The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-12-20
To TIE EDITOR OF THE TIpTON ADVERTISER:

!
Dear Sir: The irony of your CORES
pendent, in reference to the public ex-
crcises o. Thanksgiving, at Upton, is Oh
vious, to those who were present, and
heard for themselves To those who
were not present, some further explana-
ton may be desirable.
The utterances of that occasion, in my
judgment, deserve more serious notice
than your correspondent has taken of
them. 1t is no light thing for a public
teacher Of religion to iynore the great
wrongs of our land Deliberately and
speciously to apologize for these wrongs,
is still srayer offence As understood
by many Of his audience, the preacher
did this very thing, in his Thanksgiving
sermon. I'VE have our faults, and i'm
Projections" it was admitted, "but what
nation has not - None but an ignor-
ant fanatic can deny that this country is
superior to any other on the face of the
earth, in its liberties and privileges. Tc
nraYa The nnint f-hish,;, had inst been
said no sane man could deny, aud which
therefore did not seem to require proof,
the prominent inperfections and wrong!
Of several countries were named, espc
cially those of Russia, England, Spain
and France while we were left to GUESS
at what the speaker considered tn,
"faults aud imperfections" of our owl
country The structure of the argumen
seemed to be this Since all nations hav,
their faults and imperfections," it i.
impolitic and impertinent to specify anc
deplore Tin ssfmon) those of our own
country, while we are at perfect liberty
to expatiate on the errors and wrongs OF
all others.
As if, from the hi Oh standpoint Of
christianity, which! the pulpit occupies,
it Is any Justification, or ground of apol,
osy, for our national oppression and
wickedness, that all other nations have
their tauls and imperfections How
we'll such position becomes disciple
OF Christ, aud Of that uncompromising
old reformer, Martin Luther, let ali who
read the Bible and study the history of
the reformation, judge for themselves.
In their orr ginal design and structure.
our govornmeu. and institutions are, in.
deed, second to none on earth, But. the
practical working and enforcement of our
laws, and the actual development and
enjoyment OF cur privileges, is quite
another thing. What sort of Hb.rties
and prirt1cycs have ninety nine hun
dredths of the citizens Of the free States,
IN the Southern States of the Union =
What measure of liberty even have the
people of the Southern States themselves,
to express their opinions, and vote for
another order Of things? Is there not,
all over the South, the most outrageous
intolerance of all opinions hostile to
slavery? and the most lawless Insult and
violence, on the mere Suspicion tina. sucl,
opinions are entertained, even though
uueSpressed? 1t has been truly said
that "citizens of the free States, instead
Of enjoying all the privileges and immun
tiles of the several States, as guaranteed
in the Constitution, are subjected, in tn,
slave States, to wrongs and inGisnitie.
that would not be submitted to from an,
foreign people If Great Britain o.
France should outrage our citizens a.
South Carolina and some other States ar,
doing every day, we should make wal
upon them in spite of all considerations
of cost and risk. The South dares not
treat the citizens of any other country as
it treats the citizens of the free States. .
We do not hesitate to say that this
state of things has no parallel, at the
! present day, in the British realm, or in
Germany, or France, or any other civil.
lied nation The dwellers in the north
of England and the Highlands of Scot
land, are as free to express their honest
convictions in the south f England, OF
In any part Of the realm, as they are in
their own free mountain air.
To style such a deplorable state Of
things as exists in this country at the
present day, mere ''faults and imperfec.
tions," not to be named, except to spol.
ogize for them, | regard as little better
than calling evi1 good, and good er1,
puhtiny darhness FIR light, and light for
dnrkness, bitter .tor sweet. and sweet for
litter. (Isaih S: 20) Even admitting
that the southern States are l,rouoked to
do these things. by the extreme views
and principles of the north, and the state
Of the case is no better, but rather worse :,
for then there il the rad spectacle Of pu