Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-04-23
LIBERTY IN ANERIoA-NEoEssIrY OF PEACE

| LIBERTY IN AhERI0A-NE0ESSIrY OF PEACE.
Au interesting lecture was delivered the night Of
the l4th, a. Cooper Institute, Nav York city, by Dud
ley Spring. his subject being Liberty IN America =
Siog the necessity Of peace We make the follow
| ing extract: r.r.-.,s5r ur sa5
The independent political existence of the country
had its birth in certain general principles clearly Defined
Well understood among them are the following: Gov
eminent il for the benefit Of the people, and not the
people for the benefit Of the Government. The only
Just aud solid fould ton for AL government is the cen.
sent OF the governed. When government fails TO
| promote the happiness of people, that people have
| the right to change it. These principles have as
serted be truths aud their assertion have sustain
ed at great We cannot go back on our pfece-
dent do anything contrary to IL without moral in
i consistency and injustice. Ii the principles are
erroneous then was tue Revolutions of 76 crime- q
crime, ali that fo)Wed was without right aud there
be no remedy to maintain it Besdss must NOT pro
| q. by his own wrong. IT, on the other hand, the
principles correct |! Is still greater crime to
dispute and contest them, or to deny their effect and
| operation because do adyisedly and with the
price in our hands. When we deny them we slander
the Il lie 10 our existence nation, and deame those
from whom we derived the inheritance. Il is our du.y
in all honesty and honorable dealing, not to strainn
these principles in sense applciton--not to throw
them aside as garments that served their purpoe
thei- day; but 10 hold them IN veneraton pre-
servers of our liberty tina bulsaIks OF the nation The
hope of mankind despot bor and nurtured is not
without excuse but freeman become despot has none.
Nature abhols the monster, ard will sufer it long
to live. D,c,ney, If not como eIce forbid sslfsh
and partial application Of those laws in which we
have our political being-.or6id that we should in
woke them In our own behalf or deny them when
in behalf of others. lis our duty 10 show that this
nation was etablished not in selfsaness but in
right We rushed 70 rebel on virtue; let US de-
nounce tyranny, Whatever shape it may assume,
crime; The right TO self-govtrnment ia not the right
to choose our government, but any government. TIE
right eff communities to choose their government
is not exclusive in them-ndivduals have the came
right The individual exercises his right by the only
course in which it DO made effective. He mgrate
political community or State gives effscs to s choc
not by any change of locality, that would be clearly i'm
possible, but by changing It's political relation. Had
these sentiments prevailed would not have present.
ed 10 the world phenomenon Of inordinate ambition
proceeding from the most considerable of Institutions
We wolld have respected the right Of others for the
re lsons VIII oh direct us 10 maintain our own. JUS
tics, equity and prudence would have had greater
influence in councils and administration We
should have tppreciatei the TRUTH that q strict
regard for the rights Of others, the weak a, well
the strong with the exercise Of justice, magnar-
unity orb sarance and moderation il merely duty,
bus necessity 0ur standard of rational and social
excellence would have been higher, Il would not have
consisted in wealth and military p,wer these would
have been useful sorvan.s but they wouli not have
masters Moral power, dignity and Influence would
have constituted the elary of the uaiiOn -
The troubles which have settled upon us would have
pass over cur heads to some dstempered more con-
genial zone; aud finally should have demonstrated
that great truth, in which mankind have 30 deep an