Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-02-16
E,vDIy'yDC.sE RIGHTS.

There seems TO be a notion extensively
difiused that every man in America has
the right TO boundless and indefinite per-
sona freedom; that any control Of his in
divduality by society or the state is a sort
of oppression hardly TO be tolerated and
that an ideal civilization would be a condi-
ton in which every man could have his
own way, regardless Of other men. We
are perpctually told that the preservation
of individual liberty is the end Of human
society; that the grand aim of every hui
man being is seli-culIure, physically, So
cially, politically, and spiritually, looking
out for number one. No government is
better than any government, and the least
| is the best.
But this view is resisted by many stub
born facts. The individuality of man is a
sacred possession, a heritage which he
should preserve at all hazards and against
all solicitations. Individual freedom IS
one of the mcst important factors in the
human world and one Of the divincst pre-
ro-ativcs of human nature. But individu-
| atty is the form and not the substance of
humanity. Great and precious as person.
|
because of the powers and possibilities of Il
nature that is subject TO law and under
bonds. The body could not stand a mo-
ment but for the pressure ofthe atmosphere.
And the mind and the heart arc never true
to themselves until the one yield to the
True, and the other is the willing servant
of the Good.
The individuality of man is not his high
est hut his lowest estate; and man, as n
member Of the family, the church, the
sta e, the great brotherhood of humanity,
is grander being than the individual per-
son. In certain respects, for important rea-
sons, each soul is separated from every
other soul and from God. But it soon
reaches the bounds of this exclusive, indi-
vidual existence. lis higher life is 81
bound up with the life of others, so entan-
| gled by birth, education, and common ex-
pcrience with family, neighborhood state
and the whole race, that this exclusive in
dividuality is forgotten in the mysterious
union Of the soul with mankind and tho
whole race, that this exclusive individual
ity is forgotten in the mysterious union Of
the soul with mankind and with God. We
are never so truly ourselves as when We
forget ourselves in devotion to others and
the truth.
The notion of unlimited personal free
dom will not stand the test Irrational scru
tiny. The world is not peoped with gods
We do not surrender our dearest natural
rights when we enter human society or hu
man government; in fact we never volun
tarily enter society or come under the con
troll of law, either human or divine. w
are born into human society and govern
ment, Just as we are born into nature an,
come under subsection to its laws and W
can no more separate ourselves from thes
conditions than n babe can declare itsel
independent of its mothers breast. Tn
infant is part of its mothers life, and onl
exists because somebody is mother TO il
Every man is part of humanity and del
ty, and would perish in body and soul
cut loose from mankind and his Maker
Man has no natural rights apart from hi
social rights as Il member Of the huma
family. The sum Of all his rights is tn
right TO make himself a true member {
p human society, the best citizen of huma
, government, living, obedient child {
$ God. lie has no right to any freedom eX
cept that which is necessary to make him
d self the noblest and happiest and most pei
i feet specimen Of manhood, and to be
Q the greatest possible service to maukin,
, lie may have the power ofiniinte mischief
| but the power is not the right. The cart
It might possibly break out of the traces
: law and derange the order of the whole sy
!, tenn, and scatter CONSERVATION over a hun
Y dred wordsi but such a spirit of errat
o power would be rebellion and end in ruiz
= our individual rights are all ON liz
n with the gifts and welfare of others, au
in accord with the harmony of the worl