The Cecil Whig., 1879-10-11
For The Cecil Wing.
The Higher Law.

| Permit me, while the Local Option -
question is being discussed in all its bearings
| to offer a few remarks on the above subject
| that have direct bearing cn not only the
Mapbfalturs ana sale OF alcoholic liquors,
but on many other evils of the day.
! In doing so | am wsll aware that I tread
on dangerous ground, where many have e.-
saydd to walk and fallen, but if | shall be
enabled to write nothing but the truth there
is no need of fear It IS cl.t thing 10 know
TIA truth wLen we see it, but quits another,
while loaded with our human evil natures
and fraities, to follow it,
| write only for that cl:.ss (Which we are
WILLING t" nope constitutes a majority OF
our citiZens) who profess to believe in, and
hold Themselves accountable to, a Supreme
Being. vhether runnuete,s with any visible
church CT no., To the large nun ber, who,
while yielding t&cit assent to the truths of
revelation, are yet proving by life and every
action that they neither fear God nor regard
man, it is useless to write.
How can we expect those who violate
every Divine precept to regard any mere
human enactment. Considerations of ey-
pediency and policy, ana the fear OF punish
n.eGt are the only motives by which such
are governed and this sort of Il law is as
variable as the wind and operates on no two
alike. SO easy are the gr.ldations of crime,
we regarded with adherence. Our cduca-
ton from infancy has so much to do in
forming our opinions and character that we
are NOT competent jud res OF the motives of
our fellow man and cannot, therefore, meas
user his guilt
All our Jurisprudence is Tie work of men
suhept to these inlirmities and does not,
therefore, profess to be perfect. While we
should pay all due Difference to the laws of
f1,a l,,- l,,+
not necessarily or per SC the laws OF God
and that we are are by so much more bound
to obey the latter as He is higher than His
creature. And yet VIC have argued with
men, who were old enough and intelligent
enough to know better, who maintained
that an act could not be morally wrong if it
was legally right. And we fear it is so
with ma jority of men, who reason that an
act that is ldWful cannot be sinful Here is
where the law of the land becomes the edu-
Gator of the people, but it requires Tho con-
sent of q ina ajority of these same people to
alter or amend these laws. This is one of
the inalienable rights of man as laid down
in our Declaration of Independence, and
this is also enc of the weak points of our
democratic form Of government.
Under monarchy, when the ruler is wise
and good, there is u possibility of Just laws,
III communities where the ma jority of the
population may be both ignorant and vi
cious. But here, we are compelled to await
the slow and tedious process of education
and then labor hard 20 overcome the con-
slfra,ire element, that always opposes any
change or anything new, just because it is
now, before the necessary laws that civiliZa-
tion needs can be enacted We could and
should have prohibitory liquor law enacted
at once, but there is no probability Of our
having it while the will of tho educated, the
religious and the neci.niary interests of our
Stale are rendered nugatory by the votes of
ignorance and vice, aided by the large for
eign population of our metropolis, We
must have votes enough il the counties of
the s,i;,tc &c ou.welsh Baltimore City before
We can have any State law up to the de
mands of christianity. Therefore, we adj
vocate "Local Option that We in Cecil
county, need not longer be cursed against
our wills by laws now t4.,qe,i on us by the
hrswe9s, distilers and liquor dealers of
baltimore City. These men have bought
out our last legislatures using their funds
without stint to stitle the voice OF tho people
and nrertnt the passage Of laws that curtail
,h2ir Iefariol.s and lucrative business
They care not who may suffer, so they are
ready to destroy the whole moral and social
fabric Of society in order to fatten on the
ruins.
CONCLTnEn sFhT WEEK