Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1855-06-13

the cnarge oil having been once an honest
man, and proved to the satisfaction of his
friends that he had alaUays been on the
side of the oppressor.
All other qualifications could be dis.
Pensed with, and they had to be) if
they could only be assured that he was
base enough to employ the power that
would be placed in his hands for the
support and extension of Slavery. He
has not disappointed the high expecta-
tions of his friends. ''In his inaugural
address to the assembled multitudes, he
maintains the institution of Slavery, and
invokes the Almighty God to maintain
those rights, and thus sanction the vio-
lation of his own laws l'' He implores
the Divine aid and protection in his ef-
forts to rob his brother of Liberty, and to
shut out the light of truth from millions
ofhis fellow-menl His subsequent course
has demonstrated his entire subserviency
to the slave-power. The moral charac.
ter of a majority of the people has been
sufficiently indicated by their choice of
such President.
When we turn from scenes of political
depravity, and contemplate the churches
and their Pastors, the prospect does not
brighten much. Though from some of
those Golden Candlesticks, in the midst
of which the Saviour walks, the light
still shines with brilliancy though some
of the "angels of the churches "-the
stars in his right hand-are still pouring
their mild rays over the surrounding
darkness yet it is sorrowful thought
that many stars, which we believed were
firmly held in the right hand of the Son
of God, seem to have become '' wander
ing stars, to whom is reserved the black
ness of darkness forever" II, as DR..
Griffin conceived, there has "gone down
to hell, with the most of his congrega-
ton, an unfaithful Pastor, more deeply
scathed with thunder than the rest," it
seems to me it must be one who in the
pulpit has attempted to vindicate Ameri-
can Slavery;-whO, standing there as the
ambassador of a holy God, has prcstitu'
ted his powers of eloquence to the defence
of the greatest possible sin-''the sum of
all villanies."
If it were possible for any thing to
shake the strong confidence which the
true Christian feels in the divinity of the
Gospel, and awaken in his mind the ter
rible suspicion that it is humbug;-that
the generating power of the Holy Spirit
upon the human heart is delusion, sure
ly, the strange, distressing sight of an
advocate of slavery in the pulpit would
do it. To see, perhaps, his own below
ed and venerated Pastor, in whose char
acter he had seen combined "whatsoev-
er things are true and honest and Just
and pure and lovely :" whose genuine
and fervent piety he had never doubted;
in whose ministerial and private life he
had constantly seen manifested " the
fruit of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long
suffering, gentleness. goodness, faith,
meekness, against which therei is no law"
(except the Fugitive Slave Law;) to see
ham, who had so long and so powerfully
inculcated the holy principles of the Cos
pei, attempting now to defend system,
the fragrant wickedness of which mast
be clearly evident to his own mind to
hear that dear familiar voice employed
to clear the guilty and to vanish crimes;"
to hear him say, that if single pray
er would annihilate that system, he
would not dare to offer that prayer =
Were it not that che that believeth hath
the witness in himself" such an exhibi-
ton as this would overthrow his faith
But though "the foundation of God
standeth sure, having this seal, the Lord
knoweth them that are his, /" such spec.
tacle must have a most disastrous effect
upon the minds of men, predisposed to
regard the Gospel with aversion, and
eager to embrace every plausible pretext
for rejecting it. And they could not de-
sire a more plausible one than the appa-
rent fact that its influence upon its most
devoted advocates has been to harden
the heart--to steel the soul against the
cries of suffering humanity, and to dis
pose its ministers to employ their pulpit
eloquence in defence of the greatest
wrong and outrage of which man can be
guilty.
We can point to the merciful and COM
! passionate Redeemer, and say triumph
antly to his enemies, ".What evil hath
He done 90 But when they refer us to
some of his ministers, whose praise are
in all the churches, and say, Behold
the advocates of oppression and cruelty!"
we hardly know how to answer them
We can only say, What have they to do
to declare his statutes, or that they should
take his covenant in their mouths.
S.B.
A FEELING REPLY.-'Would you like
TO subscribe for Dickins' Household
Words q asked sombre magazine agent.