New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1859-11-25

nation not for Itself but FOR others; a nation inspired
with genuine, unsslhsh compassionate regard for the
injured and ensaved. proud, strong. conquering
prosperous nation has done this; has paused in the
mdst OF her Prospfr'y to examine the po'tcy before
God; 70 acknowledge her past injustice and wrong to
Acknowledge ard obey Gods word, Gods viii,
preue above Der own Government and authority; to
acknowledge the claims Of theSopprcs-ed, and 20 let
the oppressed go free, because God commands =.
gay great commercial naiion-the wealfhiest, most
aegrsndized and ordlicst nation the face Of the
globe at once the mot commercial and the most ars-
tOcrtic, with the prOudes nobility and the ntensest
tr8de-spiriied mercantile community together under
the ctnservatiSe law aeulty and jurisprudence;
n great commercial nation, in the heart Of = money
worshping age, at the cost Of appropriation in
money such as never before earth was devoted by
any Government 10 any snch purpose IN the face of an
QUERY of rage aud avarice against 40 benevolent
measure, in the face Of the savage claim OF property in
a man, and Of the remorsee.s fury with which chat
claim prosecuted 10 the last moment; great
mercial, power-loviBg money accumulatng nation
has voluntarily paused in her great OF conquest
and of wealth. thrown from her the considerations Of
selfish expediercy and performed national act Of
eelf-denying usce and humanity, act both of the
Government and the people, an act Of religion and OF
religious zeal and duty, such nations almost neye
perform and which, performed As il was, with such
completeness, nobleuess, and majesty Of principle
might almost cancel thousand years Of European
cruelty and crime.
The act OF emancipation, which it becomes
and sOemnly celebrate this day. to praise God for it,
aud implore his grace that il may be initiated in
country, act of benevoenee and justice on
principle. IL was not measure OF political economy
OF exredency, but Of right and duty above all expe
diency, determining what true expedieney is: Hwa
not a question Of the superiority Of free labor owe
slave labor q measure for the interest and profit
The whites but il the admitted equal claim OF the
blacks TO freedom as wen Of the Sbites, and the
prosecution Of that claim for the liberty and benefit OF
The enslaved for the restitution 70 them OF the rights
Of which they had been defnuded IL wac denial OF
any right on the part OF the whites to hold any other
race in slavery; Il denial of any right Of proper
" in man and refusal any longer TO admit any such
wrong 1t the undoing OF such wrong, because II
qeas wrong and the question Of its protabcness and
unproftabeness for the nation committing such crime
was not question, upon the decision OF which the act
Of emancipation was based. BY religious conscience
nv the power Of Gods word by the grand ideas OF
Justice and Of freedom, swayng the popular mind, by
the sentiments feelings, impulses OF the popular heart
against cruelty, against oppression, against Slavery,
the nation was carried rTesistiby this grand move
ment and triumphed in il. And il was, in many re-
spccs, the greatest national victory Of right against
wrong, Of conscience against selhshness that the
world
As q measure Of political economy il has been
cessfnl in its results The West Indies worth in.
calculably to-day, under the reign OF freedom,
than they could have been under the continued MUS
tiee Of slavery But whether or not, the honesty,
generosity and Justice Of the nation, the elevation and
integrity OF character the enforcement of the right,
the supremacy OF the Word Of God as the rule OF right
and of the conscience of the nation obedent TO IT,
are an infinite gain and glory not be measured by
sny consequence; possession worth more than the
dominion of the globe, security OF future prosperity
freedom,
thousand citades. Standing they did in that act on
the side of God and TRUTH of freedom and humanity,
the British Government and people have secured not
only the freedom and happiness Of the ensaved, for
whom they acted but their own, Of which they did not
think. God gives for every such act, mortgage on
his providence for their protection. What they gained
10 character alone and IN the strength OF righteousness
by that act would have been possession OF nestlma-
bic value outwegbing all possibility of loss II the
West Indies had been sunk 10 the bottom Of the sea-
and all the Colonial possessions OF Great Britain with
them the benefit Of that act OF justice and beneyolence
would have remained archer endowment OF the King
dom than IL God had created and bestowed new
Oceanic Eden for s dominion and It's wealth.
What we need 10 lay to heart to-day is this lesson.
If the British people had confined themselves Stats
teal arguments about sugaTcanes molasses hogsheads,
prices labor amounts 10 be screwed out OF estates
under the lash, TO be sacrificed by freedom they
would not 10 this day. have accomplished the emanci-
patton ofthe negroes IL the conscience OF Jnstice,
The divine spirit OF liberty the of night and Duty
the command Of God, the impulse OF pity, strengthened
and made irresistible by the appeat Gods Word, and
not the mean sneakng confederation OF any superior
protabeness Of free labor slave, that gained the
victory II was lightning from Heaven, and not any
blacksmith fire earth, that melted the ehans OF le
slave and set him free. Mems hammers could nvet
them but it required the fire OF God TO undo them;
Nothing but principle truth ON fire in the heart, could
ever set men to this work The lust of gain never will
break feiter on the limbs but It can eat into the soul
and cover il with the of desDotsm. No profits OF
liberty nor even its anticipated game ever yet set any
reope free the spr of liberty must do the hrst work
essrdless Of ANYTHING and everything but what is Just
and right The profits of liberty never yet built tenn
ME unless the spirit Of liberty first conquered the
GROUND in fee simple al d laid the foundations
We need to-day these lessons of principle, and thu
assurance of Il safety OF their applications the safety
of trusting in God and performing our whole duty to
Him and to our ftlow-beings, leaving the conse-
ouences with Him.
The terrible outbreak at Harper's Ferry calls us
anew 20 the consideration of our own duty, and OF the
means by which we may avoid Gods Judgments and
redeem country from wlekedncss that threatens
70 consume
We must consider first our instruments Of agrees
sion and Of conquest against this SIN, and second the
manner and the method in which we To use them
Our duty as Christians and our duty as politicians
comes into view, and we shall endeavor to dserlnr-
nate.
Onr instruments Of aggression and Of conquest
against this sin are grand and mighty: The word OF
God rightly interpreted, and the Constitution OF our
country rightly interpreted.
I'm, botb have been perverted; and if in either the
perverson is suffered 10 become The laws then we are
lost: we can do nothing. IL the Word Of God IS held
aud applied in lie purity, YOU save even your per-
verted Constitution by III can redeem Your Cohs.ul-
ton from the bondage Of such peryerson by the law
of the spirit Of life setting II free from the law OF sln
and DEATH Bring every provision in 1t 10 the bar OF
Gods Word, and show the infinite quit OF esen per,
version. All the questions involved, OF night ana
wrong ought 10 be thoroughly feryently discussed, IN
every aspect in every place. There ought To be Puo
bic mass meetings as mighty erueioes, heated oy the
spirit of liberty and your theories and your cand-
dates must be thrown into them and proved our
Representatives and Senators ought 10 be specially IN
sructed and bound 90 press every article OF the c1i
stutiOn TO It's utseTmost in favor OF liberty ana ngn
You ouQht TO demand declaration Of The congress OF
the Inied States that the provision in the Consilti-
lion Of the United States against <itainder, against
ever suffering incapacity or evil 70 descend rom
parents TO children, may, and righfny does, protect
aud set free the children OF the enslsVe9' ana ma
hn HraNI q