Daily State sentinel., 1864-01-15

ears Of age. which will hot ObeY the Sil % his
father. the voice Of his mother, aud that = hen
tbey had chasiened him will not hearkrn unto
them. then shall his father and mother. being his
natural parents. lay hold on him and bring him
TO the magistrates assembled in 'urt, aud testify
unto them that their son IS stubborn and rebel
lious and viii not Obey their voice and -chastise
ment. but lives in sundry aud notorious crimes:
such 4 son shall be put 10 ielth November.
1916
There WAS in fact almost no such thing as
liberty OF the person in the Puritan province
Early after emerging from the cabin OF the
Mayfower," they enacted laws making the col
ony sort OF clo.e corporation, iorbidding exit
without leive OF the N .gi-irates They also re 1
fused entrance TO, or otuIshed, those whom they /
thought dangerous heretics. In June. 1851 the
following Law was made:
'sIt Is ordered that no person what /
sOever shall travel out Of this patent either by i
sea or land without leave from the Governor,
Deputy Governor or some other assistant, under /
such penalty as the court shall think meet TO IN
fici"
When a man j. asked To- define liberty" the
most common answer is, "the right TO go and
come, and move about as plelse This Is a
poor definition but il is the idea of liberty which
mos, men have Puritans lOoke,l With disiavor
on this sort of liberty. In 1862 this law was
enacted:
This court being sensible Of the increase OF
profaneness and irrelgousness by reason Of the
vagrant and vagabond life OF sundry persons, as
well inhabitants as foreigners, that wander from
their families, relations. and dwelling places.
from town to town, thereby drawing away chl
dren, servants, aud other persons. both younger
and elder from their lawful calngs and employ
ments and hardening the hearts of one rnother
against all Subjection to the rules OF Gods Holy
Word. and the established laws of this colony.
all of which To prevent. this court doth hereby
order and enact:
THAT all such persons. wherever they may he
found in aEy place Of this jurisdiction, be appre-
hended by the constable of the said place, with or
without further warrant. and brought before me
+ next magistrate, who if upon examination he
shall fiud them 10 be such n DO not give good
aud satisfactory account OF such their wandering
up aud down, shall proceed with and against
them As rosues aud vagabonds. and cause them
To be corpOrtly punished. AMI sent from consta-
ble to constable until they come to the place of
/ their abode, &c p"
IL would be Impossible for vs., within our space,
To give half of the laws 0f the Puri,ans restrain
ing the liberty Of the person. Some OF their
enactments good. Others bad In 1883
they passed law furnishing by fine and lmprs-
orment su.h persons '.as may take liberty to
Cypress AMI wrong their neighborS by taking ex
/ ces>iye wages for their work or unreisOn be
prices for such merchandises other necessary
commodities as shall pass from man to IN N
We fancy that New York and Boston prisons
would be full if that statute were now enforced
Aud what would Young New York and Young
Boston, male and female. say to the following
law. m ,de in Nav. 1912
Whereas God hath committed the care and
power into the hands of parents for the dispOsing
of their children in marriage, so that It Is against
rule to seek to draw away the affections OF young
i al rf pi 80
before their parents have given way and allow
( ance IN that respect and whereas il Is a common
practice. in divers p ices, for young men irregu-
lrIy and iisordcrly To watch all advantages ioI
their evil purposes trinSlnuate into the affections
+ of young maidens. by coming to them in places
ami seasons unknown To their parents, Tor such
ends. whereby much evil hath grown up amongst
Us. to the dshopor OF God and dam ge OF parties
for the prevention whereof in time to come it i
further ordered:
That whatsoever person shall hencef nth
deavOr directly or Indirectly TO draw away The
affection OF any maid in this jurisdiction, under
pretence OF marriage, before he hath obtained
liberty and allowance from her parents or gov
eruOrs or in absence of such, of the neares
magistrate shall forfeit for the first offence five
pounds; Tor the second towards the party. ter
pounds, and be bound forbear any further at
, tempt and proceedings in that unlawful design
without or against the allowance aforesaid; anC
for the third offence. upon Information, &c
be shall be committed 10 prison. and upoi
hearing aud conviction by the next court. shall
be adjudged to continue in prison until the Cour
of Assistants shall see fit TO release him.
We have cited these as specimen statutes t
show that there was in reality personal libert,
r in he Puritan commonwealth. The subjects
male and female, were under strict suryeilIanc
, in domestic and public m'tters alike. Many o
their rules on the subject of personal rights wer
, coed We are not con1emnng them We ar
. but showing what they were. and exhibiting t
the people the style of liberty which the New
England Society propose to re establish in tn
n whole country
a The liberty of the press Is defended con
sttuent element of public liberty by all educate
nations except by American radicals But tn
. press was not free among the PuritanS. In 1862
q this law made:
For preventing the irregularities and abus
!. TO Il e authorities of this country by the Drntin
: press it is ordered that hencetorrh copy shal
O. be printed but by the allowance first had and oh
tained under the hrnd OF CAptan Daniel Gooki
and Dir Jonathan Mitchell, until this court sha
: take further order therein
n In 1864. thev again ordered as iollOws:
y For preventing of irregularities and abuses z
~ the authority of the country by the printing pre-:
. it is ordered by this court. and the auhorit
% thereof that there shall be printing press a.
Cambridge" &c One law went To appoir
III ee censors OF that press, and provided forfeit
% ure of press and disability ever again to folio
> the profession in that jurisdiction, the penalt
20 of violation
!, We have thus fir siid little ahoit the absenc
70 of liberty ct conscience and OF rel gious wOrsh
r. among the PUritanS YET this j perhaps tt
20 most important feature OF their polity in view
70 the designs Of modern radicalispl. he Ope
\. and avowel principle OF the radicals of the pre-
nj eut day force their notions of morals on ii
- whole country is undoubtedly Offspring Of Il
"A old Puritan intolerance While in the natter
- slavery and slaveholding South Carolina N
n other Southern States follow the exampe ~
10 uphold the practice of the Puritans. in matters
n conscience the Northern radicals initiate then
and will. if permitted, re establish their principl
q, i'm the entire country We select "a specimen
:, I the general requirements of the Puritan law. a
fecting all the inhabitants In 1916 this was e.
=, acted
n Wherever the ministry OF the Word is e>taI
ST lished according to the order of the gOsps
&c thrOug ghout this jurisdiction. every person shs
at duly resort and attend thereunto respectively
er the Lords DAYS, and upon such public fast day
he and DAYS of thanksgiving. "a are 70 be general
as observed by appointment oi authority. And
any person within this jurisdiction shall. witho
e Just and necessary cause. Withdraw himself fro
r. the public ministry uf he Word. after due mes
ci Of conviction used he shall forfeit for his absen
he FROM everv such public meeting five shllllngs T"