letter of Mr.. Emmons had been writ
ten, Mr.. b. F. Brown handed to us a
communication, which We publish as furnish
ing the most conclusive proofs of what we
have already pointed out as the inevitable
tendencies and consequences of the higher
law doctrine.
With such men, it is useless to argue,
either from principles or facts They have
me idea which involves everything: that
idea is the abolition of slavery. With them
there is no conceivable amount Of good or