Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-02-02
LAW AND ITS REQUIREMENTS.

Few persons, when thinking Of law,
appreciate the extent of its existence,
or the real dependence Of all things upon
its operation. The tendencies of mani
mate bodies to certain motions, the
principles Of vegetation, the functions
of life, the intuitive ~propeusities of ami
mails to particular actions, are as GER
taiuly laws in themselves, as any written
code that was ever peuued. Iudeed,
the natural and essential idea Of our
word law is IN established order of Sc
quenees. This will include all the laws
Of the physical universe, extending, as
we know, from the furthest star in the
canopy of heaven to the smallest atom
under the microscope; the progress Of
mankind, through successive develop
ments and will equally embrace all
those moral and social duties which
spring out of the natural relations in
which men are placed. Every advance
in knowledge and virtue is constantly
revealing new and fresh expressions OF
| these laws to the human mind. That
they are all, not only supremely wise,
but truly good, is now scarcely ques-
toned. Burke describes law as bene-
icence acting by rule" All the laws
of man, asfar as they are true and right,
are but the reflection of this divine
benefcsnce, and where they begin to
lose this character, they fail in their
ultimate result.
Disregard or hatred Of law, therefore,
would seem simply absurd, as implying
indifference or hatred to all that con
duces to our highest happiness, as vel
as our very existence. The best con
c~ep.ion Of love is that which dsvotes all
its powers to the purest and truest hap
piness Of its object, and the closer the
Investigation of the Divine law, the
clearer will be the perceptions OF thi:
principle running through and actual
ing it all. When men learn truly TO re.
gard audobserve that law rs the high
est expression of bene6cence, they find
themselves pursuing the most direct,
| simple and certain road to all the great
ends of life. The axiom that a straigh,
line is the shortest possible distance be.
tween two points is no less true in
morals than in mathematics. Every
one who d~isr0gards the plain laws oil
health, neglecting exercise, or eating
iudigestiblc food, or turning night into
day, or wasting strength in dissipation,
is d~erinting from the straight line, and
diminishing the ripest, richest, matur;
est part Of life for a short hour Of
proftless qualification. So with the
eternal laws of the minds working, dis
covered progressively through long ageI
of human thought, and the revelation
of science handed down in increased
measure by each generation.
There is no shorter cut to knowledge,
fame, wisdom and success in life, than
the straight line of conformity to the
laws of mind. The great social laws oil
ruth, justice and love, are being gradu'
ally developed, and written moro and
more wildly upon every heart, in pro-
portion rs they arc obeyed. From these
laws We can never DO released by vote
of the Senate or decree Of the people,
nor do they need any interpreter beside
themselves. Whoever disoboys them,
treats with contempt his Divine origin,
us we'll as his human nature, and will,
in that very fact, pay the greatest pen
atty, even if he escape other punish
mcut. No present sacrifice that can be
made to live in harmony with the great
laws of the Creator can ever cost a inaI
regret. It is the shortest, surest road
to peace and happiness, and will leac
to a love of law, which gives the trues'
security and power nttainable by man