The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1847-09-17
Imnlmoms

amount OF life that has been wasted IN War-the
amount of treasure that has been expen-
'led-the immense amount Of property that has
been destroyed--aud the vice and immortality |
that has been engendered by War; aud this is al!
For our part, we cannot see how any miuis-
ter of the Gospel can escape the responsibility OF
preaching "peace sermons in War times. 1t is
their duty TO cry aloud against the sins OF the day
and we know not. by what code of morals, they
can avoid holding up to the view ottheir people
the "crowning sin" OF the day. Admitting that
we had just cause for war, which we had not, the
very moment that we turned our attention to the
conquest of any or all of Mexico, that moment the
war on our part became an offensive war and we
defy the most iuveterate lover Of War to show how
that kind Of War eau be made consistent with
Gods word; and if it is not consistent with that
word. we respectfully ask any minister of the
Gospel how he eau make it consistent with his
duty to pass silently over this 'crowning sin ofthe
day." But we did not sit down to preach morals
to those who should preach to us. We believe
that Mr.. Anderson did his duty i'll part. 1t may
be that he performed it altogether. But we do
think that lie should not lave stopped i'll merely
exposing the evils of war. The war in which we
are now engaged, is ayowedly an offensive war
a war Of conqlcst-a war waged to rob IA sister
Republic ola portion of her territory, il not to
nnnihiIate her national existence altogether. A
war of this description calls for the anathemas of
the pulpit and as we have said, we do not see
how ministers can overlook it. But Mr.. Ander-
son thought proper to c%onfne himself to the evils
of war in general and gave us a fair, impartial
and full account of the Wars Of different nations,
the loss Of lie, of property, the expenditures of
money aud the immoral effects. An examination
Of these different topics constitutes his whole SER
mon. lie tells no one not 10 volunteer i'll this
Mexican war-he does not say whether it is just
or unjust on our part-he does not impcach the
motives of any of our rulers; but lie simply tells
his hearers that it is their duty 10 ayoid war, ifit
be possible.
The sermon is published and any one can
see for himself what is in it. The most iIdicll
%locofoco, il he be fair-minded, cannot find n solita-
ry objection to the matter or manner OF the SER
mon. And we now ask the candid and moral
democrats of this county 10 tell us what they
think of the course pursued by their paper in heap
ing opprobious epithets upon this minister, who
has deemed it his duty 10 preach a sermon OH
warm war timesl We ask them another ques
tion.-Had that minister went further and direc
ted his effort against the offensive war in which
we are now engaged, would he have merited the
roproach and obloquy, which a partizan press ha:
attempted to heap upon himl We appeal to his
people. to his congregations, who have heard his
sermon, who have passed their opinions upon it
before il became a subject of controversies
they find a solitary exception 10 III Is it not tliel
bclieftlat he did nothing but his duty in preaching
that sermonl And for this performance ofduty
what has the Eagle styled him. "a tory, a hypo
critic, a wolf in sleeps clothing, an infamous man
II candidate for the penitcntiary" and all the viii
: epithets that a blackguard can hunt up in our Ian
guage. And what has been the end of the who'll
$ matterl The sermon has been published-th
$ Editors of the Eagle have had IA chance of inform
u ing thcmselves-of seeing that it was not the scr
mon they thought it was-and do they retract
Not n bit oft. They pass it over in silence the,
have charged the preacher with calling our voluu
tcers murlcrers and there is not such a sentenc
' in the scrmon-they have charged him with tor
= sentiments and there Is not a tory sentiment in til
u sermon, aud we defy them to fluid it-and nov
> that they have a chance to retract, they refuse t
= do it, and in behalf of Mr.. Anderson's people, i
behalf of nm indignant community, in behalf of til
moral sense ortllis population, we hold up thes
Is slanderers to the gaze Of the world to the scor
of all upright and well-thinking men. Stranger
to this community, let their characters be know
u before they are capable ofdoing much harm.
-,
u univ business far Which nature tos,c' cbn,ncte
IT capacity and inclination have fitted him,-carpin
"A ur,,, H. ,,,r,h,, rhn,1,,I, N,.Ls anil nn,,1s
c coal that the public offices consumed last yea
with precise calculations how much n lire plac
g WI Iol'ne, NV" noW "'"'" ""''' ''o'o '"'
mia aman,;,. r. E,,1 ,.,.,oI :; ~. n,ll;, "A
= .. Sen -.
II M. i, rm
o .,.L.i".a &c h. a.n1 Lu ,ho I,n
a.. aua. 5000 -
-. H.. I'll
IS 49,. - ,Lo anlI
y m..m sd - -. ~
@ o..a s,oh, ,monL 60 ,Lau.oh.o. r. nn oha.,