The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-07-17

* M
,r&sA.SesMs.s' gDtss a 4
effsttme4o thsN go n Ory, sse rigHwof the
people, apd.gavA ~ the >Tdmsn race that perfect
. and lssaTifSssnodel of Republic which was
safterNeraso beAyealzed in far distant laud,
aver I'm bue waveA of the ocean 1t is sufhnent
s<sas.tht it8as State without nobility, with
skat an N~sbtocra&y, and without king; and that
Whses embodied the most liberal theory OF the
rieMm. of man, in a popular form, before the
worldAad learned TO lisp the names Of Lycurgus,
Solop or Numa And when, afterwards, the
people servely desired a king, the memorable
language of God by Hosea is, | gave them king
in my wrath , declaration mournfully con-
irmed by the history Of the two monarchies, in
both Of which the kings, with few exceptions
were most bitter national curses. \ r
Looking, then, at the language of prophecy,
the form Of the Hebrew Commonwealth, the
structure and doctrines Of the New Testament,
We are warranted to conclude that the influence
of the Bible is essentially Republican.
Our last appeal on this subject will be the
testimony Of facts. In making this appeal, we
are met by difficulty arising from the nature Of
the subject Ii the annals Of the world were
written on earth as they are written in heaven,
the history of the world would be the history Of
the Bible, developing either its necessity, its re-
lection, or its influence. Yet in that history, as
it is usually written, the Bible plays but sub
ordinate part. History is generally but the de-
tails of the boodshed and turmoil Of wicked and
ambitious men the pageantry of battles, and con-
quests, and garments rolled in blood the in
irigues of camps and courts and cabinets the
overthrow of one dynasty, and the establishment
of another Yet these are but opponents of the
worlds history not that history itself They
are but the cork, and straws and bubbles, on the
surface Of the stream, that indicate the deep
Whirlng Of the eddies below IL is in these in
ternal movements Of society-in the deep pulsa-
tions of its nightly beart-that its real history
lies. 1t is in the secret workings of great princ-
Piles that are sometimes ages in their evolution
and development in masses of mind and in the
gradual advancement Of the universal mind and
the universal heart, that the true and proper his
tory Of the world is found. All else is but the
movement Of the index on the dial plate, not the
working of the mighty machinery within. Yet it
is in these internal depths Of society that we must
seek the influence Of the Bible Not in the noise
of camp, the glare of the-court, or the cabals of
the cabinet must we seek it; but in the lone cot
tage; in the sheltered hamlet in the freside
words Of gray haired sires and meek-eyed mat
rons in the morning and evening song of praise
and low -breathed words Of prayer in the village
schoo-room and beaten playground in the still
depths Of society, whose oceau-ike heavings
shake down thrones aud cabinets like the froth
tha, cresls the waves in the yet deeper depths
esaaes,-%hJ,1 a s. - ssp5e ESt.sSsE -
swell forth, as from thousand rill5, the springs
that sw5n inc noe OF human &Suifs ana IL
silent workings Of the religious principle that has
always been the mightiest spring of action in the
human heart. IL is in all these, and ten thousand
other sources known only to the all-seeing Eye,
that we are 10 find at once the history Of the
world and the history Of the Bible. But in spite
of this difficulty, we have facts sufficiently palpa-
bic to be decisive of the question.
"When Christianity entered the world, it
found no middle class in any Government The
people were divided into the governors and the
governed and they who were not fitted by wealth,
family or intellect to be Of the one, were ranked
among the other Even the Grecian and Roman
Republics, with all their boosted freedom, and in
their best estate, were but overgrown, mammoth
arstocracies, where for one freeman, there were
twenty, and in some cases forty or fifty slaves.
In none Of these Republics were political rights
extended to the mass Of the people Dark, crush
ing and hopeless oppression was the lot Of the
poor mans life, and the legacy of the poor mans
child. But soon, to the weary and weeping eyes
of sorrowful watchers, there arose q star in the
east calm and beautiful az the last blush Of even,
but bright and powerful as the morning in its
tic beauty above the manger Of Bethlehem, was
a herald of hope to an oppressed as well as
guilty world. And when that august, but lOwly
messenger appeared, for whom the world had been
signing, he opened the pages Of inspiration, and
proclaimed, as his high commission" The Lord
hath anointed me 10 preach the Gospel to the poor
to proclaim deiverance to the captive, the open
ing of the prison doors TO them that are bound u
and the result was, that "the common people
Il. L.,
words that fell from his lips, instinct with life
unknown to the frigid homiies of the Pharisee,
and an authority unattainable to the pettifoggug
casuistry Of the Scribe were drunk in eagerly by
the hstenirE thousands Their echoes were borne
on the wings of the wind to the darkest and
furthest recesses of society. The hind at the
plough was reused by the pealing accents; and,
as he wiped the perspiration from his throbbing
brow, he felt his soul swell with the waking con-
seriousness that he too was man, equally with
the pampered lordling who fattened on his toll.
The dusty artisan, as he measured his brawny
arm and powerful frame with the puny and eff
Terminate striplings who had usurped his rights,
began, Samson-like to awake to n sense Of his
powers and to feel the pillars of the house of his
bondage. Even the chained galley slave paused
on his oar and as he bent forward to catch the
thrilling accents Of these glorious truths heard
like the roar of the shining icebergs, the uproot-
ing and crashing of the ancient and deep-laid
prejudices of society, heard that he too might be-
come the Lords freeman and sit side by side
with his master. Wherever this word of glad
tidings WAS brought the poor man felt the weight
cast off that long had pressed him to the earth,
and walked forth in the conscious dignity 81 one
Of the kings and priests Of the Most High God"
Such, then, being the process by which Democ-
racy was introduced upon the EARTH let us who
claim to be Democrats be careful to preserve it's
spirit and principles pure and unsuied. Ii is
only by maintaining the purity of our principles
that our glorious Confederacy can continue to ex-
ist Let Licentiousness rule and triumph over
Virtue, and Ich0bOd may be written upon the es-
cutcheon Of our Countryside glory will have de-
parted. Nj
Tue UNITED STATES SouTno-Some of the
Southern papers are calling for the Constitution
which, according to Senator Foote, was prepared
for the Southern Confederacy by Mr.. Calhoun
The Richmond Wing says:
There must be leading men, not difficult to
name, who have seen it, and whom the public will
expect to speak outp About the time of the
Nashville Convention, the appellation of "the
United States South came into frequent use in
the mouths of certain of the Southern politicians
at Washington. Ii is suggested that this was
probably the name given to the new Confederacy
in the form Of government drawn up for it.
Eoenmg Post,
A correspondent in Michigan, under date of
July T. urges the friends of freedom to a united
effort to establish their principles:
/. Organic atom ? The adoption of dis
tinctiye name 3 Nominations of men of tried
integrity. to be followed by a consolidated effort
TO achieve success The gifted lecturer, the or
binary talker, and he who has but one small tai
ent, may each work, in season and out of season
entreat. persuade. and convince. Il possible that