The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-04-03

Events Compel Readiusfment 81 !
Nations Statutes.
This 'Eerk 81 k<ad3astnens s1se Hfs-
ssry ~ csvifIxzfsan--Thr Old
order Changes



Frgsiserx Harrison i some whas gsish-
aosn address contains passages which
We wsacone 80 full OF so1rsd sense and
political sagaeity- The portions OF the
address 10 which we wish raore rartse-
uiariif to refer are those Ii which the
president lays aown very excellent
doctrine concerning the dnsy of the
state 10 enforce the laa eassally On AL
CLASSICS ~ eifizsf1s TIE following PAS
ssges are quite asa .STabse, zsd re
subscribe - tssrsa szIh ali CTR heart
y ~ me DIR the executive 70 asirn;n-
isfer ase1 eas rec Ia the nse<nsds and BY
tae lnt:rs .ssszl' slsises pzovf5sd b. the con
sxsfsinn sha laws eascse1 by congress-.
These laws are general. aud their 81mEuzs-
tsAst3ii should 30 Euif0-n and equal. As
ezuxea nazT nuz elect what l1ws he will
obey, nefsnsr fa&y tie executive ezee<
which u viii enfofees 70 obey and sxe-
flrEtys and a. laws enacted fhereun6er-
This Is sound doctrine. and doctrine
which, reeds 20 be repeated constantly
IN tho ears OF al men We commend
il to those wiso dread. 4s Professor
seele,f seems 10 do. that there Is some
reluctance among sEeuaocracies TO rec
ognizs that the law must he enforced
ThirEY years ago the same set OF croak-
ers used TO tell us that defnocracies
would. not tight g save themselves
from disruption The Americans
flooded that falgaey out OK the public
mind by the blood cE q million naen.
They seem likely 10 expicde the other
faIsac,y quite as effectively, although
with much less bi0odShesi.
Nations. SAYS Professor Eceley.
| live By laws" Yes, and by Law also
they die when they allow their Laws 10
become unjust They reason why the
Americans reverence law and enforce
II wlt!ao1t scraplc Is because the Law
Represents the inafured conviction OF
the whole community as TO what Is
right. But when, As In the case Of
slavery, the laws OF the state cpniiirts1
with right and justice, then the very
Life and salvation OF the American
republic was found In struggle
against the Iaw. The higher law is
the only real Law binding upon the
conscIeDces Of men. III the lax writ
ten IN iaW books corresponds with the
higher law which IS the Law OF God, By
that law a nation lives But Ii. as con-
stautly happens, the progress Of events
renders the written iaw an anaehron-
ism and an injustice. them unless a
nation can readIust its written laws 20
the higher law, that nation dies. The
work OF reaainstment Is the history of
civilization. When It IS retarded, when
the written Law has become pefrified or
when the natural forces which should
transform il are artiiieiaIly paralyzed.
then there Is decay and disease show
ing its'elf IN a deep hatred of law as
such. and eliminating sooner or later
III passionate outhursfs of despair. OF
crime or OF revolution. Whenever
there IL a nation where law Is unpopa-
lar. there Is nation whose political
constitution Is rotten to the core For
law should be the highest expression
OF the national will, the most sacred
embodiment OF the conviction of the
people. When IL Is not that, bat is
merely foreign. arbitrary and nm
natural legalization of injustice, then
againsgt that so-cailed law" we are
bound 10 rebel 70 the uttermost by our
fealty TO the higher law. What Is the
American republic itseIf2 1t is the re-
suit OF a revolt against law. due in re-
atty TO the extent to which the prin-
cipies OF English law had saturated
the mind of our American cOlonisss
Speaking OF one of the baftleiields on
which the Americans won their indie
pendence. Lowell sang quite truly:
Here English law and English thought
Against the might of England fought.
And IL is the same phenomenon which
We are Witnessing in Ireland to-day.
1t Is the ideal of English law and the
ruling thought of English democracy
which, penetrating the Irish mind. are
battling Mr.. Bsifour to-day. 1t is our
allegiance TO law which makes US saw
age with coercion, our reverence for
the English ideal Of justice which
makes the Irish so impatient for home
rule.