The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-04-09

control OF religious obligation and grounded in
Gods word that the State can be permanent In
freedom and prosperity.
THE POLITICS. RELIGIOUS CHARACTER OF OUR
CONMONvEALTH.
NOW glance back over the history OF our country,
from the first political compact in the cabin Of the
MayhO9er, through all change and progress, and
follow the course God has taken in his providence to
establish such free and just government He be.
gan with the people. Before he put them out Of the
ship in which he held them over the snow crested
waves, through storms and dangers, he led them
"S0menly and mutually, in the presence Of God
and OF one another, to covenant and combine them
elves together into civil body polite" land by
virtue hereof to enact constitute and frame such lust
and equal laws, ordinances, acts constitutions and
offices, from time to time shall be thought most
meet and convenient for the general good unto which
we promise all due submission and obedience The
carefuDess in regard to justice and equity with
which this instrument was framed, and the jealousy
OF reserve 10 their conscience toward God under
which they would bind themselves only to such sub
mission and obedience were due under God, are
worthy OF all note and imitation. II was thus that
God began in this country his own appointment of
the powers that be. He set this great and over
shadowing tree, he brought this vine out Of Egypt,
be caused this government to grow to its present
form. 1t is thing of growth, a. everything of life
is. We go back to its roots, and we find them q
deep and living network all the country on the
hills of New England twined about the rocks, in
the heart of the SOIL and all along the springs and
the water courses They are ia the cradle, and the
nursery, and the village school and the church. and
the household, and above all in the family Bisle at
the family altar, woven in prayer. The great tap
root was Of conscience in the word of God.
SLAVERY A HIDEoUs GRAFT.
So our government has grown, and the legiti-
matt powers OF our government are what the roots
bear, and not the gratis of tyranny. The root was
freedom and pety, not slavery and injustice. Sla-
very is hideOus, horrible graft; and if all the
limbs that have grown out of 1t were cut off to-day,
the parent tree would be stronger and healthier.
TIE BIBLE, CONSCIENCE AND SELF GOVERNMENT.
Now as we were formed, SO must we be support
cd, by conscience toward God, and habits of self
government grooved in and netted with and bolted
to bis word, as the shrouds and ropes that steady
the masts of ship are boed to the deck, the tim
bers. Without such conscience such habits and
such reverence of Gods word, aud independence by
IL, PEG Die cannot be free-are not fitted for free
dom In the great city of Bordeaux, in France, the
people on occasion wanted 10 make some altera-
ton in their mode Of Lighting the streets, but they
could not be trusted with power to dot and they had
to send up to the central imperial government at
Paris fol authority to their lamp posts.
They had not learned how to take care Of them
seves and the goyernu ent did not mean they should
but would keep them in standing stools; aud what
is worst of ALL they did not feel that there was any
desp0tism, any degradation in this. The deeper was
their slavery tor the government treating them
just as the Shareholders treat their slaves preventing
them from learning to take of themselves,
and leaving them only capacity and privilege to
work and be taxed on account of their n asers Such
people cannot be free. They have no stamina.
They are like swimmers on badders-the instant
they are pricked they sink to the bottom. What q
contrast, where the people are Heightened by Gods
word, snd made dependent by an enlightened con-
science only on God. With us the people are
responsible, and in the case of trouble we throw
Ourselves back upon God and his word, aud the
elements OF our constitution.
WHAT WOULD BE THE EEFECT OF AN OVERTHROW OF
THE GOVERNMENT
Suppose our general government 80 perverted
that revolution becomes necessary-what then
II takes virtue TO make a revolution, but God can
bring " about. Do we cease TO have q government
because we have revo utionl BY no means; but
we merely bring back our government to it, original
elements, and If even our State governments failed
Us thousand governments would spring up, as Of
old, in our town meetings. As long conscienc e,
guided by the word Of God. remains, our life and
liberty are ndestructible. We are like that singular
production of mineral life, the poIype; Gu. asander
its body and every separate fragment crows into a
perfect whole; cut of the head and the bo]y sup
plies another; turn IL inside out, and not even then
Is its law of life suspended but speedily its vital or
gans resume their proper sphere and processes. We
are like Millions angels, when the mountains were
thrown upon them, and IL was thought for time
that their enemies had destroyed them; but they
were unconquerable, indesrructble, and speedily as
sumed their celestial shape and power unin jured
But without conscience towards God all is weakness
ruin and chaos.
RELIGION And POLITICS NOT SAFELY TO Bx sEPA.
RATED.
The separation OF our statesmanship and policy
from conscience, and exclusion Of religion from DO
hios is dfh,ism and death. Nevertheless, this ex-
streets the inscription in flaming letters Of the party
that support slavery, "The constitution for earth,
and the Bible for heavenv' Aud this insulting de-
6acnce and rejection Of Gods authority do nos want
support even ia the religious press and the pnlpit.
Beyond question rapid change has been going on
In our system, under such te1ching, favorable 10
uniVersal despotism. Heretofore, the people have
been the sovereign, and have man aged ali things;
but nov the government, from being merely our
agent, are coming to be our master They are ra-
pidly completing and fostering the usurpation; a
few years more, and II VIII be accomplished, and
oespotism firmly in the saddle. Like the old mau
Of the sea, in the story Of sinbad the Sailor who
begged, on count Of extreme weakness, 20 be car
riod little while upon his shoulders, but once be
got his legs around sinbsd's neck he made him
his slave; 30 the government Of a free people on
pretence Of too gret weakness, and the necessity
OF the consolidation Of poxer, &c; {, themselves
tyrannic supremacy, and are enthroned upon the
shoulders OF slaves.
ANOTHER swooP or THE JUDGES.
The indications Of this change break out in
the recent decision Of the judges, and espe-
oialy in the course of spe ,ial pleading and
eS TIE 0 Judge 0n speaks Of The Black men
OF this country not entitled by the constitution
TO the blessings Of liberty carefully conferred
upon the whites. Liberty conferred, forsoo'n-
conferred by the constitution, as IL IL were q boom
which we could not have possessed but by the per.
mission Of the constitution, and as IL the consttu
ton itself were some condescending grant Of mercy
from some huge tyrant Of an age OF despotism and
ard all mankind had TO take the freedom 10 eat
drink and Sleep 70 think speak and act only at the
gracious permission OF their owner. Who dare
speak in this wayl How ygbly the language Of
despotism drops from the lips Of the Judge, when
the whole race to slavery. HoE easy
and natural the doctrines Of despotism sits with
him. Who could have spoken thus, with any just
conception of our freedom and rghtsl To whom /
does the constitution belong and what Is the consti
tuition but simply the instrument Of our liberties, TO
carry our freedom into effect, and TO serve as the
guardian Of our rights and privileged Does the con
sttution belong 10 the government and the judges,
or do constitution, government and judges belong
10 the peopleg In fine, our government In under
going a most vital, most disastrous, most terrible
change and the terrible, for being stealthy
no unperceived; q change from republican freedom
and simplicity 10 consolidated governmental weight
and tyranny, from the sovereignty of the people as
the owner OF the government, 70 the lordship Of
as the owner Of the people
The change Is as sure as death, and
not only the dagnostics Of disease and disor.
are visible hut the Farioa Vinnocrafica