The weekly Placer herald., 1854-03-18
For the Placer Herald.
Ss20 EE ME VH3DN
By Deacon Trufaith Grimyisage
Vice.

Vice.
'Go it. you cripples, wooden legs are chaap -
"a me! from real happiness we stray
By vice bewildered vice which always leads
However fair at first to wilds of wo.'
"Wo unto them that draw inouity with
cords OF vanity, and sin as with a cord rope
MEETINGHOUsE TALK.
Vice, what is it: Virtue, in what doest
thou consist? Brethren these are terms
often used, are you sure you understand
them! One you say is the opposite of the
other. Sin you tell me is the practice
of vice, and Godiness the issue of virtue
But this leaves me houndering about as
usual up to the hubbs in the mire of mn
certainty,-this leaves your Deacon fun
bling aboIt in the dark as much perpleXed
+ Let US refer to the tangible works of G cd, :,
and from the fountain of nature drink
inspiration. We find that
'When first, from forth chaotic night
The earth came rolling void of form,
Jeh0ra said, let there be light
And light came streaming from the storm
Thus we see, that, when matter was
ushered into being, certain unvarying
laws were spoken unto existence, by
which it is governed,
These rules work, work upon the great
democratic principle of justice, equality,
progression. For countless centuries they
shall progress and yet lie no nearer per-
fection
One of these rules and the most com
monty alluded to, is, that water will seek
its level Another is the attraction of
gravitation. Equally immutable are those
laws that regulate your corporal person,
and the violation of them is certain TO be
followed by punishment, in the form of
disorganization or sickness.
It's as clear as mud, that if we would
follow the dictates of nature, e,-never
violate in our persons these laws, we
should preserve our health, and be as hap
py as CLAIMS, so far as the physical man is
concerned. We'll my friends, we also live
in moral world, or rather moral world
pervades the material one, and its laws
are no less imperative.
Vice consists in the desire to violate
those moral laws, s,-vice says to you ''swal-
low the poison and lve-place your hand
in the fire and it shall not be burned-be-
come a drunkard and you shall preserve
your UedlLu anu IUlclcCl3-slcdI anu yOu
shall have JOY over your booty-gratify
revenge by murder and your conscience
shall be content" But virtue councils us
to obey this code. 1t teaches us that
honesty is to be practiced for honesty's
sake-for its own intrinsic wOrth,-for
the immediate and certain benefits that
flow from its practce-that it is our true
and best interest, viewing it in the most
selfish light, to follow the precepts of
honor. You are then fulfilling your mis-
sion upon earth, for we all have mission
to perform, even the greatest loafer in
community was manufactured for some
purpose, but the Lord only knows what
it is. The reward ofthe Just man is sure,
it is not in the power of human agency to
cheat him out of it, because it is cOntem-
poraneous with the act,-verily he hath
dead papers.
Brethren there be those, who will tell
YOU, "sn is a sweet morsel to roll under
the tongue" like unto quld of "James
River Honey Dew"-that they who have
become r,ch by the practice of villainy,
are more happy than the honest but poor
man, but this is as big lie as ever was
concocted in the deep dark labrynths of
Hell ana Damnation.
There be those who will say unto you
ego it you crippIes wooden legs are
cheap meaning thereby that by going
it, YOU will for the time beng have hap
pness, that when you have become
dosed with this bogus happiness you may
seek forgiveness, mount wooden leg and
peg it into Heaven as fast as any one.
All nature teaches contrary doctrine
all nature teaches us that if we violate
law, we incnr punishment--there is no
escaping it. 1t is this fatally false but