LIB'ERTY, freedom from restraint, in a general sense, and applicable to the body, or to the will or mind. The body is at liberty, when not confined; the will or mind is at liberty, when not checked or controlled. A man enjoys liberty, when no physical force operates to restrain his actions or volitions.—Natural liberty, consists in the power of acting as one thinks fit, without any restraint or con trol, except from the laws of nature. It is a state of exemption from the control of others, and from positive laws and the institutions of social life. This liberty is abridged by the establishment of govern ment.— Civil liberty, is the liberty of men in a state of society, Or natural liberty, so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state, or na tion. A restraint of natural liberty, not necessary or expedient for the public, is tyranny or oppression. Civil liberty is an exemption from the arbitrary will of others, which exemption is' secured by established laws, whieh restrain every man from injuring or controlling another. Ilene° the restraints of law aro essential to civil liberty.—Political liberty, is
sometimes used as synonymous with civil liberty. But it more properly designates the liberty of a nation, the freedom of a nation or state from all unjust abridg ment of its rights and independence by another nation. Hence we often speak of the political liberties of Europe, or the nations of Europe.—Religious liberty, is the free right of adopting and enjoying opinions on religious subjects, and of worshipping the Supreme Being accord ing to the dictates of conscience, without external in metaphys ics, as opposed to necessity, is the power of an agent to do or forbear any particu lar action, according to the determination or thought of the mind, by which either is preferred to the other.—Liberty of the press, is freedom from any restriction on the power to publish books; the free power of publishing what one pleases, subject only to punishment for abusing the privilege, or publishing what is mis chievous to the public or injurious to in dividuals.