Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1860-12-08
he Causes and Remedies of Impending
National Calamities-Dr. Wilson'S Lee

National Calamities-Dr. Wilson'S Lee
ture.
We feel obliged to the Rev. Samuel R.
Wilson, Pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church, of this city, for a copy of his ad-
dress "On the Causes and Remedies of Inn
pending National Calamities," delivered on
Sunday, the 18th ultimo, published at the
request Of a friend, and dedicated to "the
sons of those whose pioneer hands founded
these Central States, the borders of which
are washed by the waters of the Ohio, and
upon whom rests, in a great measure, the
ultimate decision of the question whether
the Republic shall be preserved in its origi-
nal integrity or perish in a strife of contend
ing factions"
There is no reason to doubt that the au-
thor Of the address is-humanelv consid-
ered-a sincere and earnest man: that is to
say, That, next to the acceptance of his theo.
ries, the thing he most desires is the peace
and prosperity of the country-which is
about as far as patriotism or public spirit in
general extend. And indeed, he who comes
fully up to this point, has pretty good
right to claim rather high stand for purity
of purpose, among his fellow citizens.
Giving the author, therefore, credit for
earnestness and sincerity, dissent either from
his positions or his conclusions, is no cause
of quarrel. He had design to do good;
and in a thousand similar cases, a good de-
sign, even though not wisely directed, is
productive of real benefit. Men love those
who try to do them good; and in seeking to
conform to the spirit of their advice, often
find better ways than through the letter
Even by the weakness of preaching, men
are led to seek salvation. If no good senti-
ments were ever promulgated except by
means adequate according to rigidly logical
measure, good sentiments would seldom
make much progress in the world.
We begin by presenting an exception to
the address as a whole. 1t is the production
of one who has read more than thought upon
political affairs-whose knowledge of man.
kind is in theory rather than in the results
of actual observation-who looks upon
society and government as artificial crea-
tions, the mere products of compact and
agreement-and whose notions of national
dispensation. The author of the address is
o scholar. He has read the Old Testament
more than he has that great book which God
has opened wide over the whole earth for all
who would be truly wise to examine; and
his measure of things in the nineteenth
century is the same that the Jews before the
first were obliged to discard, as interposing
insuperable obstacles to their progress in
civilization; and which it was claimed to be
the mission of Christianity formally to an
null.
We see this in his catalogue of national
sins. Now, a national sin is manifestly the
act of nation in its collective capacity. No
number of repetitions of an individual of
Tense can make national one; and yet, all
through the address, sins that only individ-
uals can commit-as Pride, Oppression, LaaO-
IeSsneSs-are set up as crimes for which the
nation, as such, is bound to respond, in ap-
propriste penalties. There may have been
especial reasons why the pride, hardness and
insubordination of individual members of
the Jewish polity, should be punished by the
infiotion of national calamities; but there
are none that We know of why, because A
B or G, citizens of the United States, are
proud, intolerant or headstrong, civil war
or famine, or pestilence, should be sent upon
the country at large to distress and destroy
ind iscriminately such as have and such as
have not offended. According to human
reason there is no justice in this; and if
such is the justice of God, it is unfortunate
that he placed in the human bosom mon
itor which-unless it is very regenerate in
deed-will perpetually protest against his
administration.
Exhortations, therefore, or warnings based
upon this idea of Divine retribution, will fall
to the ground. We do not accept the
Oriental style of treating things, by which
nations are impersonated, and made to grow
lusty and frolicsome, and insubordinate, and
ViSious, like the sons of men. We have no
divine poetical license to contemplate the
thirty-Odd members of this Union, or the
Union itself waxing fat and incontinently-
kicking like an equal number of firrepressible
Jershums, and of getting appropriately
thumped or cudgeled in retaliation for their
antics; and, therefore, we reject all such no.
tions, aud with them the horde of mischiev-
Gus fallacies which they embody.
Our next exception to the address is, that
the author appears To have drawn his ideas
of the present condition of political affairs
from the poorest and least reliable sources of
information-the party matter of party
newspapers. So far, therefore, as he pro-
fesses TO give facts, he exhibits most amaz-
ing want of authentic knowledge and his
conclusions are consequently as crude as his
conceptions are erroneous. He assumes that
the animus of the party dominant is, as it
has been charged to be by the most unscru-
pulous of the journals upon the other side;
and this mere party untruth is made to con-
stitute the basis, as its acceptance the oc-
casion of the discourse. This is unfortun-
ate. An accurate diagnosis is necessary
before any hope of benefit from remedial
agencies can be entertained. This accurate
diagnosis the reverend author has not
reached and the effect of this misfortune is
visible in every paragraph of the treatment.
The address opens with the startling de-
claration: "It would seem that we are upon
the eve of CIVIL WAR" Now it does not
4. a. 81