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Show ) George B. Cheever. all tlt0 whih· going on, inYoln:cl in th e· C'laim of property in m:\1\, i :=:; nintinally "ilt1. The cl:tim it=--<' 11' must instantly be rvlinqui:'hed, or the\ man tnnintaining it is a man-ste:tl t• t-. Tltc p OW<'I' ol' t'td(m·ing t[H• ('[:tilll 011ght, without. dl' Jny, to be• l:1kc•n away l>y th • ~O\' ('I'ttll1t'ttl, ot· tlw gon•mnH·nt :llltl the [H'oplr, sanrtiottittg ami pcrp<'lll:ttillg . ueh a wiek<"dnc•ss, :tre pir:tticnl. Th I plan or treating the abuse'S :ltHl evils growing out of' sueh a f')'sLCIII, and applying tlte insll'll('tions or the Gospd :tfT(·etionately to :-;lan•holders, to pcr;-;uacl' them to Cltri:-~ti:miz' it , they all the whil \ holding th infinite f(Hintain-wiekeclm•ss or lito el<1im of property in m:m- holding slaYcs a:-; propr 1'Ly, maintaining, and permitted to maint:~in ~ u ·It propt>rty ns tlll'it· v<'st ·d right-- tit· itlra of' t h' Gospel sa net ioning f(n· one mom ~nt such a right, js not merely an absurdity, hut an illlpi!' ty. The claim of proprrty in man r:ulllot l..H~ din•stc' ll of its wick •<ln ~fi~, o1· di se!targc•cl of the •ss •ntial <'knwnt. of rnnnf; f<':tliug involved in it, though all tit • churC'IH~:-; 011 c•arth slto11ld n'<1<'ivn it i11to their <·ommuJlion, ancl all th' pn•:w h<~r~ on earth !'honld Jlltr:-;c iL with an gc ~li c: dtarity and lov •. \Ve rome IH'XL to tlte l e~: tl and eonst it ut ion ~d mr~tn s wltich Ood ltas put in our power l(>r the abolition of' this wiekc~dt t e:-;:-;. l f' thc•ru is a. pirit in th' pc ~op l e to olH'y Gocl and do jll:-:tly, tiH•rc will be Jound nothing in the• Con~titution f'orbidding l' ll C'h obctliencL', bnt 'V('ry thing com· •nient f(JI' it, and all the menns of 1t, undct· t h' intcrprctat ion of' justice :llHl equity,- tho only int ~rpre t ' t'S of our Constitution that oug ht to be endured to sit in judgm •nt upon it. By nl1 that is ju.t and right ous, by the holy n.ttribut 's of Gocl, by th' s~H~re<ln<'ss of consc·icncc, uy the nature of Jaw which is of no authority when ng-ainst God and nature; by the rnnjcsty of' English law, which is the parc·nt or Am ·rican f'ref'dom; hy tlt justice of common Jaw, whi ·h, both in Enghml and Anwril'a, is the safdy of the c iti ;~ r n nnd ·ubjcct; l>y the tl'llth and sol •mnity of' <"ivilizctl :tn(l Christian juri:-;prudrnce th~ wor1tl ovc•r, atrirming that ltlllli:Ul law against the law or nature :mel of' Uod C:lll have 110 ra]i(lity whatev r, but that CYCl'J man j!:) bound to oppo. C anu G 'orgc B. Cheever. <l(·stroy il; hy the example of the gr •ntest, wi p:;;t, profounclest. most Christian judge in tlw world d t~el:u·ing that iniquity in law I•:Hl 110 standing-place in du ty, and that CYCt'Y tn·hnienlity, n:-; \rt•ll as th' whole! !'pirit of' law, ought to be pn~s~c·d to the e xt r <' 111<~ in b<'half' ol' justi<"C :l.ll(l riglttcousn ss, and I he int<~rpr<' lat ion of rigl1t c•ousnes::; ought to b' p l'(~ssc d in l)('hall' of' f're<·dom and ju:::t icc to c·vcry e .·tr ' IIHl ng:li nst any ll't l<'r of' wrong; by I he authority of' ob ·<lienee to ( ;otl :md mC'n·y tow:\nhi tllan, we C'all upon our rulers, our magi. trat •s on r nwn in authority, our Jawy •r:-; ancl lc•gislaton:;, tq labor {(w t h:tL r <·lurn of' judgment to right •ou:mes1', whieh is the only ·ondition on wltil'h we can he brought had· to Gocl, and c·:tn n'<'<'ive his f(lrgi\'c'n •ss aucl hi!-l bi~ssing; the on ly <'OIIdition <m which a Christian m:m can stay with snfi: ty in the <'Olllllry. An(l wo • to that latHl who. c laws arc such that tlH~y c·ompd th • good, the ltigh-principled, the tHen of' Rlc•nt conseietH·e towards Gocl, to :thnndon it, to sc·c~ k refuge in flight, r:\t lt(T tlt:tll sc~t tltc <'X:tlll[>l' <~ ith <' l' o(' viol('nt n•sist:tliC<! or of bootl< ·s~ l y !:ty ing down tl1 ·ir necks !or the worst form of' tlespoti;-;m to rid ' OYt~r. The p ~ n· e r:.; ion s of' th' 'Yord of' God an(l of' th' Constitution of' 0111' ('0\lllti'J ~ll'e th p;rt>al Stral:tg<'IHS r>y which the cl('f'( •IHI<'rs of' Slavery ltavc cnt It ron tl it as a !t~ g itilllal n powc~r~ aJHl are laboring to 'slahlish it, in th' gov • mnH~n t antl the cltut· ·h, in politics :wclthrology. These ch:trtct·s of' our F'r(~edom, th • Con:.;titntion and the Bibl ·, must be r :-;cu •d f'rom t;ueh p • rv e r~ i o n. \V I arc bound to r esist Slavery YC!ry whcr ·,- fir::-;t, with the truth of' God, whi ·h is irrc:.;istiblc·, ovc~tTtiling, ovc• niding, nnd sw cping <lown ·very thing bd(>rn it.; and, 5 •rond, with all the constitutional, J ~rral, and moral nppli~ut <qs which God ltas put in onr power. \Vc arc hound to m:1kc the mo~t of' every ·wcnpon and •vt!ry ~Hlva nt:t g<', nllll to strdch taut v •ry princ·iplc an<l truth to the uttermost ·/11 jfu orrm hbrrtalis. \Ve nre hound to int<'rprd the Co n~ ~ titution iu behalf' of' Freedom :mel n~: tinst Slnvc~ry. This I bcliev • lta~ alway. been tho conviction, l'r ely and Iinnly |