The weekly Mississippian. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1859-1864, 1860-12-12

-. ~ EdtHier, ~ ~.
PsLAN xcIx, 29.-S5ai the throne of iniqui
byalaEf
oBEsrAz San the msa OF thy eonfedera
nave brought thee even TO the border; the men th
we're At peace with thee have decsiFed lhse. Al
prevailed Eainst thee; they that ale thy bfes
nave lad wound under thee; thsfs Il none unds
standing in I'm
The voice Of the Chief Magistrate has sun
moned US to-day to the house OF prayer
This call, in its annual repetition, may be Il
Often only solemn state-orm ), nevertheie'
1t covers mighty and double truth
1t recognizes the existence of q personal Go
whose VIII shapes the destiny Of nations. an
that sentiment Of religion in NAN which point
to Him as the needle to the pole. Even wit
those who grope in the twilight Of natural rel
gien natural conscience gives voice 10 the c.s
Pensations Of Providence. Ifinautumn staxten
sIve haryests hang their heavy head, the JOY
Gus reaper, Crowned with the sickle and tn
wheaton sheaf, lifts his heart to the Father o
lights from whom cometh downey every good anC
perfect gift /, Or. ifpestiIenee and famine vast
the earth, even pagan affairs smoke VIII
bleeding victims and costly hetacombs appease
the divine anger which flames out m such dire
misfortunes. Il IS the instinct OF man's'rell.
gions nature. which, among Christians and
heathens alike. seeks after God-the natural
homage which reason. blinded IS it may be,
pays tc a universal and ruling Providence =
All classes bow beneath its spell especially N
seasons of gloom, when nation tends be-
meath the weight Of general calamity, and a
common sorrow falls upon every heart The
hesitatins skeptic forgets 70 weigh his seru-
pies, as the dark forshadow passes over him
and fills his soul with ave. The dainty PHI
losopher, cooily dscoursing Of the forces oil
nature and her uniform laws, ahandons, for q
time, his atheistlcal speculations, abashed by
the proofs Of supreme and personal will
Thus the devout followers OF Jesus Christ.
and those who do not rise above the level OF
mere theism, are drawn into momentary EEL
lowship as under the pressure OF these mex
tinguishable convictions they pay public and
united homage to the God Of nature and OF
grace.
In obedience to this great Law OF religious
feeling. not less than in obedience to the civil
ruler who represents this commonwealth IN
its unity. we are now assembled. Hitherto, on
similar occasions, our language has been the
language Of gratitude and song. "The voice
ofrejoicing and salvation was in the taberna-
cles of the righteous" Together We praised
the Lord ''that our gamers were full. afford
ing all manner Of store /; that our sheep brought
forth thousands and ten thousands ia our
streets that our oxen were strong to labor,
and there was no breaking in nor going out.
and no complaining was in our Streets" As
we together surveyed the blessings of Provi-
denee, the joyful chorus swelled from mil
lions OF people, peace be within thy walls
and prosperity within thy palaces" But, to-
oil L..
brought 10 the sanctuary Of God We ''sea
the tents of Cushan IN affection, and the cur-
tains Of the land of INDIAN do tremble." We
have fallen upon times when there are 'signs
in the sun, and In the moon, and in the stars !;
upon the earth distress Of nations. with per-
plexity the sea and the waves roaring; mems
hearts failing them for fear and for looking
at those things which are coming, in the near
yet gloomy future. Since the words Of this
proclamation were penned by which we are
convened. that which all men drea ed, hut
against which all men hoped, has been realiz-
ed and in the triumph Of q sectional majori-
ty we are compelledb TO read the probable
doom Of cur once happy, and united confed-
eracy It is not to be concealed that we are
in the most fearful and perilous crisis which
has occurred in our history as nation The
cords which, during four-fifths of a CEN
tury, have bound together this growing re-
,T.i;e are now str<ins<i tn their utmost tey,-
son thew inst need the tor,ch of fire tn mart
.sunder fsrexer Like shin labor;ro m the
storm and suddenly grounded mon some
tr.scherous. shoal-eyerv. timber of This yast
confader.ev strains and eroans pnder the
1,-sssnrs Sectional divisions the ;e,IonsIv
RI ,;vsI interests the inst Of poI;t;csl norer
: bastard srnIit;1p which Iool.s 10 personal 40.
