Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-08-19

President-written to Sir Edwyn Sandy.
in 1617-whom, they pathetically say
"under God, above all persons and thing:
in the world we rely upon"-among the
suggestions which they make to encourage
him to further their undertaking is this
"We do verify believe and trust that
the Lord is with US, unto whom and whose
service we have given ourselves in many
trials, and that he will graciously prosper
our endeavors, according to the simplicity
of our hearts"
The men who can utter these words with
sincerity, and who have embarked in just
cause, have already succeeded. They may
not gather the fruit, but they have planted
the seed; others may build, but they have
planted the seed; others may build, but
they have laid the foundation. This is
the spirit which in all ages has wrought
the moral miracles of humanity; which
rebuhed and overturned the elegant cor
ruption Of the classical polythism, as it
did the darker and fereer rites of Thor
and Wooden, which drove back the false
and licentious crescent into Asia, and held
Europe together through the night Of the
middle ages; which limited neither to
country, communion or sex, despite Of hu-
man weaknesses and errors, in the missions
of Paraguay, and the missions of the
Sandwich Islands, in Winthrop, in Penn,
and in Wesley; in Eliza Seton and Mary
Ware, has accomplished the boneicent
wonders Of Christian faith and love.
But, sir, our fathers embraced that Sec
ond grand ide9~Pf Civic Liberty, with not
less fervor thanth first. 1t Was kindred
fruit of the same stock. They cherished
it with a zeal not less intense and and res
olute. This is topic for a column, rath-
er than for the closing sentence of speech
at the dinner table. will only say that
the highest authorities in English history
Hume, Hallam, Macaulay-neither Of
them influenced by sympathy with the
Puritans, concur in the opinion that Eng
land was indebted to them for the preser-
yation of her liberties in that most critical
period of her national existence, when the
question between prerogative and law, ab-
solute authority and constitutional govern
ment, was decided forever.
In coming to this country our fathers
most certainly contemplated not merely a
safe retreat beyond the sea, where they
could worship God according to the dictates
of their own conscience, but local gov
ernment founded on popular choice. That
their foresight stretched onward through
the successive stages of colonial and pro-
vincial government, which resulted in the
establishment of great republican con-
federacy, it would be extravagant to pre-
tend-but from the primitive and venera-
Bile compact signed on board the May yhower
while she yet nestled in the embrace Of
Provincetown Harbor, after her desolate
voyage, like a weary child at evening in
its mothers arms, through every document
and manifestowhich bears on the question
there is distinct indication of purpose
to establish civic government On the basis
of republican equality and popular choice.
In word, Mr.. President, their political
code united religion and liberty, morals
and law, and it differed from the wild IL
ccnse which breaks away from these re-
straints, as the well guided railway engine,
instinct with its mechanic life, conducted
by a bold bua::.sjlful and prudent hand,
and propelled in safety toward its destina-
ton, with glowing axle along its iron
grooves, differs from the same engine when
its speed is rashly urged beyond the point
of safety, or when driven by criminal reck
lessness or murderous neglect, it leaps
madly from the track, and plunges with its
shrieking train into the jaws of destruc-
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