The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1878-07-11


its evasion, and'the greater the temp
tation to evade it. y X x tt
led to q great many frauds in tho
manufacture and sale Of whiskey. 1t
led to the adulteration Of the article.
I remember that in 1866, while a
prisoner of war at the North, / read
advertisements in the Chicago papers
offering whiskey for sale at five cents
per gallon less than the tax imposed
by the Government.
81 mention these things to show
how these revenue troubles have
originated. The Government has
la wfully imposed that tax, and it is
as much part of the law of the land
as that on. which this court now rests.
1t is not the same law, but a law of
superior authority, because under
the changed relations which The State
now bear to the United States Gov
ernment there can be no longer a
question as to the supremacy of the
law of the United States whenever
an instance Of supervision can be
found.
1.-The obligation 10 obey the laws
is general, and no citizen can hold
himself at liberty to violate one law
which he disapproves, while he
obeys the other which he sanctions.
Tie law must be obeyed as whole
The obligation and the duty TO obey
it, right or wrong, is the most sacred
and important which citizen owes.
In free State we have, indeed
right to our opinion of any law, and
to protest against foolish one. TO
do so, as this Grand Jury has done,
for the purpose of bringing before
the public the injuries we have suf-
fered and which, in our Judgment,
affect n. ost unfavorably the best in~
terese of the country, is both a right
and duty. We have the right,
through our representative in Con-
gress and in the State Legislature,
to pl otest against such laws in order
to secure their repeal, and it is the
duty Of enlightened Legislators to
abolish a low which Injuries and OPP
presses the people. The law is the
guardian of the rights of the people
as whole, and should be adminis~
tered with a view 10 the general
welfare: and if there be any evil al
isiug from the nature of the revenue
law-anything which the enactment
of new laws are calculated TO secure
it is our right through our repre-
sentatives in Congress aud in the
Legislature, or even by an approach
TO The Executive authorities of the
United States, to demand, not ask,
that such evils be corrected. Now,
having d, ne this, We have a right to
lake the law into cur own hands, or
TO support those who violate the law,
in a continuance OF such practice.
"On the other hand, gentlemen,
the officer who in the name of the
law violates the rights of the citizens;
who abuses the power entrusted
into his hands for enforcement of he
law; who tramples upon the rights
of the citizens; who violates GAe sanc>
tity OF the homestead; and the person
Of the citizen; the officer who does
any act of an unlawful character
does that which any zitizen has the
right to resent, and the courts of
Justice are open at all times for their
trial and punishment.
"While the revenue law does pro,
tect it's officers in the execution of fthat
law in lawful manner, it throws no
cloak over those who violate it in at
tempting TO enforce it. There is no
law which will justify the invasion of
mans household without o warrant.
There Is no law by which any officer
w hO does thar act nn6ar nv ,.iron ~ .