Wabash express. [volume] (Terre-Haute, Vigo Co[unty], Ind.) 1841-186?, 1860-12-19

we'll as Of business and Of society. TIL
same law Of love which underlies the eoe
ernment Of the family is also TO under
the government Of the State. Aud ju
the Father. seeks by his own strength a.
knowledge 10 compensate for the weakness
( and ignorance Of his child, so the wise an
} powerful in government are to use thei
power and wis lon not for themselves, bu
so as TO protect the weak aud the ignoran
unable 10 protect themselves. This is wha
is meant by the declaration, eye know tha
the Princes Of the Gentilcs exercise domin
ion over them and they that are great e,
ercise authority over them. But IL shall
not be so amorg you: but whosoeyer will
be great among you let him be your minis
ter, and whosoeyer will be chief among
you let him be your servant"
That is-the top of society is to serve tn.
bottom, the ri:h-the poor, the wise-th'
ignorant, the strong-the weak. This j,
the Christian law of business and Of soci-
ETY., and still more of government.
Government, when founded on "A Chris
ian basis, is organized not for the strong
so much, they would be able to protect
themselves without it, but for the weak
who need its protection. Its Office is to
equalize by .he instrumentality Of law
what would otherwise be the unjust ine-
qualities Of men. IL is the union Of mer
IN a brotherhood that they may the better
protect each other, and especially that the
weak who need protec tion may get it from
the strong.
Here there ere two antagonistic theories
of government--the one rooted in selfish.
ness, the other founded on love-the one
making the interest Of the individual all
subservient to the State. or, rather, the vel.
fare Of the people subject to the selfish in
terests of the rulers, the other making the
State subservient to the individual, or rath.
er measuring the duty of the rulers by the
interest ofthe ruled.
This is the antagonism which has under
laid all political reform. aud most revolu-
tions. II has indeed never been presented
10 men in an abstract form. For only phi
losophers in their closets and ministers in
their pulpits deal with abstraction. Life's
questions are always concrete. But under
questions often in themselves Insignificant
and trivial, has lain this tremendous war
fare always full of the largest significance
The question between John and his barons
was not merely question Of fines and
tolls, and taxes, and of the mode and man
ner of the administration Of the laws, i'm
portant as soms Of these questions were, il
was the question whether John should rule
for the benefit of the people or the people
should be ruled for the benefit of ohm -
The warfare between Charles the First and
the sRoundheads was not a mere eues-
ton Of tonnage aud pouudage, of ship
money and of taxes it was the same old
question whether Kings were made for the
people or ths people we're made for Kings.
The revolution which later placed William
of Orange on the throne was the fruit of
the same battle, the triumph of the divine
rights of man coutending against the claim
Of the divine right Of Kings. The American
revelation. was entered upon. not that our
r. hers might escape a paltry tax of three
per pound on tea. They spent in
Tar. treasures of money far exceeding in
amount all that by escaping that tax they
saved. an ID treasures Of blood more precious
than money. They fought for this, the
right 10 have the laws framed and admin
istered for the benefit of the colonies; NOT
for that of the Government of Great Bn-
tain. The same battle it Is which is sha-
king the thrones and empires of Europe;
the booming OF whose cannon and the mu.
sic of whose drums is waited across the
Atlantic to our ears. This is not battle
between republicanism and monarchy-it
is the warfare of the people claiming to
have government subservieut to thoir in.
terests fighting against the kings and
mobiles who seek to make the people like
roots lying in the ground, sucking up ! its
juices, but keeping none; aud clam to be
themselves like the leaves and blossoms
living in the sunshine and feeding on the
fruits of the peoples labor.
The same hidden fire it is which /.
throwing our country into convulsion;
threatening its destruction. The question
which has so long-and with increasing
violence--agitatcd America. is not merely
that Of negro slavery. II Is whether the
law Of love, or the law Of selfishuess
shall underlie our Observation-Disclosures
VIC that aro strong shall use our strength
TO beat down or raise up the weak
1t is true that this question. so far as .
is one Of State government, is one will
which ws have nothing to do. Its bearing
upon the present national crisis, We shall
presently see.
God has put in this country two ma
tions which stand at the extremes Of hu.
manity--thc Anglo. Saxon. the most en-
terprising, intelligent. aud rndustriou
racson The face Of ths globe-aad the Al
: rican, than whom there is scarcely race |
the world more utterly lost in the ign,
rance and degradation Of barbarism. IN
question is not-are they equal. | ca
scrrcely conceive how any sane man. ca
for moment entertain the thought thi
: they are. Nor is it the chronological que'
: tion whether they descended from OF
= Father; whether the difference is the resu
: Of the slow growth Of ages. and can.
Q he allow growth Of ages. be eradicate
Q again. The question is this:
% Shall we, who are strong. rich. wise, o'
r ganiza our laws and our Government
is keep this degraded race in ignorance Al
b subjectionf Or shall we so constitute nj
r administer governmeat as to protect the
~ who cannot protect themselves, and 10 cd
E. cate these who cannot educate tbemselv'
Sc into our hands God hath entrusted III
OF people in the infancy Of degraded b'
= barism. Because they are weak and
SO are strong shall we use them merely
I'd our benefit. or shall we take the trust
posed in M by God and do what In us