Show 1 SPENCEB ON OBEDIENCE GOT EItS lEST In place of the doctrine that the duty of obedience to the governingagent Is unqualified there arises the doctrine I tbat the will of the citizens is supreme and the governing agent exists merely to carry out their will Nor is this all It becomes a duty to resist irresponsible government and also to resist the excesses of responsible government There arise < a tendency in minorities to disobey even the legislature deputed by the majority when it interferes certain ways and their oppositions to laws they condemn as inequitable from time to time cause I the abolition of them With which I changes of political theory and acconi panying sentiment is joined a belief implied or avowed that the combined actions of the social aggregate have for their end to maintain the conditions under which individual ies may be satisfactorily carried on in place of the old belief that individual lives have for their end the maintenance of their agregates combined action JTtrbcrt Spenee It works about on the same principle according to Mr Spencer tbat man was not made for the Sabbath but the Sabbath for man1 Man was not made fortne government but government forman for-man Mr Spencers doctrine in this particular par-ticular may not please the fancyof those who delight to quote him in part when discussing the issues arising from i Moruiomam But we believe his doctrine doc-trine on obedience to laws What advancement I ad-vancement the world has made in due to the menoften esteemed heretics and traitors who refused to submit to the tyranny of kings and Parliaments when their reason and consciences told them the edicts and enactments were subversive of their rights There is something noble in a men or community commun-ity who wont mind until their reason is convinced and their consciencos approve ap-prove the obedience And there is always hope for such men |