The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-04-11


IN treating such subjects as this, one
is naturally more or less indebted
to various authorities; and my
knowledge of this subject has been
CLEANED from miscellaneous sources.
AS Cicero said: ain the profession of
law everything is written down, the
lawyer has only to follow Others" And
so if you peruse the adductions ofvari-
GUS authors on matters pertaining to
law you may discover the fact that they
have simply expressed their opinions in
different language, or have different
views from their contemporaries. My
opinions may not be in accordance with
those views of mankind in general; be-
cause we labor under the delusion that,
Ignorance of law excuses no one," and
that our laws must be rigidly enforced
for protection to society, security to
persons, and the welfare Of mankind.
After carefully considering this subject
concluded that these conceptions are
erroneous and I have endeavored to
show that law, properly interpreted, is
inferior to the dictates of justice. OF
course, as Lucifer quoted Scripture to
overcome the arguments of Gabriel, I
may quote to show the reasonableness
of my contentious.
According to authorities there are
three branches of law, namely, divine
aaw, natural law or the laws of Nature,
and human laws. The latter are SUBJ
divided into various divisions such as
master and servant, husband and wife,
guardian and ward, municipal law, cor.
poration law, etc., each having respect
I've definitions aud requiring volumes
to elucidate each branch. In fact, as
have stated heretofore, the complexity
of law is known to all persons of aver
age intelligence and, incidentally, its
value to humanity. But its relation to
justice is not, / believe, fully recog-
nized. Hence humanity, or society, is
the sufferer.
Our ideas of divine law are mostly,
1t not entirely, derived from the Scrip
lures, wherein we learn that the pro-
genitors of mankind received laws, or
commandments, directly from the Gre
ator. Thus as Demosthenese said:
"Mortal man did not beget them (laws)
and never shall oblivion shruud them,
for in them abideth the God,> who
knoweth not the decline of years"
We take this as granted, and glance at
the method by which, even the Creator,
administered law. Without ransack-
ing the Good Book for examples we
will only consider the case of Adam VS..
Heaven. The penalty of Adams trans
gression was originally death. Now,
why wasn't the decree of heaven full
filled? Why did the Lord protect Cain ?
Why did he say if there were ten just
persons He would spare the cities of
Chaldea and Babylon? think perhaps,
Tor the same Identical reason that He
modified the original decree in Adams
case, namely, because the Just Judge
recognized that for humanity's best in
terests justice should be superior to
law. Man did not, does not, come into
this world, or leave it, of his own voli-
ton. While here he is subject to
known laws as they are applied. And
the application of divine law would be
inconsistent with the ultimate destiny
of the human race, or human souls,
were it not for the intercession, or rec
ognitiOn of divine justice. it is not, l
maintain, the Interpolation of divine
mercy that makes reconciliation with
God possible. To Justify the modifica-
tion of His own DEGREES, of His own
laws. laid down for the guidance of
Adam, and mankind. it is plainly dis
cernibie that the Creator must have
resorted to the expedient of raising
justice above law. This is further in
dicated by the early history of our race.
l do not think, and have no hesitancy
in saying, that there is no more reason
able conjecture than the above one. 1t
is proved as conclusively as can be by
the Creators dealings with man, by the
history of the human race, by the ad-
ministration Of divine commands, and
by the Scriptures.
Let US glance at the laws Of Nature,
IS regards their application to man.