Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1866-02-09
Political.
THE HIGHER LAW.

|. THE HIGHER LAW.
A great many honest persons, traine'
from youth up to reverence the Constitu
ton as the supreme law Of the land, hav'
been puzzled in past years to know wha
the Abolitionists meant by the highe
law" which they invoked people t
obey to the disregard Of all their civi
obligations. There was something rather
startling to plain people in system o.
jurisprudence, which, while it took pre-.
cedence of any other, could be framed
and interpreted to suit the convenience
Of each philosopher who betook himself
to its study, and cast aside the irksome
and vulgar restraints Of the lower
law" It afforded sublime plea for
rogues of every description who were
fdelighted to be put in possession Of a
code so flexible and so potent to override
the provisions of the common statute
book. Instead Of being " moved and
seduced by the instigation Of the devil, !"
as the polite phrase Of tho indictment
would have it, the gentleman of light
fingers or bloody ones--a Beast Butler
or o Jonn brown, as the case might pc
was enabled, u caught % assume me
race OF martyr sunering ior rove ~
law, instead OF that OF cuipris Drought
to justice for violating it. So far, in
deed, was this most convenient system
Of personal and private legislation car
RED that the Aoolinon's1s OF Doston
made nero OF a preacher OF tneir IaiIn
VINO was neio 70 answer 'or .ne very
pract'cai ana material onence u carrying
on ms neignDors VINE, Ai.nougn :. was
quite Impossible 20 associate nro'ner
haiiocns crime ~ any way WIN inc
cause Of emancipat'on--.ne iaoy ~ cues,
ton peing wnise, s'ra'gh.-na'feo ana
freeporn-yet MS devo.ea ADMIRERS, aver !,
careiui reference 70 the n.gner 'Aw'
discovered tnat tnis fancy ior ie'naies
manns o'.s Psop.:. aaualan5ont -
wac "eie'y ~ oA.sss'e a''s,o r. I;.,Is
humane sympaen,es---une " .uo I.ss,o
eAcsu'Iiols'es - pn''ah'n.OPy - e.. e.
moving y mar nose susn,I 49,
lIons cseu ,ni'lons \. .n'n.a1 D ~
were incaPap'e - eIs''u e, aDs9D ~,
sequehuy Dro.ner ha'ioOn unys - ~! =,
l'nc 'n'lions u sne iomei d =" H. .hy
carrier nun 'uele meie so'aSs1 ~ wy
visits OF tne sympa'nc''c co. ~ ni.";s;.
.ne P'hcnpecA speo'polII' ~ y . a e
,naiuens gh.,ercu 'nloesn .uo sa"ss =
us ceii--codnsn Daiis ., rare mayor, eym
pounded py iair nanus, anu punPn =,
PIES OF dainty goiaen huo, aPpoaseu s.e
| appetite o. the noly man--anu, wnen y nis
prison doors a. last swung open, = w
lighted multitude pore nim 70 tne sanclu-
ary' where az ne Is NOT again ~ 'ihuo)
we presume ne Is sun expounuing 'ne
nigner Jaw. we con1rac.eu' sonie-
how, a bitter prejudice against Inc CERES
tial and intangible code Oh ,ne Apo,'ion-
lists at the Tune OF brotner hal'oc'i .
martyrdom, wn.cn we nave never oeen
able to shake on.
But although our contempt for the
higher law" has not materially in
creased since that shameful case filed
the newspapers, we have seen, since the
Abolitionists became masters OF the gov
eminent, outragcs perpetrated under Its
pretended sanction which are shame TO
any people, and for which our children's
children will despise the memory of their
fathers We have seen every refinement
Of cruelty, every appliance Of despotism
engrafted upon institutions which were
meant to secure above all things the
liberty Of the people, We have seen the
press silcnccd and it's conductors bound
and imprisoned. We shave seen the
public speakers kidnapped and dragged
away to Jail for telling the truth to meet
ings of freeborn citizens. We have seen
the Legislature Of sovereign State
transformed by the magic of the bayonei
into a chain-oaug OF starved and wretched
prisoners, poor IN everything but spirit,
manhood which leads pilgrim feet to the
4 4 Lac