Weekly American. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1858-1858, 1858-03-20
LOCAL INTELLIGENcE. ]

Our FArHERs GoD.---Americaps in whose
veins flows the blood Of revolutionary sires,
would You perpetuate the blessings Of civil
and religious liberty? Would you that your
children and their descendants, to remotest
time, should live in the enjoyment of those dear
privileges, WOO by the suffering, perseverance,
courage, and daring Of your fathers Are you
DESTROYS that the land given into the possession
of your ancestors, the men and women Of re-
volutionary times should continue in the pos
session Of their descendants, and be by them
handed down to your children and children's
children foreverf II you be Americans in
heart, as well asin name, you willanswer, with
one accord, .'yss, .torerer r. e b.
In order to the accomplishment of this great
end, it Is necessary, brother Americans, that
we should examine ourselves in the light Of
those records which have descended to us, and
which contain the history Of the deeds Of our
fathers, and the chronicles Of their snfferings,
patience, fortitude, and trusiful confidence in
the God Of battles, for consolation in defeat, for
hope in despair, and that firm reliance on, Him
which eventually made them free and indie
pendent. They trusted in Him, they believed
in his promises, and he re awarded their trustful
faith, by giving into their possession, the land
of promise.
But the promiseis to the children and child
ren's children. True, If they walk in His
statutes, and do his holy will but il they de-
sert the God Of their fathers, neglect his friend
ship, and make to themselves other Gods, how
thene why then, he viii bring upon them
sudden and swift destruction, he will leave
them to the tender mercies Of the wicked-he
will allow their land to be oyerrun by his enc
mics and their enemies, and give their sons and
daughters prey to the unholy desires and sin
full lusts of those, who, for eighteen hundred
wears. have been the curse and bane of linerty,
and whose march has been heralded by the
clanking Of letters forged by monkish hands
for the enslavement Of the mind.
How is it with you, Americans2 Have you
been true to your fathers God? Are you his
hopeful, trustful followers, depending, not upon
yourselves, but upon Him, for success and as
sistance2 Do you regard his Sabbaths, tread
the courts of his sanctuary, and worship Him,
who is spirit in spirit and in truth, as did
your fathers? No! Then, how can you ex-
pect to receive that support which was so lib
erally bestowed by our fathers God upon our
fathers Americans, look abroad over the
land. What do you seer 1t is the Sabbath
dayl In our fathers time, it was their wont
upon this day, to frequent the house of God,
though oftentimes the blue Vaults of heaven
formed the roof of the temple, and stalwart
oaks the pillars thereof but the first thing that
engaged their attention after landing upon the
soil oftheir new home, was the erection of edi-
fees for His worship, and school houses for the
education Of their children They sought. first
the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and
all other needful things weregiven unto them,
even liberty and independence. .s
What are their descendants doingf Look
abroad over the land. Millions of the inhabi-
tants of the old world have found resting
place upon the soil of America, not the honest
and industrious and praiseworthy, but millions
of felons, conyicts, paupers, millions of the
idle, the profane, the reckless, the vagabond,
the "christless and goddess" the Incorporate,
the drunkard, the disbelieyer in the word OF
God, the libertine, the seducer, the Sabbath
breaker, the pickpotket the house breaker,
the midnight assassin and murderer, the pro-
fessional gambler, and the constitutional beg
ger-mllions Of the pauper and felon poupu-
lation of the old world, have found a home,
and place where they can put into practice
their Internal arts of knavery and cheatery
and seduction, learned in the prisons and chain
gangs of Europe.
1t is the Sabbath day Look yonder, to-
wards the northeast, near the Capitol, and you
will see crowd of men, women and children,
who have made breakfast OF whiskey, their
-breaths reeking with the fumes of rot-gut and
onions, cursing, swearing disappearing, and
quarrelling over cards and dice. Some are en-
gagged inplaying shinney, some ball, some test
ing the strength of their shillaleigh's upon
each others heads, and some are having game
of regular knock down arguments, the only
argument they understand, by the by, while
the women, their wives, and daughters and
sons look admiringly on and cla. their hands, or,
becoming excited, dsengage their aprons from
their dress, put stone in the centre, and gath
ering the four corners together, rush into the
melee and fight like devils dressed in petit
coats. 1t is the Sabbath dayl r7g
It is the Sabbath dayl Alittlc further cast,
not quite so far from the Capitol, sounds Of
revelry, noise and confusion are heard-the
shutting Of many feet upon sanded floor
amid the screeching Of cat-gut and the oaths
and boisterous vociferations of lager beer swil.
lers Men and women are here, dancing as i
forlife, whilst ever and anon, amid the pauses
OF the music, the bar is thronged with eager
worshippers at the shrine Of Bacchus, men,
whom to look upon, is suggestive Of slaughter
house in Cincinnati, where they butcher pork,
so fat and greasy and flabby that their flesh
minds one Of the blubber OF awhale, and il is
about as consistent for let but the skin of one
of these lager bibbers be broken, ard he is q
"grape" man. Women are here and children
1t is the Sabbath day.
It is the Sabbath dayl Look little south
west of the Capitol, and you win sec another
LAGER beer saloon where Concerts are piven