The Caucasian. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875, 1874-04-25

Wr. Seward. EEas EaHs, Eac 4
LaAt. Docarisae, etc.
| SEs,ts -
In words perfectly FREQ from am
| biguity, and by long series OF pub
| lie .scts which admit of no doubtful
construction, Mr.. Seward taught
disobedience to the Constitution as
| ~ duty, and contempt 5or it as pa
uiotic sentiment. This principle (iI
| il be lawful to call it 81 principle)
was adopted, avowed and acted up
on by his party with almost entire
l unanimnity, whenever and where
yer they found their wishes opposed
by constitutional interdict. By
him and by them tile old notion that
the law of the land ought 10 be
obeyed was scoiled at; and the
practical assertion Of q ega
right Witch they desired to invade
was, in cases without number, pun
islled as n crime. This is the high
er law which YOU must vindicate ii
you desire to prove Mr.. Seward Il
statesman.
lie did not propose to substitute
another rule Of conduct, derived
from higher authority, i'll place OF
the system established by our
fathers. It is not the will oi God
as revealed in his word that was to
be obcycd. The Higher Law, ascX-
pounded by his school, is, theoreti-
caIly and practically. above ali law,
Buu,an or divine. 1t looks down
upon tho Decal0guo with as much
contempt IS it does upon the lia,.
hcas Corpus act. 1t has 10 more
respect for Moses than for Wash
iugton. Those W no received it
earliest and worked hardest to pro
pagatc it were NOTORIOUS for their
riba'a abnse Of Christianity. When
they met periodically, at Framing
ham and elsewhere, to proclaim the
Higher Law, their Invectives
against the constitution were ac-
companiel by blasphemies against
God too shocking 10 be repeated.
They had men among them who
prolcssed to b{f>Gn istian preachers
How MANY Were wolves IL heep's
clothing, and how many sheep il
wolves clothing know not; but
tho leading ono said that their OBJ
ioct was to be accomplished by The
ruin @t tho American clilreiio as
well as the destruction Of t'ip Ted
tral Government. The doctrine was
also supported by Christian states,
men; but you know, OF course, that
recent evidence proves iiielr IeIl%-
ion to have been . mere Disguise
IN fact the Higher Law, in it, whole
cliaraetcr, is so directly III conflict
with every precept OF the Bible,
that no male WHO has the least res.
nect for one cano opos5lbiy b6oy0 i'll
or pr2ctice the other.
This Higher Law scontinge thc
law Of GOD aud nan--What Is it
1t is simply not law at AL, but Ii
cense to use political power il any
Way that viii promote ,be interests
or crafty the passions Of him who
wielt!s It. It tells those who ad-
minister the governnenbthat they
mag do whatever they cGsaoo. 1t
abolishes all law, and puts inot4
place the mere force which law was
made 10 control.
Since you apd TTr. Wel!c5 and
MIR. blair hav6 pat on record your
| personal "reminiscences Of him /
will add my contribution, believing 4
that the fact am about to moutlon
throws broader light on his pub
lie character than any which you
have given.
When the troubles we're at thci.
werst, ceStain Goutlfesn gentlemen.
Through Judge Campbell of tho H't-
preme Court, requested ma to meet
! Mr.. Segard and SEC il he w0a]1 rot
! giys tfnm sono ground Oh Nhiell
they conld stand With safety inside
\ OF the Union, | consented, and We
mes a5 tie State Department. The
c0nieIguo was long and earnest.
eanuot, within these limits, set forth
even tile substanceof it. lie seemed
conscious of.hisipower, ani willing
to use it in the interests Of peace
and union, as far as he could with
out the risk of oGonding his 0wr
party. Nliat could h6 10 ? Many
propositions were discussed, and re
iected as being either impractical
bic Or likely to provo useless, he
fore | told him What | felt perfectly
sure would stop al controversy n
Eorct and forever; ] proposed thai
be should Simply pledge hipfei
and t.o coming administration t
:. gore,R according to tie CQastitHiion
and upon every disputed point q
cohstiiutio onal law to accept thdt &c
position of it which had been o.