New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-05-21
The object q q Law ].

With 1T; at the same time 1t IS not al
ways.respected. There is great deal
OF laWlessness in the land i'm every sect.
ion Of it, as all must admit who keep
abreast Of the days doings, and out
of it will surely come, in time, danger
to the Republic it will be hard to a.
vert. No doubt the public conscience
needs toning up on this thing; and
whoever contribu towards it, either
by writing or publishing, must be re-
garded as laudably engaged. OF course.
one who aims to correct abuses may
not succeed; but there is something to
con slider besides success. Right, duty,
honor, these are all of more conse-
quence even than success. With Vic
tor Hugo, in all pertaining to the Re-
public, it's constitutional life and de-
velopment we must put right, duty,
honor, before success and all things
else. He has well said: 'sThe question
is never Success, it is always Right
That is what we are after in these dis
cussions. Right is the thing to strike
for with sword or pen. !.
The law exists for a purpose. it has
an object. A Jewish LAWYER once said
that the law was good; because it was
not made for those who live on high
plane Of moral elevation, but for those
who were lawless and disobedient, sin
ners, unholy, profane, murderers,
manstealers, liars and others CT like
character. This concisely states the
object Of law. There is no law against
goodness. The statutory enactments
of state are directed against the VIC.
lation, or perversion, or abuse of be-
nevolence. Men are forbidden to kill,
but not to save life; to steal, but not to
leave the things of others alone; to
commit adultery, but not to observe
the laws of chastity. Law is against
vice but not virtue. Law, however,
that of which we are treating, affects
only the outer life; it has little or moth.
ing to do with the inner life. It is
well enough 10 observe this distinction.
Anger, envy, hatred, lust, aud such
like affections, belong to the inner life
or do their opposites; but are not ne.
cessarily factors in the outer, volitient
life. Lusting belongs to the inner
life; but adultery to the outer. Hatred
is murder in the inner life; but the
actual putting an end to the existence
of one is murder in the outer life. It
attempts no reform of inwards states
and affections. Laws against theft
will not correct thievish propensities;
or for the protection of chastity will
not rid the soul of lustful desire. Men
may rage with passion and burn with
lust but the law will not, cannot touch
them unless the passion and lust break
out in the. outer life injuriously to
mankind. Thel law says:'' Y GU may be
passionate, but you must not take life,
or injure another with it. You must
hold it in subsection, nor kill, nor O.
verreach NOR violate chastity. Ifyou are
depraved, pour depravity must harm no
one. The object and use of law is
to regulate and restrain that which
men call deprovity in it's outgo in vo.
litions that enter into human conduct.
No legal enactment will regenerate
men; no statutory provisions will
change vice into virtue.
This is not the whole object of law.
Law is for the protection of the good.
1t is just as necessary to liberate vir.
tue as it is to enslave vice. Law is
for all the people, and not for a class
for the entire community and not fol
a section of it. Law must recognize
the goodness as we'll as the badness OF
mankind. Since the design of law is
the promotion of benevolence it must
he as positive in the interest
of the good as in its effect up
on the bad. The only justification fol
law and government is the promotion
of the interests of all men. Like thu
flaming sword Of the angel who wa.
set to guard the way to the tree of life
the law turns every way in the inter
est Of mankind. Towards one man i
turns in restraint, towards another il
| protection. The law is good both il
what it allows and disallows. It is 81
much needed for the well.disposed a
| for the evil-minded. Have we nov
clearly apprehended the nature and
use of law! If so, important corollarie
follow and we will give them a lool
hereafter.