Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-12-18
MORNING LEADER.


'S"''SN u OShpOIE OitUfCt 4NOU. NOGht 1000
and published by request of the Congregation.
Tho Lord God omsipotent regneth"-Rev 1876.
We have assembled to perform the appropri-
ate devotions of another annual Thanksgiving
The congregation is convened under the recon-
mendation of the Chief Magistrate OF our State,
who always sends out most Christian like
proclamation, worthy of our noble State with
her free and Christian institutions Thanks
giving is a time honored custom of Puritanic
origin. We go back along the path of progress
to Plymouth Rock and remember the faithful
colonists who after gathering the wheat and
corn and other products of the season, assembled
in the cabin, log school house, or rude church,
and poured forth strains of praise and gratitude
to Him,
Whose goodness crowns the circlngyear."
After public thanksgiving to God and a re-
membrance of the poor, family and friends were
gathered around the table to partake with
cheerful hearts the blessings of Providence
This day is recommended by the Governors of
most of the States of this Union, SO that we
meet in unison with large proportion of our
countrymen in acts of worship before God for
all his mereies. The theme of the present oc-
casion will be.
HUMAN AND DIVINE GOVERNMENTS CoNTRAsTED,
ACCOMPANIED WITH APPROPRIATE LESSONS OF
INSTRUCTION.
Government is system of rules or laws
which are brought into exercise by the chief
source of power, over people who are capable
of government, and consequently responsible to
law. Without government there can be no
constitutional liberty for the people, no liberty
of conscience or civil freedom, no security for
property or life can be enjoyed. All is reduced
to anarchy and mob rule without law. 1t is
also to be understood, that no one is fit to make
laws and govern who has not himself learned
to obey. No one is fit to rule in the State, or
family, who has never personally learned to
practice the lessons of obedience.
The most ancient form of human government
is the Patriarchal. In that government there
was the family and tribe. Each family had its
head and each tribe its prince The father was
the head of the house. His office was that of a
benefactor, priest and governor. 1t was his
duty to provide the blessings of life for the
household, to instruct and perform daily religi-
GUS devotions and properly to govern his family,
and was held responsible for the fulfilment of
his duty. The family submitted to the laws of
the tribe and the rule Of the Prince.
The government of the Jews was THeocracv
In this government God was Ruler. He deci-
ded litigated points, solved and answered polit-
ical questions, instituted rewards for the obe-
dent and punishment for the disobedieut. The
constitutional provisions and practical operations
of the Jewish government show it to have been
mixture of aristocracy and democracy, the
democratic element being the strongest This
was in many respects model government
The legislative, judicial and executive depart
ments, were so balanced as to secure the great
est good to the greatest number, while its long
continuance, and growing wealth show its ele-
ments OF stability Every head of family pos
sessed fee simple In some portion of the soil
which he could not sell over certain number of
years when 1t must come to himself or hers
This arrangement destroyed land monopoly and
made every citizen interested in the affairs of
state and showed the strong democratic princi-
pies of the commonwealth. Such government
properly administered would make a prosperous
people in any age.
Among the present existing forms of govern
ment we may notice
l. absolute monarchy or despotisn In this
form OF government the ruler is despot, gov
erning without the restraints of Constitution or
laws. The dictum of the Emperors will consti-
tutes the executive, judicial, legislative, and ad-
ministrative forms of authority The present
government of Russia is good example of this
system of power. The declaration of the Gar
makes war, creates peace, saves life or destroys
1t. Such government is terrible and vet often
more humane, than those governments whose
constitution promise freedom to all This is
seen at the present time in the reforms of the
Emperor OF Russia in emancipating the serfs
and vassals, who have long been bound with the
iron chain of slavery.
ID. Constitutional or Limited Monarchv.-
Here the powers of King and Queen are limited
by constitution and law-such restrictions are
thrown around the throne that without the con-
sent of the House of Lords and Commons, the
country cannot be. plunged into war, and life
and property are protected by law. The pres
ent government of England is of this class The
power of the Queen does not exceed that Of q
President in our own country, and the corrupt
ing patronage of the throne finds too often more
than an equal in that of republican Presidents
In many respects England has a model govern
ment, having the elements of great strength and
permanency. Among all the powers of the eartK
the British flag is respected and fearedi and il
is glorious truth of which any country may b,
proud that no Involuntary slavery exists, no hu
man beings of any color are clankiDg in theil
chains on Britain's soil
8. AriStOcrGey. This is a government in which
the supreme lower is vested in the principa
persons of the State. A few men of rank anC
wealth govern and control the masses AL
power Il taken from the many, and given to thu
few. This power is exercised generally not fo
the good of all, but for the advantage Of the few
who possess it.
4. Republican. This is a representative sys
TEN. The rulers are elected from among thu
people and to whom they are responsible as thu
source of all power in such a confederation -
There is no purely Democratic government AM
probably never will be, at least, until human so
ciety is far more pure and perfect than now
Our own government is the nearest approach tt
pure democracy.
Let US now contrast some Of the most distin
gushing features of the Divine Government
with human powers. The Government of Goo
in its most extensive sense, embraces that alb
SoLHte authority which He exercises over the
Universe, and also the reign of grace through {
Mediator. The government of law and of grace
The government of God is distinguished
l. By It's perfection. Human powers have
their points of weakness, and are marked by
their defects. The ancient monarchies and Re
pubics fell into ruin by the weight of their cor
ruption and inherent defects. To the careful
student of what constitutes the vital elements Of
perpetuity in political and civil powers, there can
readily be seen weak points in our own govern
meDt. Look first at the slavery element. When
the original confederation of States was effect
ed, some were free and some were slave States;
and though the Fathers of the Republic thought
slavery would soon be extinguished by the
workings offree government, it has continued to
grow and spread until it threatens to transform
the ''model Republic" into despotism or over
throw our free institutions altogether. Wemay
also state, if we can do so without being con-
sidered too political or an advocate of Know
Nothingism, that second weak point is found
in the loose views which prevail on the subject