Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-11-26
CITY ano County SntelIloence


celebrated in this city in quiet and orderly
manner. We present, this morning, sketches
of the discourses delivered by our own clergy
men -
REV. DIR. HILLS DISCOURSE.
Rev. DIR. Hills discourse was suggested by
the momentous question which overshadows
all things in this country He said that one
hundred years ago, as shown by the sermons
preserved in antiquarian societies, throughout
New England the pulpit on Thanksgiving
day resounded with fervent thanksgiving to
God because the citadel of Quebec had surren-
dered to the English and American arms. The
enthusiasm with which the victory of Wolfe
was received in the pulpits of New England
may seem strange to us; but to our foretath-
ers that battle on the Plains of Abraham,-
styled by celebrated writer one of the five
decisive battles i'll the history of the world =
was permanent triumph of freedom over
| despOtism, -Protestantism over Catholicism,
for the America of the future. When the
thrilling cry ''they fly" they fly" was borne
to the ear of the dying Wolfe, and the news
of the victory reached the New England col
onies it came as herading the decisive triumph
| OF free institutions and pure religion for the
continent. Herein was manifested the fore
sight of our foretathers. Would to God the
| same foresight could have ayerted the institu-
ton OF American slavery which was then just
creeping into the country, and which has now
| become the one great evil, and rests on the ma
| ton like the shadow Of some waiting calamity.
| Men fear to see it, to talk of it-thS eternal
! enemy of freedom, its deadliest foe. Know
ing what is already, men dread to think what
| another generation may bring forth. We
marvel "a march
providence over this western wilderness, a
brief period effectiEg such progress in ma
tons development; but the pilgrim fathers
had glimpse ofthe future as it would be, and
provided nobly for it. But there is the peril of
growing despotism in our land. Recent
events tell us we are approaching the newt
able crisis big with consequences. The work
and sacrifices we have to make can not be
postponed much longer. have no sympathy
with those who have no word in behalf of the
feeble and defenceess bondsman when he is
submitted to outrage upon outrage, and the
slave trade is unbushiugly pursued. To say
nothing is to be false to humanity. But
mutual scorn and recrimination must not be
tolerated. 1t is through mutual selfsacrifice
that we shall finally dislodge the fatal system;
not by stampedes and servile Instructions and
desperate and misguided acts, like that of late
occurrence which excites the adherence of
force to destroy the institution OF slavery is
foolish and mischievous
REV. MR. JAMES DISCOURSE.
Rev. Horace James, at the Old South Church,
preached discourse, appropriate to the times,
from Isaiah 80 u, 19:-"Thus saith the
Holy Oneof Israel, because ye despise this
wsrd, and trust in oppression and per0erSeneSS,
and stay thereon, therefore this inquity shall
be to you as breach ready to- fall, swelling out
in high wall, whose breaking comet suddenly
at an instant" He commenced by saying
the text dscloses the inherent weakness of
system OF oppression, the latent selfdestruc-
ton which it contains, and which will certain
ly be developed within itself, and be violently
evolved from itself in due time, through the
operation of fixed laws. This idea he applied
TO slavery in the United States, recent events
exhibiting an extraordinary manifestation of
its weakness. The light of burning wheat
stack, seen in the night, has just called out the
cavalry and infantry of a sovereign state or
two, caused thousands of pounds of powder
and balls, with sundry cannon and howitzers,
to leave the United States Arsenal at Wash
lngton, and rendezvous around small brick
building in Charlestown, Va, where five
ton. Frightened by anonymous letters, made
the sport and game of the newspaper press,
hearing the thunderS of a rescuing battalion in
every breeze from the north, they live, poor
creatures upon the halfclosed crater of a
slumbering volcano, fearing every instant that
Its pent-up fires will burst forth in unrestrain-
ed fury. The preacher then went on to speak
at length of tie nature of slavery, as opposed
both to natural right and the revealed will of
inl nd oftl n
leading statesmen Of 1776, in founding this
government, after throwing off the shackles of
the old world. He illustrated his subject by
many references to leading occurrences within
the last few years. instancing the bred Scott
decision as the climax of pro-slavery usurpa-
ton, III departure from the principles of our
fathers.
The affair at Harper's Ferry was one of the
legitimate consequences of the system of slave
ry itselt-the working out of its inherent and
essential qualities. They are just such results
as we have reason to expect from it, and such
as will continue to flow from it so long as a
slave stands upon our soil. Poor John Brown
was only the occasion, not the author, OF this
recent turmoil He has been made hero, and
will be celebrated in all time to come, simply
because he foolishly placed himself between
the teeth of the destroying monster, and he
will be considered, the world over martyr to
TIC cause Vi Irceuonl. 1nat he Will be exc
cuted is evident. Indeed, slaveholding Vir-
gina could not do otherwise than hang him,
consistently with her own statutes But his
resolute, confident, liberty loving, God-tearing
life, closed upon slavery's gibbet, will be
most unfortunate thing for the pet institution.
Virginia will have sorrowful occasion to regret
John Brown. She must needs hang him. for
she lives by violence, but her o,cn qaous is pre-
pairing, and this very outbreak, with all its ad-
Juncts, will do much to show our countrymen
that the institution itSeLfiS an outtaU, and ofhe
nature Of an resurrection, and deserves to swing,
for It's crimes, upon the gallows erected for the
honest and brave old man. 1t is condemned
already. Its Judgment now of long time lin
gereth not, and its damnation slumbereth not.
REV. MIR. CUTTERS DISCOURSE.
Rev. Mr. Cutler at the Union Church dis
coursed upon "The Relations of Common and
Professional Life" from the text LIST Cor. -.
2O,2l, "But now are they many members, yet
but one body. And the eye cannot say unto
the hand, l have no need of thee nor again
the head to the feet have no need of YOU"
He considered common or non-professional
life, as embracing those pursuits which were
chiefly manual, and professional, those which
are mainly intellectual There was apparent
antagonism between the two the professional
striving to sustain itself out of the common
and the common aiming to starve the profess
sional to DEATH But the antagonism was not
essential. The speaker enlarged upon the ne.
culIar Offices of the manuel, and intellectual
pursuits showing how closely they were relat-
ed to each other and how essential they both