The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-05-03

lives under the protection of this gov
ornmcut and pays taxes for fifty years,will
have to lay aside from his hard earnings
two ard half mills during his half cen.
tury for the purpose of supporting chap.
laus in Congress This is the weight
Of pecuniaay burden which the commit.
tee are called to lift from off the neck
Of the people
If there be God who hears prayer
AS We believe there is --wo submit
that there never was a delibcrativo body
that so eminentlg needed the fervent
prayers Of righteous men as the Con
gross Of the United States There ncv
or was another representative assembly
that had SO many and so widely differ.
ent interests TO protect and to harmonizo,
and So many local passions to subd ue-
One member feels charged to defend
the rights Of the Atlantic, another of
tho Pacific coast one urges the claims
Of constituents on the borders Of the
torrid. another on the borders of tho
irigid zone while hundreds have the de-
fence Of local and varied interests stretch.
ing across an entire continent. If per.
soual selislucss or ambition, if party or
sectional views alone, bear rule. all at
tempts at legislation will be fruitlcss, or
bear only bitter fruit. If wisdom from
above, that is profitable to direct, be civ.
en- in answer to the prayers Of the pious,
then Congress need those devotions, as
they surely need to have their views Of
personal Importance daily chastenod by
the reflection that they are under the
government Of Supreme Power, that
rules not for one locality or one time
but governs world by general laws,
subjecting all motives and acts to an om-
niscicnt scrutiny, aud holds all agents to
their just awards by an irresistible pow
or
In the provisions Of the law for chap.
laius in the army, the number is limited
and these not to DO granted unless for
" most destitute places !" and then, for
a very small salary they are to perform
the double service Of clergymen aud
schoolmastors. While every political
Office under all administrations is filed
to ovcrAowingi whilo the ante-chambcrs
Of the departments are crowded and
crammed with anxious applicants, wait
ing for additions, or designations, or
death, to make for them some vacant
place, it is Of recent occurrence that on.
ly fourteen of the twenty posts for chap
laius were supplied.
We presume all will grant that it is
proper to appoint physicians and sur
gecns in the army and navy. The pow
sr to appoint chaplains is just the samo,
because neither are expressly named but
are appointed under the general authori-
ty to organize the army and navy, and
VIC deem the ono rs truly matter Of
necessity as the other Napoleon was
obliged to establish chaplains for his ar
my in order to their quiet while making
his winter quarters in the hearts Of an
onomy's country, and that army had been
drenchcd in tho intidelity of French
revolution Tho main portion of our
troops, though not in foreign land, are
stationed OIL the extreme frontiers, the
very outposts of civilization and if the
government does not furnish them NOR
al and religious instruction, we know, as
a practical fact, that they will go with
ont it.
1t is said thar they can contribute and
hire their own charlaino. Certainly they
can, and their own physicians and sur
eeohs; but if wo throw on them this ad-
burden, are We not bound to in.
crease their pay to meet these personal
expenses ? We may supply them direct
ly, with moro economy and effect than
we can do it indirectly. We trust that
the military force of the United States
will never DO engaged in contest, unless
in such al one that devout men can hon.
ostly invoke the God of battles to 90
with our armies. If so, il will inspire
foriitude and courage in the soldier to
know that tLe righteous man is in.
voking the Supreme Power to succeed
his efforts. If our armies arc exposed
to pestilential climates or to the carnage
Of the battlefield, wo believe it the du.
ty of government to send to the sick,
and wounded, and dying, that spiritual
counsel aud consolation demanded by
the strongest cravings Of our nature
The navy have still stronger claims
than the army for the supply of chap
lains ; a large portion Of the time our
are on service foreign from
our own shore. If they are in the ports
Of other nations. the crews cannot be
dlsbanded to worship with the people of
those nations and if they could, the in
stancesare rare in which the sailors could
understand the language in which the
devotions are conducted If you do not
afford them the means Of religious ser.
vice while at sea, tho Sabbath is, to all
lntcnts and purposes, annlhilated, aud We
DO not alloW the crows the free exercise
Of religion.
In that important branch Of service
the government is educating a large
number Of youth who ara hereafter to
have the control Of our navy. They are
taken from their homes at very
carly age, when their minds are not gem
crslly instructed, or their opinions form
ed on religious affairs. If the mature
men can be safely deprived Of such priv
lleges, is it wise or just to deprive the
youth Of all means Of moral and reli.
gious culturel Naval commanders have
often desired to have their crews unite
in deyotions before commencing action
They have sometimes done it wien there
was no chaplain on board One striking
Instance of this was in the naval nc.
ton on Lake Champlain. On Sunday
September II, just as tho sun
rose over tho eastern mountains, tho A.
n,ericnu nuara .boot on tho vatrh vas