Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-08-15
MORNING LEADER.

u
an Address, read the following, which was On.
animously adopted
| TO the Christian men and 5omen Of Ohio inter.
| csfcd IN the advancement " Freedom and the
ertiaguishment Of Slavery:
| 1t eau hardly be necessary to rail- your atten-
ton to the pressing occasion for renewal Of
anti slavery zeal and effort the part of the
earnest christian people Of the land.
We need to revive our own sense of the in
tense wickedness Of the system of oppression
which prevails, and to Grouse ourselves to do
what we can to produce a conviction ofits wick
edncss in others.
BY sort Of general consent the discussion
of the duties and interests involved in the cx
istenco aud aggressons of sliyery, has, these
many years past, been transferred to the arena
of politics; land while it has become thus a
potent clement, causing the downfall and rise |
of politicians and political parties and control |
ing the action of legislatures and Of govern |
ments, there has not seemed to be a correspond |
ing accumulation of moral power brought TO |
bear upon the vulnerable points OF this system /
IF wickedness Nay, slavery has seemed 10 |
] gather strength aud couTagn and boldness in |
the conflict because the attack has been made |
upon It's best fortified positions, and attention |
has been diverted to great extent FROM its |
weaker side. Slavery has been glad TO take |
shelter in such delenses as tue Compromises |
of the Constitution" the acknowledged rights |
ofproperty, ,"the common inherltancein the ter
ritores, the claims Of claw aud order'-has |
acquired selfrcspect and presented show OF
prosperity ia the stand it has made.
On the other hand, the friends of freedom, !
consuming to this arbitrament Of the cont,o
versy have reserved their most reliable fortress,
their irresistible weapons, and have sacrificed
or forcborne touso many OF the advantages OF
their postion--or, dstrusting this method of
conducting the work, have altogether retired
from the conflict and are waiting more aus
picious opportunity
We do not rearct that slavery has become the
rallying point Of all the political forces in the
land, nor do we propose any attempt to divert
the public interest from this form OF che con-
hct Such Il result was inevitable in the nature
of the case, and we accept it as an indication
of Providence, showing where our work lies,
and summOnmg US to its accomplishment. 1t
is IA token of good to truth and to humanity,
that utstions ( such vast magnitude, involv-
ing all that is dear to men-all the interests OF
, morality and religion, are torcedupon the public
attention, and that questions Of mere pecuniary
profit and loss, and of temporary eXpedency,
ale thrown into the background. IL affords
rare opportunity to impress the public mind
with the great principles OF righteousness; to
bring out aud set forth the higher obligations
and interests OF life, and TO lit up standard
against inrushing iuiquity. Such opportunities
are not often afforded to a people. They are
the pivots upon which the destnes OF nations
turn Understood and improved they mark the
times of Gods vistations to establish people
in virtue, vnd to lead them on to a higher pros
perity Even political strife, under such cir
cumstances, becomes a moral conflict, and the
triumph of party is the tiumph OF principle But
/ Iifthat people in their blindness and worldliness
fail to apprehend the time, the loss can never
be retrieved This or that party name may be
in the ascendant, but the glory IS Departed God
d has passed them by.
At this present hour great responsibility
: rests upon men who fear God and regard hls
0 aw, to see to it, that the conflict which is wa
. uing shall not from lack of the moral element
y. and that God shall not be compelled To frown
/. upon il because it does not honor him. Chris
, tian men must claim and exercise the right to
j. bring all these questions, supposed by some to
D be exclusively POLITICAL to the test of morality
f and religion They must bring them to the
y conscicnces of the people as matters which
o cannot be neglected without involving lntdehty
to God and man. They must claim for the pull
: pit and the religious press the right to speak
. out in clear utterances upon the great sin and
. shame of our land, and must see To 1t that tins
7 right is accorded and that this duty Is not neg
lcCted. They must make II burden OF pray
@ er, private, domestic and social and public, trat
1t the nation may be recovered to righteousness
~ and that the oppressed may be caused to 90
d free. May the day forever pass when worldly
J, men have occasion TO compliment their minis
ter because never in hymn, or prayer or SER
r mon has he disturbed their Cquauimlty by ref.
d erenco to the poor that cry, the needy, and
Il them that have no helper, and when attendants
10 upon prayer meetings are shocked, as II a pol
u itcal topic had been broached because suppl
: cation is made that God law may triumph over
n wickedness framed into law by man.
is The curse Of our land is a grievous one,
10 founded in self interest and confirmed by cen
d. turies of existence and toleration. II has come
N to be regarded as an established element in our
IN civilization goried in by its advocates and in
dorsed by its opponents. 1t can never be re-
moved until the heart of the people shall be stir,
red to its very depth with sense the sin and
the dsgrace-until It shall become a matter of
earnest and anxious thought in the family, the
d. school and the church Ifthe mercy OF II pow
re erful delivcranco from this great wrong re-
~ mains to us, it must come through such chan
r. mel
I'd There are many evidences that the present
Ill interest in the cause of freedom must he VI
lie taliged by higher morality by the spirit of
eL Christianity ITSELF before any satisfactory re-
~ ult or substantial progress can be anticipated.
/. The Atheism tno other name expresses ~
TX which prevails on The queSilond 0j me supremacy
nj Of Colts laiU over human oudctments, Indicates
10 a blindness scarcely removed from inlatuatinn.
I'd If madness be the inevitable precursor Of des.
Be truclion, then have we not reason TO apprehend
le that Gods mercy is already withdraw rom
I the peoplel The extent TO which deluslon pre-
prevails on this subject is startling, Not nero
a ly the unscrupulOus politician who Is willing to
he secure his ends by anv mean5-not merely the
Is Interested official whose pay depends upon his
a seryility; but men long hCnOred Tor Their wisdom
ld and their virtues men looked up TO us Judges IN
1t the land do not hesitate 10 urge the obligation
Wy to obey a wicked enactment as long as leg
N islatures aud courts choose 20 call 1t law --
ml They gloss the precept of Gods word eve
,a ought 10 obey God rather than men," with the
to limitation, "unlC SO men choose TO put the eX.
'e preston Of this will into the form OF law ." and
zee what perhaps s stlll more alarming, the mass
of the people seem bewIldered on the subject
he and hesitate which to choose, Jehovah or Baal
ell We would lain hope that much Of this delusion
w is an ignorance which does not betoken wick
II, edness; but if there be point where the dis
he tinction fails between Ignorance aud SIM 1t must
Ii be here
be There seems to be peryersion OF the best
,at sentiments of a law abiding people injustice
he is perpetrated aud abetted and excused
we upon the ground that the laws must be re-
,. spectod and maintained. Marshals and ball
n. ifs arrest the fugitive from Oppresslon and ap-
,st ologize forthe loathsome work upon the ground
IL that they are executing the law commissioners
aud Judges remand the victim to his oppressoi
and call themselves the ministers OF law Junos
impaneed as a safe guard Of personal liberty
1 and the rights Of man, adludgo him criminal
lst whose heart has been moved with sympathy ioi
We the bleeding bOndman, because the law and then
n9 oaih require it, the people indignant perhaps