New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-11-27
A SOUTHERN SERMON.

Sermon, preached an ~. MichdeIA Church, ChGre>s
ton. :. e.. on The day of Public Prayer, Wetres-
dag Nor. 81, 1860, by The Rev. James n. Elliott
Mioah H. Are these His doing.
Heavily and sadly must such question a. this fall
upon the spirit Of man while contemplating the MIS-
enc. OF his race. Around him sLrewed wrecks OF
happiness individual and domestic, which press upon
hi heart in all the bitterness Of personal grief and the
record Of history present 10 him pictures OF national
woe and desolaon recurring from age 10 age and
from continent continent, wherein the same painful
festures are repeated upon more gigantic scale:
The future historian may tell Of great Republic Of
Confederated States which for seventy years was the
wonder the envy and the Joy of the civilized world
the refuge of The and the dread Of tyranis
He NAV describe it's rapid progress in population,
wealth and power the peace, security and oonfrater-
nity of lie several MEMBERS their dsdaR OF foreign
aggression and freedom from civil strife-thelr rapid
exI ansop from great ocean TO another-their i-
tura and easy incorporation of State after State into
the Overwhelming system Of coequal Soveregnties-
and then perhaps it will tall To his lot to narraie tho
strange catastrophe Inch ensued lie VIII go back some
few wears and descrbe the Glow and fatal growth Of
.enssless and arrogant fanaticim which, from be-
ginning not much larger than q mans hand, swelled
into portentous shapes Of overshadOwing ruin, and
sucked within ts Unsuitable vortex All sense OF justice
and AL regard for law; and then, big with its elements
of discord and hate burst upon great and happy and
with the sweep and desolation OF wlnrlwind. he
NAV have TO tell Of section arrsyed against section,
and State against State IN internecne war-of sons
urestlne I'm mortal hate whose sires had bated SIDE
by side and ming their blood In defense OF com
mon iberty-of great commercial and manufacturing
systems topping TO the earthof serylie hordee ana
Starving MODS asserting q Liberty they knew not
how 10 use and the right OF life against the night OF
property and then mutual exhaustion but unGppeased
hate 10 end perhaps in military despotlsms, armed to
the teeth and eyeing each other Win the VlnllctNe
scowl Of suspicion and revenge. Some future lhucy-
dides or GibbOn may have TO tell how the cry Of re-
distance now echoing through Southern borders,
and the sayos of artillery which have been Tying from
State TO State the irs signals OF revolution to
whose horrors the wOrlds experience could hArdIy
produce parallel. Therefore, we should not allow
ourselves to look ut this great crss IN any other but
most solemn spirit for II Is, assuredly, great crsls
Our fortunes, lives instituons-al we hoid dear on
eartl-are in jeopardy. We have staked them upon
the issue Of this controversy and single false move
uuon our part single pected turn In the pro'i-
Dental arrangements Of Him who holds the late OF ma
tions in biz bands and we may be swallowed up IN
gnkruptcy deep and irretrevAbe a. ever ie upon
a ueople II was therefore decent and wise deterui
nation upOn the part of our Legislature that day
shoud be apart for devotional services OF an exraor
binary character, and our people be invited TO unite IN
supphcaiing, with humiliation lasting ana prayer, the
guidance and succor If Almighty God. II ever men
stood in need help Of an Onnpoent arm, we are she
men, for should not conceal II from ourselves 'hs'
upon the great question involved We have not only the
far att Of the North, but the sentiment OF EUROPE
array,d against u.s. and that enemies may Ind The
cam Of our destruction within our own bosom Ihls
Lst consideration while IL renders action nece-Sry'
makes il alsO dangerous, and It Ia incumbent upon
ia 70 weigh well also every step We take IN our on
ward progress.
Nv object, however, this morning Ia not 10 inter-
fere with the butness of the politician and statesman,
II il to terrify from course TO Whlch thsJ
ART celed alike BY every consideration OF safety Ad
honor; il lie 70 beg that YOU will do your part IN the
proper Observance of this solemn fast LOOK not upon
il as "a thing Of form, but reality, and humble
yourselves before God In repentance ana lallni ID 1ne
III in We may BE- right, and yet there may be many
points upon which have laid Ourselves open the
rebuke Of the Almighty. We may also see before us
secure haven and glorious escape out OF AL our
prsent dangers, but II u only His arm wmch can In
-ure orr reaching IT, In the sense IN which am now
regarding the evils that surround US they are not Tia
dopgs and trust may y It'll justice add, hey are
dOings and yet ARE never 80 gulhess ~ W
leave God without justification IN punlshns u9' we
have borne ourselves too haughtily IN ths long strife
which il TO its decsion If we have rerrlled
ages lou with too much pride, and repaid lnsuh WIN
violence If wShsye left unfulhlled many duties which
We owed 10 u u people, whom alone with ourselves
protecting from the insane folly OF our sdver
saTi-s; if we have allowed abuses and opprs~eaons
which should have been checked by the strong and OF
| the law, and the stern rebuke OF righteous Puohc
opinion; say If We have done these things kft these
things undone, failed 10 far in duty toward tod
and fellow beings-and who can lay bis hand upon
his heart and say that have not-then s -Four part
TO humble ourselves before God SINCERE penitente
acknow ledge the Justice Of His deangr and oeprecate
His anger. IL IA not 10 our sins u gensrA lhht
we should direct attention al this Juneture but
10 in particularin the special relation OF our
ocbll hfs, which il endangered, and through which
and account Of which this evil has come upon us.
| Tlst wfully and dishonestly blind
does prove blsmeless, and the Danger Is that
along with righteous condemnation of their aes
geeiOns aud indignant Reputation OF tstar asersona
| there NAV ningle tone of Standardization and a
spirit Of set-eomplscency altogether unwarrantsd-
II " day viii be well and prohtably spent If along
with prayer for guidance and help, tor succor ane de
Tense We aLo examine ourselves carefully a. TO the
| manner in which have discharged our duties ~
marters, and oar obligations Lawgivers toward the
race which Providence mas placed under our charge
aud ttiA examination should be accompanied WAN
fun purpose Of amendment. whereinsoever we hn'
Ourselves to have offended II il vain 20 talk on 10
pentaDe where there IL honest admission OF Diam'
worthnes-, aud 40 fixed resolution Of reformation
for these enter iuoi'syvy essence ana though wemal
es,are present danger, t6rouph the rood Providence
Of God yet other evils will rss up against IN. al lii