Daily Los Angeles herald., 1882-04-02
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worthy clergyman for whom we
avoW the utmost respect, has in its
Inst issus an appeal directed to the
monbers Of the editorial profess
6lon ef this city. It assumes, per-
haps correctly, that they are teach
ers ia that they help to shape pub
10 opinion. While we have been
coroful.nevsr to advance this pre-
tension In an offensive or pedantic
form, is to . considerable extent
true that the editor Of q newspaper
q. In many respects, very much
Ike the occupant Of q pulpit. The
EDITORIAL tripod is perhaps the most
lmportant station to which man
of ability and conscience could be
advanced because, In truth, an
idea may be formulated in the
most modest sanctum-as in the
case sf 0arrisen's Liberater-that,
~ constant iteration and enforce
mont, may ultimately revolution
ixe the world.
We regret that the Light, In its
appeal to the press of Los Angeles,
dees not indulge in the high degree
Of courtssy which ought to char
aoterizs the interchange Of views
BY gentlemen. There is q too plain
and broad intimation that the edi-
torial fraternity of this city, in
taking position on the Sunday
Law question, are net animated
BY high and proper motives. We
pardon this gross indelicacy, and
pass it by with the remark that,
oingulsrly enough, In nine cases
ont Of ten, 1t is when thselogians
ontsr the arena OF controversy that
al ssholds'' of oourtssy and self-re-
straint seem to be lest. It is this
fact which originated that men,
orable phrase, the edium theolog-
io,sn,, which expresses in brief the
idea We seek to convey. They
seem to lack obedience to st.
Paul's Injunction, "contain thy
self," which has more applications
than one.
For cur part, although we regard
its methods Of argument as unfor'
tunate, we freely aoncede that We
believe that the gentleman who
edits the Light is impellsd by dis
interested and conscientious mo-
tives. We think that he is wrsng,
but We think 1t without implying
pny question of his sincerity or
personal worth. As the editor OF
the HERALD is amongst those who
are appealed to by the Light, to
give : ground for the faith that IL
Id them, we shall proceed, without
more ado, to do 1t.
In the first place, we deprecate
all attempts 10 control people
by any other agency than moral
sussion. The whole history Of
mankind shows the truth of the
imnemorial adage, that "ths
blood Of the martyrs is the seed OF
the church, This is simply an
other way OF saying that there is
in the average human bsIng an In
vIneible objection to being driven.
Old Jack Falstaf put this human
Instinct into his we'll known ex-
clamatien, "I'll do naught upon
oom pulsien.n Countless martyrs
to many cresds have given it a
much more dignifed and mascu-
line sxemplificatisn. whether the
inspiring cause has been the he'
brew Bible, the New Testament,
the Zend Avssta, the Koran or the
precepts of Confueius. When Tor
qusmada gained the entire eonfi-
dsnes of Queen Isabella and estab-
lishsd the Inquisitien, however
upright may have been his inten'
tion, we venture to express the
opinion that he did . thousand
times more harm than good to the
Oldest Christian church. To take
. later illustration, the history OF
slavery in the United States shows
that force, however minatory and
veil buttressed it May be, amounts
to nothing against the sublime in
stinct OF freedom. A single man,
with the spirit of opposition to ar
bitrary diotation, is stronger than
whole armies, panoplied with force.
When old John Adams, with the
natural vehemsnce Of his personal
tenn perament, declaimed the lines,
Thy spirit, independence, let me share,
Lord OF the lion-heart and eagle eye,
Ne taught Lesson which became
historical. We beg to say to the
Liqkt that II its conductor wants
TO reform mankind, he must lead,
not drive.
For reasons plainly outlined in
che foregoing, we are opposed to
the resurrection Of law which
had lain in the tomb of the Capu-
let's for mere than score OF years.
It il kind of law-making which
may rightly be denominated
Boomerang legislation" The
Light refers to States where re-
pressive laws are in force against
the whisky trade. Now 1t 10 o
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