Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-11-15
osEpIENcE TO LAW.

One Of the peculiar features OF Amerl
can character, that arrests the attention
and wins the admiration Of everY iuteill-
gent foreigner, is the universally aeknowl-
edged supremacy Of the law, aud the inn
pIicit obedience yielded thereto. II
d an essential quality without which
republican governments cannot exist
Without It democracy would be forever
failure. Iii a fundamental principle Of all
free governments, that the viii Of the peo-
pie shall be the law Of the land The
measures Of the majority, expressed by their
votes at the ballot box aud incorporated il
to the laws Of the State by their represen-
tives, must lie the law and foit implicit
obedience must be rendered by al j these
laws be obnoxious they mu4t sal. ba b1rue
until By new appeal at tie proper ilate.
the obnoxious features arc removed IN the
same manner 10 which they were first pass.
ed. This feature of our national character
forms the basis Of our political stability and
domestic quiet This Difference to law Is
the legitimate result Of a general diffusion
of intelligence And in this may be found
incontroyertible evidence, that free, Fepub-
lican, constitutional governments can only
exist permanently where the masses are ed
ucated. The respect for, and observance Of
law are the natural result Of that intel
hgence which can mprehend the feet, that
whenever an obnoxious law is passed 1t may
be openly and freely discussed and It's unjust
features held up before the public, until,
convinced of its injustice, public opinion
through the ballot-box decrees its repeal.
Thus every act Of the majority not founded
on sound principles Of strict and impartial
justice is sure to be speedily exposed and
promptly repealed by an intelligent public
opinion expressed in legal manner at prop
er and regular intervals 1t is because Of
this assurance, the method Of reasoning by
which il IS reached being clear to every in
telligent mind, that efforts ata lorcible re-
sistanee of obnoxious or unpopular laws are
almost entirely unknown, especially IN the
free States The gigantic rebellion so re-
Gently suppressed could never have arisen
had the same degree OF intelligence perva-
ded that deluded section Of our country that
prevails in the free States. No better ar
gument than this is required to demonstrate
the importance Of educating the masses Of
our people, yea its absolute necessity if we
would preserve our free institutions and
continue law abiding people. lis only
the ignorant and degraded that viii permit
themselves to be blindly led by political
demagogues into acts Of violence as a means
Of redressing their grievances. under a re-
publican form Of government. Compact
party organizations, moving like dumb ma
chiaery at the viii Of a single leader, are al
ways to be deprecated, in a Democratic gov
ernment, as the unmistakable evidence Of
that degree Of ignorance that thinks not for
itsolf but bliudiy aud lsve,iI0ssly f,iiOrrg eie
fnischievous and dangerous direction Of willy,
scheming demagogues. On the other hand
the fact, that the strict discipline Of party
is impossible because Of the diversity Of
opinion among its members, IS one Of the
most cheering evidences Of the safety with
which the country's destinies may be en-
trusted to its care. Diversity Of opinion
indicates independent thought and action.
and no party, in which these conditions ex-
ist, however strong, can ever endanger our
national liberty. The masses Of such a
party can never be carried into unlawful eX-
cesses or forcibIe resistance to regularly en-
acted laws, by any leader or leaders what
ever their popularity Or ability The ten
denoy to a strict obedience to existing law
ever increases with intelligence and de
creases with ignorance. There can be no
greater or surer safeguard to our republican
institutions than the general diffusion Of in.
telligence, and the education Of the masses;
nor can there be any more dangerous enemy
to our liberties than an ignorant and dogra
dcd populace The one gives stability tc
free governments, the other hurries them Il
their downfall Intelligence and liberty GO
hand in hand and rise or fall together. L.
norance is the friend and tool Of tyrant,
alone