The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-09-09

came to rebuke the wicked administration OF
those laws and to othrcaten desolation and ruin
to the whole nation for their violation. Thus
Zechariah testifies, :9-l4: "Thus speaketh
the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judg-
ment, and show mercy and compassion every
man to his brother. And oppress not the
widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor
the poor, and let none of you imagine evil
against his brother in your heart. But they
refused to hearken, and pulled away the
shoulder and stopped their cars, that they
should not hear Yea, they made their
hearts, MS an adamant-stoue, lest they shod
hear tht law, and the words which the lord of
hosts hath sent in his spirit 10y the former
prophets; therefore came a great wrath from
the Lord of hosts. Therefore it is come to
pass, that as he cried and they would not
hear: so they cried and | would not hear,
saith the Lord of hosts: But / scattered
them with whirlwind among all the nations
whom they knew not thus the land was les
olate after them. that no man passed through
nor returned for they laid the pleasant land
dcsolate. Isaiah denounces the rulers OF GER
tain wicked cities l:l5) as follows: "And
when We spread forth your hands / will hide
mine eyes from you, when ye make many
prayers will not hear for your hands are
full of blood"
These were guilty of the same crimes,
while they made the same pretensions to ri-
ETY. as many of the chief sinners Of our own
time. Isaiah :16, II: "Wash you, make
you clean; put away the evil of Your doings
from before mine eyes; cease to do evil
Il A. l. cnol- .,,1o rn1iaya tho
oppressed; Judge the fatherless; plead for
the widow" How descriptive also is the fol-
lowing language Il :2l-24) of the capital
of our own nation when we remember the
councils which once obtained among our leg
islators: "How is the faithful city become q
harlot; it was full of Judgment, righteousness
lodged in it but now murdcrers Thy silver
is become dross and thy wine mixed with
water Thy princes are rebelious and COM
panions Of thieves; every one loveth gifts and
followeth after rewards; they Judge not the
fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow
come unto them. Therefore saith the Lord,
the Lord of hosts. the Mighty One of Israe,
Ali, will ease mo of mine advcrsaries and
avcuge me of mine enemies"
For who, let me ask, are the poor of our
country? Are any better entitled to that
name than they who by law arc utterly inca
pable of holding one cent of property? whose
hands and feet must forever toll for another
without reward9 And who, if not the nnfor-
'unate Africans, are the weak? Wisdom is
defence: money is defence; yet every ray
Of knowledge is carefully excluded from him
by cruel law and moro tyrannical public
sentiment, and money comes not at his bid
ding. The poor slave has no voice in the
legislative councils; no vote ut the election of
his rulers no power to bring action at law,
and not the privilege, of testifying against the
cruellest. injustice. Is he not weak? Add
to this that no weapon Of self-defence is ever
put into his hand, and should he become pos
sessad of any by stealth, he is so overborne,
so dispirited, often rendered by unmitigated
bondage so cowardly, that he dare not face
his remorsccss foe. Here surely are subjects
for governments noblcst exercise.
And who, again, are the widows in this
wicked land? A slave wife can receive no
protection from her husband In her hour of
greatest need if he do but lift his voice to
save her. he is scourged and silenced, sum
marily torn from her embrace, and driven to
a distant mart, leaving her TO widowed n
hundred fold moro dcsolate than would be
occasioncd by his death. Wdowhood! Is
she willow in the free North and as such tor
her hclplcssncss entitled TO tho protection of
the government by the laws of God and OF
man. who laws her husband in the grave in
immortal hope of rc-union.who receives the
fearful svmpathies Of loving friends, who finds
encouragement and assistance, Difference and
respect from evciy human being around her!
| And is not that ono equally needy in the
South, who burics her husband forever from
her sight, in the sepulchre of crushed hopes,
laccratcd affections and vague, indeniahle ter
rors-hcrsclf the daughter of n despised race.
under the ban of color and Of caste. compelled
ut the will Of another, in the midst of her in
consolabc grief and tears to receive an un-
welcome. perhaps loathsomc substitute for bci
lost darling? O, God! thou wilt visit fol
these things; the cry Of the widow has come
into thine CAL
And who are the fatherlcss ones in Amer
lea? God has made governments peculiarly
responsible for the case Of these; surely they
who rule, rs we'll ms they who control the ri
lcrs, should know who tho .fatherlcss are
These Of course must have been singled out
for especial mention because of their peculi
arly helpless and unprotected condition ms {
class, and their need of tender treatment. i
is the spirit Of the preccpt which rulers are t.
regard MS we'll as the lcttcr. There are doubt
less at the North. multitudes Of children
whose parents still live who need direct car
from the government. far more than other
whose parents lie in the grave, Much NOR
is this true Mt tho South. and in that rae
where the family tic is disrcgardcd. Th
miserable slave child writhcs. in burning pai
under the lash or The thumb screw, and hi
father is Compelled TO witness his hclplcs
struggles and to hear his ngonizing cries; bu
il is death to interfere. His heart is ready 4
burst with grief and indignation. but wha
cares his nfuriatcd opprcssorl Even an in
voluntary instinct Of sympathy NAV draw fror
tho parent m expression that shall banis
him to the deadly ricc-swamp.
O. tho widow and the fathcrlcss tho wild
ow and the fatherlcss! how often arc ihcs