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Show 14 LIBERTY AND SLAVERY. origin of civil liberty, we must first asoettain the character of that natUI"alliberty out of which it is supposed to be reserved. What, then, is natural liberty? What is the nature of the material out of which our civil liberty is supposed to be fashioned by the art of the political sculptor? It is thus defined by Locke: "To understand political power right, and derive it from its original, we must consider what state all men are naturally in; and that is a state of perfect freedom to order their actions and dispose of their possessions and persons as they think fit, within the bounds of the law of nature, without asking leave or depending upon the will of any other man."' In perfect accordance with this definition, Blackstone says: "This natural liberty consists in a power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or control, unless by the laws of nature, being a right inherent in us by birth, and one of the gifts of God to man at his creation, when he endowed him with the faculty of free-will." Such, according to Locke and Blackstone, is that natural libetty, which is limited and abl1dged, as they suppose, when we enter into the bonds of civil society. • Locke on CiVil Government, ollap. ii. NA'fURE OF CIVIL LIBERTY. 15 Now mark its features: it is the ~ift of God to man at his creation ; the very top and flower of his existence; that by which be is distinguished from the lower animals and raised to the rank of moral and accountable beings. Shall we sacrifice this divine gift, thou, in order to secure the blessings of civil society? Shall we abridge or mutilate the image of God, stamped upon the soul at its creation, by which we arc capable of knowing and obeying his law, in order to secure the aid and protection of man ? Shall we ba~ter away any portion of this our glorious birthright for any poor boon of man's devising? Yes, we are told-and why? Because, says Blackstone, " Legal obedience and conformity is infinitely more valuable than the wild and savage liberty whiel. is sacrificed to obtain it." But how is this? Now this natUI"al liberty is a thing of light, and now it is a power of darkness. Now it is the gift of God, that moves within a sphere of light, and breathes an atmosphere of love ; and anon, it is a wild and savago thing that carries terror in its train. It would be an angel of light, if it were not a power of darkness; and it would be a power of darkness, if it were not an angel of light. But as it is, it |
