The republic., 1851-03-15

warned his fellow citizens against the very dawn
! of that day Of alienation with which now
| threatened. Never did weighior words fall from
the lips Of sage or hero than those with which he
resigned the great commission entrusted TO him by
a confding country: 81 consider it Tn indispensa-
bic duty 70 close this aat soIemn act Of my official
| life by commenting The interests oi our dearest
country to the protection of Almighty God. and
hose ho have the superintendence Of them TO his
holy keeping" Sowe may assure ourselves II God
does not keep us we are ruined.
| In vain will patriotic orators pour forth their
Of eoquencc, wise legislators enact strn-
gent laws in vain will men appeal to recoections
Of the past or the prospects of the future, the
ory of the llusrious Dead the happiness OF those
who to live after US; unless we appeal to the
God of our fathers, and spread our cause before
| Him, VIC may be rent and wrecked beyond the
| hope Of recovery. Was Washington ashamed to
do thisi So far back as IA, when be was a MEM
ber Of the House of Burgeeses at Williamsburg, the
news came that England had dccrced to shut up
the port OF Boston, the decree to take effect on the
| first of June That day was set apart by the Lc-
gisaturc "day Of fasting. humiliation and
prayer, dcvoutly to implore the Divine nterposi-
lion for averting the heavy calamity which threat
ened destruction to their civil rights, and the evils
of civil war, and to give them one heart and one
mind, firmly to- oppose, by all Just and proper
day the following entry was made in the diary" OF
Washington: "June l., Wednesday. Went to
church, and fast6d all day." Here was the secret
| OF his divine guidance and his eminent success.
When our public servants shall look to God by Sc
cret fasting and prayer for the interests Of their
country, shall have found the true conservative
principle, <he way of peace and safety the path TO
the favor and protection of Almighty God. But
prayer must be accompanied by national obedience
| to God-by the putting away those sins which,
from their wide indulgence, may be said to be ma
tional; for whoever "turneth away his ear from
hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomina
ton" And again " Obey niy uoice, and will be
your God, and ye shall be my people"
| Tho SABBATH, that great pillar of civil society,
that mighty column Of moral government. must
| not be profaned; it must be respected Divine
| institution. The fearful ravages OF intcmperance
must be arrested by strong public sentiment,
which all good citizens should strive to create and
| perpctuate. The toleration extended to the de-
structivc agency Of this poison by law, constitutes
| the most painful, baneful, taxing, energy.crus
poIled to endure. Il serves neither to promote
more perfect union, TO establish justice, to
insure domestic tranquility to provide for the
common defence, nor promote the general welfare,
nor to secure the blessings Of liberty to ourselves
and our postcrity," all which the nvowcd OBJ
ccts of the Constitution; but it is hostile to them all.
| Nor less to be deprecated is that fanatcism which
delights in the annupoiaion of startling novelties,
the publication of strange principles, and the pros
ecution of violent measures for the overthrow OF
whatever is dispeasing to ITSELF In its virulence
it assails the venerable institutions; treats with
equal contempt the patriotism and the piety of the
fathers of the Republic; hurls its shafts with equal
malignity at the institutions Of the State and the
| ordinances Of the church; urges resistance to law
| and authority, and commends with high-wrought
culogium, not only the turbulent agitator, but the
and violent transgressor; advocates the she'd
ding of blood in preference to peaceful submission;
scouts every idea OF concession compromise; and
while it would trail the standard of tho Union in
the dust, would substitute for that beautiful en-
| blcm of our country's unity and glory the dark
banner of treason, ungemmcd by the light of sim
gle star, unrelioved by the glow of single stripe;
but lowering, like the spirit il symbozes, over the
fallen fortunes of the country, and rejoicing in the
wreck that has followed in the train of its march.
| Against all such nggressions our peace, union,
and prosperity it is the duty of all good citizens to
unto their counsels influence, and efforts; and with
their immense moral force to rally round the con-
stitutcd authorities Of the land. Indeed, in these
critical times, as in the Revolutionary struggle, it
has become the duty of the ministers of the gospel
to utter their voice in this great cause, and exhort
the people to sustain the powers ordained Of God,
and maintain tho integrity Of these United States.
| The same God who raised up Washington for
| the mission he fulfilled, is now fitting mon with
American hearts for the crisis through which we
are passing. The same Providence who has in
| inscrutable wisdom put our present Chief Magis-
tratc into the chair Of Washington, will, in answer
to prayer supply him with ali necdful grace to fill
it we'll and wisely II, in all our past eventful his
tory, the has never been wanting for the times,
| neither will it be SO at the present crisis.
| Firmness blended with urbanity, love Of coun-
| try combined with hatred of treason, an earnest
devotion to the good of the whole people, patriot
ism unsulied with the breath of suspicion, high
sense of the exalted prospective destiny of this
great nation-such are the qualities and virtues
which the times demand, and which we believe
chair Of the Chief Magistracy. Above all. let him
put his trust in God, without whose favor man is
but frail as the thread Of his own existence.
Whatever influence belongs to the ministry will,
it is believed, be chiefly exerted on the side Of
the Union. l believe ! can safely speak for my
own denomination. with some rare exceptions.
Other brethren can, no doubt, speak with equal
truth for theirs Why should it not be so? Where
were the Presbyterian ministers found in the days
of Washington? What said our great SAMUEL
DAWES, of Hanover 80 prophctically in his sermon,
t..xI. koh oft tha pf VNock
Braddock's defeat? "As a remarkable instance Of
patriotism, may point out to the public that heroic
youth. Colonel Washington, whom cannot but
hope Providence has hitherto preserved in signal
manner for some important service to his coun-
try" What spirit animated that eminent minister
Of the gospel, JOHN WITHERsPooN, when he put
his name to the immortal Declaration? Several
perilops years was he a member OF the Continental
Congress, when legislation carried on before
the mouth of the British cannon, and not to have
succeeded would have been to incur the penalty of
Jersey, who was mercilessly shot down by British
soldiers for his devotion to his country? OrofALLEN
Of Georgia, confined for his unblcnchng patriotism
to loathsomc prison ship, in the attempt to escape
from which he lost his life bydrowningi Or of
! ALLEN Of Massachusetts,, a like minded brother,
who barred his bosom to the foe at the battle of Ben
nington, because he believed on the result of the
contest depended the liberties ciyl and religious, OF
, his native land? Washington reverenced and hon.
, orcd these men. Of the pious DIR. Jones, of the
Morristown Presbyterian church, he asked the
privilege, during the winter encampment in that
vicinity, OF sitting down at the Lords table, and
openly testfying his faith in the atoning Saviour
II was time of sickness and distress in the army
sad forcbodings filled all hearts, and they were
compelled to look up to God their only hope and
! help in time of trouble. They might be said te
gather resolution from despair, and in that darkes
hour expect the dawn. At length il came, and we
the children, are reapng the fruits of the services
/ and suffcrings of our fathers Oh, may prize
the mercies beloved upon US, and the blcssing q
transmitted to Us, as to secure the continual favo
Of God and perpetual exemption from the scourg,
, of war.
: Nor should VIC forget those farewell words o
Washington: "Of all the dispositions and habits
, which lead to political prosperity, RELIGION AMI
MORALITY indispensable supporters. In vair
. would that man claim tho tribute Of patriotism
! who should labor to subvcrt those great pillars o
human happiness, these frmest props of the duties