confinement rather than 10 the nublic veal
: - r,i;csI;sn ,rb;sb seels for tbesnha
version Of All that is ancient and stable. and n
furious fanasicism which drives on is iIl-eon-
clusious with utter disregard of the evil it,
engenders-al these combine to create por-s
tentouscrisis, the ike OF which we have never
known before, and which puts to crucifying
test the virtue the patriotism and the piety of
the country.
yon M be.rsrs xbo have wa;tad unon
nv n,,bIic ministry and have known me in
ths Min ae;es If n.stor,l intercourse will do
,h ;rss;ce n tee,;fy that have meyer IN
tsrneddIed with political Questions. Interes-
TEA as I might be IN the progress Of events I
have nevs. oblruded. either publicly or pri-
yateIy. nv opinions upsf any of you; nor
can single man afise and say that, by word
or SIGN have ] ever sought to warp his senti-s
ments or control his Judgment upon any p3-
Iit;cal subiect whatsoever. The party ques-
t;ans which have hithertr divided the political
world. have seemed to me TO involve no issue
snfficieutiv momentous TO warrant my turn.
inc aside. even for = moment, from my chos-
en- calIing In this day Of Intelligence, have
self there were thousands around me more
competent TO instruct IN craftsmanship and
thus, from considerations OF modesty no less
than prudence have preferred TO move
among you as preacher OF righteousness be-
longineto kingdom not Of this world.
During the heated canvass which has Just
bronoht to so disastrous a close, the seal-of
r;gid and religious silence has not been broken.
denIored the divisions amongst as as being
to a large extent. impairment in the solemn
cr;s;s which was too evidently impending. -
Most clearly did il appear to me that but one
;ss,,e was before rs an issue soon 10 be pre-
sented ia : form which. would compel the ar
tsnt;on. That crisis might make it inpers-
five upon ms as Christian and divine to
..,a.l- 4, ls,,gaayr. afin,ittinv ne misconstruc.
e. Until tIeI,. asiids from the din and
~. r. 80 T .,uid oniv mature with solii-
sune - =, FIJI tbouohf tha destined MT
sA.y a.,N srt,st honr 80 eome At = iane-
sIa,,r a. the ,,Tss.y,t with the destiny
- ,,e,,r,la ys;tsT,1 nnon the decision Of
~ 49, = : not Iswf.,I to be stiII Whoever
an "a ,,src e sane n,,hl;e onin,or At
lnat Lana ~ pr,ye s;tbless to
su s,,is,., a. 80. .,,v - be aceornfed for
. -. - s, 81 fs.s = 80
As. l'e =. {, -. 49,
: elsss :, .rb "a : sau;oas IN sucb
n,p,r',ysrsy srs az csrdinal i'm portance I? The
80 ,rb;,sR sssl.s 3 ascertain its daty Il the
I,.,t,s s;,anlv n conseienee and religion and
- -. 20 tbs r,,T,e,Ist anil tha Christian
al ,,,is me- The s,f,atsDn tn,
sh;cb' nov ,,lsces ne unon the brink Of reyo.
49, -. - - = IS ar;e;r q question AZ
Ius - r ,s,.s ,ish.fsJ n accte.
lnoi,s - .,,;is Iers # antred ersatiye
~ l. - -,,,, ss,,na,er tha tro largast
MS -, :, q $500 = the land nd The
. a dis :. mr. ri,narv aeioa
I'll os ca .oar g;n ,., the attitude We must
H,s i sbs s,,;rs ,'' s. n, sincerely