The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1860-02-02
From the Christian Inquirer.
OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

1t has been pithily said, that to return evil for
good is like devils evil for evil, like beasts ;
good for good, like men but that to return
good for evil is like God and like Christ. For
God sent his Son, while we were yet sinners, to
save us; and that Son prayed for his cruci6ers,
Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do" Is it not strange that this pure and
divine sun heat of benevolence has melted so
specifically the frost-bound earth, and that
hate, force, and blood, are still, to such a lam
entable extent, the legal currency of even the
Christian realms and States? Modern Great
Britain is the only nation, thus far, that seems
to Understandable home, at least, whatever she
may do abroad-how to reform her own insti-
tutions without revolution, to build up achile
pulling down, and to adopt the sublime conser-
vatism of nature, and the unceasing renovation
of Providence. We do not account for this
steady march Of improvement by the mere in
Representation of humane and Christian senti-
ments in the Court, Cabinet, and Councils of
the fast-anchored isle; but alse largely to that
sound common sense which is signal Anglo
Saxon element. But, however it comes, it is a
national method of great merit, and is worthy
of admiration and adoption.
For, if we will really consider it. to reform
evil with evil, to write the laws of God in blood
to use compulsion in bringing men to do right
to argue with hate and bad feeling, to help one
class by injuring another class, to resort to
vengeance, and to seek to give energy to the
Gospel of Truth and Love, the only final reno
water OF society, by the use of carnal weapons,
Is the same sort of mismatching of means and
ends that 1t would be to attempt to employ a
steam engine to educate the hnman mind, or to
screw on torpedo to our parlor CRATE to warm
our apartments. For moral ends there must
be moral instruments for the correction of evil,
the-potent medicine of good for the conquest
OF error, the victorious power of truth and for
the elevation OF society to Christian platform,
the Archimedean leverage of Christian ideas
and sentiments. We cannot fight evil success
fully with evil, or drive out darkness by dark
ness, or overcome sefshness and sin with ha-
tired, wrath, and evil-speaking We know we'll
the temptation to resort to SATIRE denunciation.
and ridicule, against the abuses and follies of
mankind; but they are sharp-edged tools. dan
gerous to handle, and that return to plague the
inventor. We have conquered our opponent.
not when we have got the best of the argument.
or put him so palpably and decisively in the
wrong that he Is stung to madness by his de-
feat; but we mine and undermine the heaviest
fortress OF wrong, oppression, and wickedness,
when we surround it with the Recommendations
OF love, and besiege it with the hosts of good
intent.
We know how ridiculous such counsel of re-
sistance or of non-resistance appears to most
men how little faith they have in moral means
or moral suasion, and how much confidence
they repose in the bloody arbitrament of arms.
But the history of the world reveals how coarse,
Intellectual, and NAL dpropos, the devils en-.
gines are to do the Lords work.
These remarks are we helava not un+;r,aI,
The destiny of our country, with promise
such as the world never before saw for magnif.
lcence, involves Perils as vast and impending
as its promise. Terrible wrongs and evils are
compounded with intincible elements of rood.
The nation heaves with the fermentation of
tremendous mixtures of acid and alkal. and
the rumble of earthquakes and volcanoes runs
under our feet Liberty and slavery are stead
lily drawing nearer as all men cannot but see,
now for these forty years, to wrestle for the final
mastery. 1t is doom that cannot be averted.
1t is written in history, and foreshadowed in
prophecy. But if we are true to ourselves as
individuals and nation, and keep on the
divine plane of action of overcoming evil with
good, we may even work out of this knotty
problem brilliant truth, and develop a nobler
and manier national soul by the conflicts that
have knit our bones and toughened our sinews.
We see no cause of panic. We do not believe.
and never shall till our eyes see the catas.
trophe, that slavery or any other cause can
dismember this Republic, and convert us into
the tratricides of Mexico and South America.
There is too much good sense, English pluck.
and Christian principle and feeling, to allow it
to be done. The crisis can be used land every
year we have crisis in this country to give a
higher tone to our civilization, more generous
nationality, richer and broader brotherhood.
But not in wrath, and clamor, and evil.
speaking; not by force of arms; not by war,
and bloodshed, and insurrection, can the great
boon of freedom and peace be secured. Gods
work requires to be done in Gods spirit Ever
so little of truth Isl in such a warfare, worth
ever so much of windy eloquence. Ever so
faint breath of love opens the gates of wrong
more effectually than ever so fierce a storm of
hate. The fable of the sun and wind is In
point. We are non-resistants so far as this,
that we do not believe that by instruction,
and revolution, and the violent measures of
political bOutecersement the bolts of ruin can
be drawn out of these black and threatening
clouds, and the nation set forward on its great
career. But we do believe in the well.nigh
omnihOtent power of love, for this, we know. is
the very nature of God and it is on this prin-
ciple that He has formed the world, ordained
its laws, inspired its children and decreed its
destinies. He, therefore, who acts, speaks,
counsels, plans, and lives, in this Godlike and
Christlike spirit of love and boundless good
will, and never allows the foul sediment of
anger and malice to be stirred up in his lower
natuss, is not q non-resistant to evil in the
sense of not resisting it at all, because he does
not use force of arms and rough external ap-
planes, and kill his felow-men but he is all
no pnnr az
conqueror of evil, because he uses the nimble
ana ali-subduing weapons of God Almighty
Armed with the artillery of love and benevo-
lence,, he can attack and overthrow idolatry,
despotsm, slavery, war; intemperance, and
every evil and every sin known to man. What
is ever needed most imperatively of all things.
therefore, IS, IN addition to true wisdom, more
OF real good will and sincere desire to do right.
and to act the brotherly part, and never to lose
iaith In tho duty ability, and glory, of working
| for the good of man in the spirit Of the Creator
himself In other words, what is needed IS
simply more of the spirit of Christ. ale. y
said Charming, "who in debate does not lose
| his temper, nor allow any feeling of i'll will to
arise towards his opponent, is always master of
| the position" The same is true of the greater
contests of systems and communities. The
victory is ever with right, and truth, and God.
abognding love--if not to-day or tomorrow
yet in the end. Be not overcome of evil, but
overcome evil with good.
A NEGRO SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR ASSIST
A SLAVE TO ABsCoND.-C Charleston Jan. 49,
Francis Mitchell, a porter of the steamship
Marion, was today sentenced to be hung on tn,
I'd of March, for assisting slave in his attemp
to leave the State on said steamer.
|
The railways now being constructed in Spail
ezcetd one thousand miles in length.-Amer1
: can iRailsoay Repiesc.