New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-09-20

NEW ORLEANS SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 1874.

OF individual conduct. no fraction of the
people thereof can do so, consistently with
right and liberty. 1t lack Of authority
to do so, grows out of. and is proof Of
the fact that the people aggregately and
segregatly. have withheld all such au.
thority from any and all combinations
Of persons. In forming the government
the people. without distinction. reserved
this right as being indefeasible. Every
man is absolute sovereign over his own
mind just SO long as be exercises his facul.
ties in the enjoyment Of his independence
without infringing the rights Of others.
He. therefore. has an ;nalienable right to
the most perfect liberty in all matters Of
thought and feeling, whether they relate to
morals. politics or science. How can this
liberty be perfect if. to attempt its avowed
enjoy ment, ne is to be driven out Of society.
if not out Of the country. and deprived of
life itself. Tho concentration of power in
rulers il Of such universe! tendency, and
has been so in all ages OF the world. that
the trainers Of our organic laws wisely
deemed it necessary to cOunteract that
tendency under our government by consti.
tutional limitations. Therefore, if every
man in Louisiana were Of one opinion. ex.
cept one. the government, nor no political
organization. would be no more justified in
restraining him in its exercise and enter.
tainment than he would be in silencing
tho great body of tho people. II he
has right 70 his own own opinions,
he has the co existent right to write.
print and publish them anywhere with
| in the reach Of the civil authority Of
tional and absolute. then political organiza.
tions have no right to break up printing
| presses, silence discussion, or Danish men
for opinions sake. Public opinion may be.
and in a great majority of instances is.
wrong, and. therefore. every opportunity
for discussing it should be allowed, if not
| encouraged. There should be discussion in
every case, in order that wrong opinions.
| whether public or private, should be forced
| to yield to facts. In the ceremony Of the
| canonization Of saints the Roman Catholic
Church listens to a devils advocate, to
learn wha: may be said against them, and
shall Louisianians be less fair and tolerant
in matters Of political opinion! Public
| opinion is not safe guide at all times for
| the guidance of patriots. and men ardent in
the pursuit of right. Indeed. in many OF
the most important matters that have ever
| engaged their attention it has shown itself
to be the reverse.
| The history Of Socrates affords an exam.
pie. His name mas been transmitted to US
as one of the most wise and virtuous of any
| age. His teachings have been received as
the very best standards Of moral excellence.
| But the public opinion Of his time was
| against him, and he was put to death by
| his countrymen, after a judicial conviction.
| for impiety and immortality. His count ry.
men were doubtless honest, but time. the
''corrector when our judgments err" showed
| that they were wrong, and that he was
| right. Public opinion was against Jesus
| Christ more than 1900 years ago. and he
was crucitied as blasphemer because Of
it. Those who stoned the first martyrs
| doubtless acted in accordance with public
right, yet no one in our day will hesitate to
declare they were wrong. Marcus Aurelius,
= Roman Emperor Of great erudition,
purity Of morals. tenderness of heart and
| Of splendid intelligence. honestly believed
that Christianity tended to disorganize SO.
and authorized its persecution under sense
Of public duty.
| Thus, in every age. truth has been tenn.
porarily put back in its development by the
errors Of those who acted honestly, but
whose judgments proved to be fallacious.
Mohamedans will eat no pork. and from
the fact that its rejection is enjoined by
their religion, it IS safe to say that public
opinion among them is against it. But is
that opinion any proof that it is right as a
principle! The Spaniards honestly believe
that it Is irreligion to worship God in any
other than the Roman Catholic form; but
how does this conviction cOmport with the
| equally honest convictions of the entire
Prote slant world! These illustrations might
be multi iplied to very great number, but
!
doubtless reflected public sentiment-pub.
lie opinion-when prosecuting the Christian
| churches: but he learned afterward that it
was wrong. and acted accordingly. Now.
| if it be fact that public opinion is not an
| infallible criterion of right, why will men.
in an enlightened age and country. violent
ly make it the standard Of the political
rights Of such as can not subscribe to il.
Such an attempt is absolute rebellion to
the laws Of the land. and is essentially a
denial Of liberty. Will our unfortunate
people take higher position, and acting in
accordance with the spirit of the laws. in.
vestigate and think for MISUNDERSTANDING
such as may differ from them to do the
| same without obstruction! We must come
to this at last if we would be free in con.
! stitutional sense. It is useless. yea, mad
ness. to talk about freedom as long as the
| opinions Of one set of political thinkers
| are made the imperative standards for
thoughts Of others. Each has the indefeas.
ible right to act upon his own convictions in
all political and religious matters. and to
put forth and sustain candidates for office
anywhere in the government without moles.
tstion. Until this is acted upon. in per
fectly good faith. there can be no constitu.
tiena1 liberty or freedom. but rather anar.
chy and outrage. vINDEX.
Staub's News Depot.