Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-12-21
sermon ON the Disunion Danger.

Sermon ON the DfsuniOn Danger.
We listened, on Sunday evening last, to a
sermon in the Presbyterian Church, by Rev.
e. L. Belden, on the present condition of
our country. Mr.. B. took the 7th, Sth and
9th verses Of the 9th chapter of Deutoron-
omy as his text, but his remarks were
founded principally upon tho acc cunt given
in the 18th chapter of I'd Kings of the unfor-
tunate division of the Israeltes into two
governments. Ia many respects the sermon
was excellent and well-timed He referred |
to the Gins of the nation in carrying mails,
opening post offices, and holding Cabinet
meetings on the Sabbath day, and the Off
cial oorruptions in high places, as likely to
bring down upon us the judgments of God
deprecated the ill-tempered revlings of one
section against the other; condemned the
philanthropists of the Garrisonian school,
who. he feared, in their attempts to secure
freedom to four millions of slaves, "would
involve thirty millions of freemen in a condi-
ton worse than slavery" &c. He declared
that thirty years of slavery agitation had done
no good for the oppressed not slave had
been freed, but, on the contrary, morestringent
laws had been enacted for them, and now our
country was on the brink of disruption in
consequence of such agitation. If the calamity
comes, which he hoped merciful Providence
would avert, he could see no security to 1.-The
aiders, abettors and applauders of John
Brown against the fury Of angry and infat-
uated mobs.
| Towards the close of his sermon, Mr.. B.
admitted that slavery was "a great evil" but
suggested no remedy for it, and failed to dis
Germ in it any cause for the threatening
judy ents of God upon this nation. He
assured us that he spoke, not as partizan,
but as patriot and Christian, desiring the
GOOD ofhis country, and looking upon disunion
as the worst calamity that could befallit. We
think, however, that he overlooked the fact
that it is not the people of tho North who
propose to dissolve the Union. They are
almost unanimous for Union, and therefore
need no celebrations to preserve it. We
admit, however, that, during the late heated
political contest, much unnecessary bitterness
in language was used by Northern newspapers
and orators against tn" people of the South
who, in turn, were equally or more bitter
against the North. These ordinations and
recriminations should be stopped. They dc
:, no good, but much harm, by exasperatng
prejudice and intlaming passion. We viii
make no co 'cessions of principle, however
As Republicans, we plant ourselves upon the
Chicago platform, and declare our purpose tt
stand firm, let the cor sequences be what they
:, may. We believe our position to be ri hit
!, and shall stand by it to the last. iii can BIZ
d Shown, however, that we are violating IT.,
Constitution or any law Of the land, we ar,
willing to yield obedience till we can secure
such amendments as will make all our laws
conform to the immutable principles of trutl
md justice.
ofl We believe the great awakening of thu
lt nation on the slavery question has beer
7 brought about by an enlightened Christianity
!, | thirty years ago, the reverend gentlemen
would scarcely have darel to stand up ant
e condemn slavery as "a great evil" even in tn,
IS free States, unless he coveted coat of tai
e and feathers. The peope of the North hav'
" progressed in this respect, while their brethren
10 at the South, Influenced by pecuniary consid
n erations, are still bind to the clearer ant
Y more enlightened view of Christianity. They
:. magnify the recent election of a Republican
n President to formidable attack on thei
( institution of slavery. In their madness
n they would pull down the very pillars of tn,
temple of liberty, and bury the nation, witt
themselves and their system, and all that W,
e hold dear in the ruins, rather than give W
:. this abomination.
We cannot better close our notice OF thi.
q subject than by giving an extract from ;
4 recent sermon preached in Dubuque, by Rev
e J. G. Uolbrook, in reference TO the Qgesen
J. excitement throughout tae country. Asays
"Let US not be unduly alarmed. The Lore
reigns, and he can make the wrath of maj
{ praise him, and the remainder of it restrain
l. de is working out great results in our day
Old hoary despotioms are shasing and vaI.
,shing away. Power is passing from the
hands of the oppressor, Gs in Italy, ana
cations are being born III day, and freedom
j ! of speech, and Of conscience, and action, ana
Ut the word of God, are being inaugurated
And we know not what great triumph Go
s about to secure for the right in our lane,
| through the present commotion. He may b,
permitting the upholders OF siayery to pursue
. fanatical course that will place them ano
2 their system in q position in which they may
, oe defeated with the least possible damage t.
the rest of the nation. Let this canker slough
off if it will, and leave the body polite more
healthy and stronger to accomplish its sublime
| work. and unrestricted and untrammeled, as
it has always hitherto been, by slavery. Let
tie slave system be Cooped up within it.
legitimate limits, there to deVelope its horrit
!ineaments and Eerk out its true results
ending in its own destruction, Thus may
our nation be freed from the seorn Of tn,
world, and from the reproach of inconsis.enc,
between its professions Of freedom and it,
practice of oppression. And then, when ::
servile war shall come or other calamity, if it
should IN the righteous providence of God
upon the States that cling to slavery, which
may they avoid by renouncing their wrong
we and our posterity of the free States shall
escape these evils, and our country shall CON
tinue to press on iii its career OF greatness,
and prosperity, and fulfill her mission t.
bless the world with an example of truly
free people.
"My hearers, am sincere friend of the
| (fnion for the nurnoSeS for which If was
established, and would do and say nothing
aeedlessly to cause DIVISION but can imagine
worse things for us and the world than the
secession of the slave States. To yield up
the principle of human rights, and inaugurate