Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-03-17
D UT
BY S. WHEADON.

rlOuS relations he SuStalnS as q moral
and accountable being. 1t means
that which is due. The law of God,
lays down the duty of every man,
and hnman laws reiterate and speci-
fy those duties in more particular
manner. In Scripture language the
whole law is contained in these two
with all thy heart, and thy neighbor
as thyself," and "Love is the fulfill
ing of the law"
Hence duty never violates the
'law of Love.n Laws are made for
the benefit of the governed, and
when made by rightful lawmaker,
obedience to them is due from every
one within their jurisdiction. In a
true government all laws are equally
applicable and binding on every in
dividual, but in human legislation,
there is 80 much discrimin alton in
favor of classes, that we come to the
conclusion that there is no true gov
ernment, bnt the government of
God. And although men may scofi
at such Governor, yet he, does eX-
ist and his laws are written in the
human heart. All just laws are
formed upon the desire of good order,
peace and security of society. The
happiness of the whole is the real
object of all laws, though often lost
sight of, in the class and partisan
legislation of fallible men. If then
it be acknowledged that happiness is
the right of all, it is the duty of all
to do all in their power to promote
the general good. If it be the duty
of one, it is equally the duty of all.
The lowest form of duty is to abstain
from everything that is immoral,
and, human laws being generally
prohibitory, he who abstains fromvice
is considered as Obedient to law.
But a non-violation of law does not
constitute all of mans duty.
1t is due from every man that he
do all in his power to promote hap
piness of the whole While this is
true it is notorious that very many
are in direct antagOnism to their own
and society's best interests Every
violator of law is an enemy to socie-
ty. Every person who is guilty of
vice, or who by his conduct weakens
the ties of virtue, although he may
not openly violate law, yes he is n
siduously undermining the very
foundation OF society, and destroying
that which the law was made to pre-
tect. Thus, the Judge may sit upon
the throne of Justice by day and
sternly. condemn the poor criminal
(who has been reared in ignorance
and sice) to death, with stern unre-
lenting justice, and at night engage
in drunkenness, gambling, debauch-
cry, and then have the effrOntery to
say II have done my duty The
lawmaker sits in the halls of legisla-
ton, and frames laws for the promo
ton of virtue, and the punishment of
crime, and then goes from the capitol
to the gambling and drinking saloon,
and violates those laws, tramples
upon virtue, saps the very pillars Of
the state, sets corrupt example be-
fore Others, and says, II have done
my duty J" No man has done his
duty until he has begun at the very
fountain of vice, and commenced to
purify it. That fountain is the hu,
man heart, and he who would do his
duty must first begin at his own
heart. Then when his own fountain
has become pure, the streams of in
fiuence Will be pure, and his example
Will be worth more than all the laws
of corrupt Legislators, or the precepts
of hypOcriteS. The law condemns
gambling, yet who regards it? When
the lawmaker, the Judge, the magiS-
trate, men high in official station,
resort TO the gaming table and set the
laws at defiance, and the juror is Of
ten guilty of the same offence, the
law is useless.
President Johnson said "Treason
must be made.odious, and he who
is true to duty will try to render al
CiOJatiO1 Of lar odious, either civil
or moral Gambling and drunken
ness, are both violations of moral
and civil law, and why should they
not be equally as odious as treason
If it is anSwSred that treason strikes
at the very foundations of govern
ment, we answer so do these. The
foundation of free government is
virtue, intelligence and industry,
and drunkenness destroys the intel
lect, and both are destructive of vir-
tue and industry. If it be urged that
treason produces more widespread
ruin, and misery, we answer, that it
Is because more are engaged in it.
Were a whole nation to engage in
gambling, one half against the other
half, all productive industry would
cease, and universal starvation
would soon be the consequences
And If drunkenness were universal,
more fearful results would follow and
even now it is probable that drunk
enness causes more wretchedness
and woe, than "war, pestilence and
famine" We mention these partic-
ular vices, because they are consider
ed more respectable than some others.
But if We could see ,all the hidden
springs of action, ii would perhaps
appear, that the gaming tables and
the drinking saloon are the forma-
ton head of vice, and the very gate
of hell! We all know that duty
never prompted the building of one,
duty never urged a man to keep one,
nor does it induce men To patronize
them, but duty, to self, duty to fam
lily, to law, To society and to human
ity urge Us to shun them, land make
them odious-" He who is true to
duty, Will do every thing in his pow
er To promote virtue, intelligence
and morality, and render all viola
tions of law and all vice and immor-
aIitS .toIipuS - atIf the naapIa ara