The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1875-03-09

you arc not free. Freedom means the
restraint Of the powers in the interests ol
Righteousness. Only that man is free
who is his own despot, Sefcontrol is
the beginning Of liberty.
Sc, in the wider sense only that peo-
pie can be free who ordaiu aud maintain
law The greatest good for aN is the
law. The public safety is the supreme
law. This first, and last. and all the
time. Whatever interieres with this, by
undermining public morals by disturb.
ing the public peace or endangering pri.
vatc life, Is an enemy, and has no right:
in the law of liberty.
This brings us face to face with the
dangers which threaten our free rstitu
tions-chiefy contempt for law, 1t i,
made contemplate by the character Of the
men who make it, When we see a con
clave Of low, unscrupulous, unprincipled
Sabbath. breaking, gambling, drinking
tricksters, we do not expect any good
thiDg-and we are seldom disappointed
This is a woe which our liberties cannot
survive, Good men must make and en-.
force the law to keep it respectable
Good men must somehow manage the
politics, 1t is easier to keep the bear out
OF the boat than to put him out after be
is once in. Another danger is seen 10 the
winking at great offenses. 1t is hardly
expected to punish great criminals Two
poor women may scold little in the
street, and are dragged TO Jail. Jim
Fisk could educe an Erie war, and he is
lionized. Justice must deal out its blows
to sin regardless Of rank or wealth. An.
other danger comes from excessive lber.
ality. We make citizenship too cheap.
We have too much cooing for foreign
votes This must end Ii these men
behave like men, treat them like men
If they take the bit and attempt to resist
and trample law, let them understand at
all costs that the government is no respect
er Of persons Yield the point Of obcdi-
ence and lot mobs dictate terms, and
liberty is dead. Let every good citizen
demand that the laws shall be maintained
We need higher national sentiment,
This must be America, not Ireland or
Germany. The spirit of Americauism
ST Lould be part Of the public instruction.
The dignity and authority Of law should
be impressed on every child, We also
need profounder reverence for Cod
you can not make good state out of
inhdels Napoleon had to nationalizc
religion. With such veneration and rev.
erence as the Puritans had you can found
republics. When these qualities die out
the republic will die We need also
reverence for the Sabbath. Lower the
authority of the divine law and human
law goes down.
A test of oul loyalty is upon us in the
enforcement of our prohibitory law. 1t
has every argument on its side. The
first decent argument has not been
brought against it-nothing that would
hold water when applied to any other
great question. 1t is aimed at the great
est Of evils Its triumph would be the
triumph Of humanity. 1t treats the
business Of drulkard.making as the crime
that it is. | need only point you to the
wrecks that disgrace our streets-to the
recent drunken braws-to the homes
made desolate, and the families broken
up. You need not tell ME that men who
compass such results are seeking the peace
Of society. tell you they are murder.
ers. Now this law treats the business
like any other crime. 1t does not dignity
or protect it does not turn ths rumseller
loose on the footing Of public approval to
educate our children. 1t brands him as
a monster to be watched, lest he slay
somebody. 1t cries after him, "Mad-
dog" 1t puts the Cain mark upon him.
Society says, 81 am not able to slay him,
but | will cry after him wherever he goes,
murderer murderer So the youth of
our land may not be deceived"
With SO good law We are sadly ut
fault if we do dot enforce it. My pro-
found conviction is that to enforce it is
the only thing that will save it. Enforce
it, and the moral sense of all decent men
will soon acknowledge its excellence.
Even now only those oppose it who hope
to make money out of the ruin OF their
fellow creatures. Even they despise the
traffic, Execute the law aud they will
live to thank you. Hesitate and un.
numbered thousands will sink into the
fiery gulf,
Some one may say, "Let those who are
exposed enforce the law my family i,
safe Brother, you are exposed. Thi.
traffic is an internal machine, stored unde,
your bed. Your thoughtless boy, whom
you love so much, may light the fuse
when You least expect it. There is nc
safety with the thing about the promises