Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1844-09-06
Consistency.
VOTING AND PRAYER.


"Whom do you intend to vote for at the next
election? said one protesting christian to another
intend to vote as | pray.
Do you, brother! was the prompt reply. Here
the conversation ended : Oberlin Evangelist
i" intend to vote as pray" A NOBLE resolu-
ton that. Were protesting christians generally
to adopt it, how different would be the prospects of
our beloved country, from what they now are
We seldom hear prayer, whether in the public
the social prayer meeting, or in the
family circle, but we hear high heaven importnned
in behalf Of our country-that we might have
righteous rulers-nen in whom the fear of the
Lord is; and yet, when we come to converse with
these same men, and PROFOUND the question,
i" whom do YOU intend to vote for? they will an
swer, not in the language Of the resolution quoted
above, but that they intend to vote for Clay or
Polk just as they happen to be, wings or demo-
Gratis.
Enquire whether they consider that the charac-
ter of either of these men approXimates, to any
reasonable extent to the character for which they
daily pray, they will tell you frankly, " it does
mot"
Many of these individuals will always, in their
prayers, remember the SLAVE. They will most
ardently pray that every yoke may be speedily
broken-that the oppressed may go iree-that OPP
pressors may break off their sins by righteousness,
and their iniquities Iy showing mercy to the
they pray? Oh no, that is an idea that has never
entered the minds Of any but few fanatics.
We'll, how comes to pass this inconsistency be-
tween the prayers and the practice Of these chris
tians. Why, they tell us that there is at present
peculiar crisis in the affairs of the country. On
the one hand we are told, should Mr. Polk an(
his party succeed, the present tariff will be repeal
ed, our banking system will be destroyed, and the
odiouS sub treasury system will be fastened on the
,bo bn, II,
should Mr.. Clay and the wings be elected We
shall have a monster U. S. Bank, with all its cor
Irupting influences established tariff policy
whose tendency will be to make the rich richie
and the poor poorer, &c. That, as soon as these
important matters are settled they will be read
to unite with the friends of liberty and moral re
form for the elevation of such men as they pra,
for.
Now, there is an important inquiry presents it
self to our mind Do these men believe what the
) say? And we answer unhesitatingly, They d
not. We would by no means charge them wit
; intentional hypocrisy, but we do most sincerel
believe that they have not considered the subject
: Can it be possible that they believe these matter
of dollars and cents are Of more Importance tina
the moral character Of our rulers, and the person
al liberty Of 100000 Of human beings? If Sc
) why is it that they never open their mouths i
prayer to the dispenser of all good in relation
the former subjects, while they never tail to pre-
sent their petitions in relation to the latter. VIII
) ever heard any of these anti-voting christian
stand or knee before his maker, and in solem
prayer importune the throne of the Eternal for
national bank or a subtreasury-a protective tt
riff, tariff for.revenue, or for free trade? n
] one ever heard such prayer And why do the
t not thus pray, we ask. Simply, because they
not consider the difference of views on these sui
b jects Of such magnitude to require the nterpc
y sition of providence, still their, mportuniW in be
4 half Of the slaves redemption continues, all why
- Because they know in their souls that that is Il
: great subject, and the conviction of this fact fore
from them, when they appear before God in pra
er, petitions for the removal Of this evil.
We say to such, let your light shine" R
> member, " God is not Knocked"