Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1878-07-18

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ton, let, Us. inquire what law isl
mean of course, human law as dis
|:tlnguished from divine or revealed
1.laE4That it is ia its application to
.I.everyaday. life, not, in ats abstract
4 theoretical, metaphysical meaning as
considered and discussed BY; .doctri-
naries and techinal .disputanJs, but
as it's understood by and-does or
should affect layneht those who are
not versed in its intricate, complica-
ted, scientific mysteries! -, q
It has been defined by one of its
most iillltsatrionsaa e1noqpdgrs to be a
| RRelale of. civil conduct prescribed by
the supreme power Of the State, com
manding what=is right and prohibi-
ti"g what is wrong" Simple, mar
| ,rqYEh brief iAefqition sefI!pag.of the
grandest Of all Human sciences, yet
broad and-cbmprshensve enough for
the purposes l have in view. and
plain enough for the Simplest under
standing. We allknow what a /" qule
of conduct" is, line marked ont to
be beiollowed-and what the supreme
power of the State" is, that power to
which we have all deiegatedthe right
to govern for the common good-the
government, and, Is Blackstone sug.
oests il is not only the right of the
supreme power of the State to COIN
1mand what is right and prohibit what
is wrong, but it is also. its duty to do
1-so, and we all know what is right
and what is wrong This is the whole
question in a nutshell-Wag'an0' IN
-15arro--a guide for the highest and
| lowest. simplest and aoIest:: The law
making powerpreseribes q rule. As
lscertair what that rule is and follow
and obey it.
l.. It Will not be denied, I think, that
obedience to bad or unwise or even
oppressive law is preferable to exist
ing without any law whatever; II
without law, of some kind, we should
have chaos, which leads to confusion,
and confusion leads to destruction or
I-despot;sm and a loss Of liberty. So
that, especially in a government like
ours, which. was intended to be a gov:
eernment Of law, not OF force, when
ever a bad, unwise or oppressive law
is enacted, it should be repealed OIL.
abolished by the methods and mean,
devised and provided by the people
when their government was establish
ed and continued. So, too, when a
wrong is done by one 10 another,
whether to his person or his proper
ty, he ahoald not be law unto him
self and redress Fiat. wrong by COM
mitting shothh sbe!slie should ap-
peal 5pt!las yiS9gf? saei. laa6z, whic'
masy De 81 dssEs Sc is sure and all
powerful, and fnpla to4 redress any
wrong nj he eataiogue.:., 1t will, nc
doubk.s Sc said sthatth Sfa very trit'
common place sdggsssson truism.
Seiit7isy an a.: er no
regarde i hesF prone mankind is tc
a9enge its o@n wrongs, and how II
chafes and cts, andsr the laws de-
lay S353ntis j.. msch> h>safer and better
to wait Iheaslays of::the law than
take, counselfof ofir own passions and
nerhans riapUarte1 ideas of what l.
due us.
Such delays are often blessings in
disguise. They help to give us mas
terry over ourselves. and eventually
accomplish for us the most difficult Of
alE:the difficulties Of life-the habit
Of ssltf.control. In urging the duty
of obedience e law, do not under.
stand me as intoxicating that servlle
acquiescence or that "blind passion
ate loyalty" which believe, "that the
| King can do no wrong On the
contrary faithful obedience 70 the
"rule nrescsite4 by ~the supreme
power Of the State should 90 hand
IN hand With the most candid cfltl-
cism and strictest accountability o.!
those who are charged with the en-
forcement of the rule, and with the
most vigilant and vitalinterest in the
| c9E9uctSof all public servants, aud
wheleTsp and wherever the deadly
r'-h Of impIrtty, ignorance, oppres'
ait> or vice show5 us font the in,
vincible;power Of sa enlightened
popular sentiment, asserting itself
through regularly constituted, law
fuEagencies, should strike it down.
I Have,you ever considered the fact,
my irii2als, that of all the govern
ments, powers 2;;!a4 2c;sa dynasties Of tie
past that have arisen ou' Ct the ne,
cessities.or accidents cf mankind, not
one of them was or is an exact coun.
te,part of ours. They all differed IN
ks6ms Essential particular 9ifom the
Govern Reet of the United States o.
America. 4Eo {sderative republic
established by Moses was IL its ma,
ture strictly theocratic. BIT tnii
theocracy, though very powerful, was
not strong enough to resist the inhu
ences of wealth, luxury and absolute
{ dominion. The vast difference be-
tween ti1;ss social station and preroga'
tive riguts OF t,.l,e pri sthood and peo
pie Of the other If ibes s,22!!aa the founI
kdat}on of the monarchy which endef
in the downfall of the State. Fh
1 Greek repukiipa persisted because 4
the aversion Of TIE .Gfeels citizen 10
all fixed form of goyernG ept. and tie
, , aristocratic features Of the Rouh hn
republic with the prerogative rights
of. P. tricians and separate caste oil
! Plebeians, the wealth, luxury ind
, power acquired by military lea 'ers
in foreign conquests, the dom etic
! and civil strifes consequent tn re.
upon, paved the way lor Caesar, who
r estabI...he4 Imperialism upon the
. shattered libettt2S; Ct the Ronan citl-
8 zen.
Our government is but a century
( old, but it has been in its brief kist.
: ence great blessing to mankln{ be.
! cause it was modelled and butt by
= wise and ACCOMPLISHED architect and