Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1861-07-17


Sketches and Selections giving
Internal Views OF Society and
Politics, Freedorn and Slavery.
Isy Simon Peter
Beneath all surface change, ever deepen
inc and widening, new forces declare them
selves in breaths Of Divine visitation that
papabIy affect the soul; while new events
oom up poltentious along the horizon OF
The future. The Divine law OF society is
not understood. The embodiment Of the
very order Of Heaven in human institutions
is the great end Of Providence.
1t is easy to win popularity with the
masses by defamation upon surface evils,
which can be obviated by an appeal to the
ballot box. But self-love is the slavery
which governs North aud South with rig
orous despotism. Forced servitude must
be aboIhhed, as christianity grows and IS
understood aud embodied in the social
scheme. But this is only branch Of the
great tree Of human evil.
The present condition Of our Republic is
fraught with solemn interest. The re-
demption draws nigh. Inscrutable power
has begun to shake the national man; nor
will it cease, TIL the nation sits clothed and
IN its right mind, at the Divine MesSialfs
feet. Battles have
Ueen fought on questions of authority. The
religious questions, diSjointed texts, haze
had all the force, which belongs to inspir-
ed perceptions and demonstrations. No@,
scripture eau only stand us identical with
absolute truth, and the BiDle endures, not
because Of its antiquity, or OF past prepos-
sessions in its favor; but for the reason
that it represents the Divine conscience,
speaking in the midst OF human affairs.
The real friends Of humanity have often
stood aloof from scripture. The despot
claims to reign by the grace of God. obi
GUS tyrannies are consecraled III the abused
name of the Christian religion. Peers
temporal are sustained by peers spiritual.
Whenever an evil entrenches itself IN prop
erty and legislation, the pulpit serves as its
a ologist and advocit Witness tie t. r
points on which Southern legislation is Tx
cd and which the pulpit defends; that
slavery is right, that il is necessary, that
it is to be external.
1t has given in to local pejudice, set the
example Of ferocious bigotry, TO hoodwink
the public mind against any great issue or
movement OF reform.
There are individual exceptions; but one
man can do little against the sect which he
serves. He must draw juggernaut's ropes,
or iuggernaut's wheels will run over and
crush him. As wealth has increased in
the Southern States, the ministry has be-
come more intensely sycophantie; until it
has fallen into the degrading osition, not
OF an interpreter of the sacred scripture,
according to eternal laws of right reason
but its misinterpreter, in the interest of ne
gro traders and plantation overseers. :
Have we seen Alright
We have uttered no more than the testi-
mony Of truthful men, who have been
many years in the sunny South. Not on
| ~ SO, but some in the North, try to justify
these things. The Golden Rule is explain-
cd away. The Declaration Of Indepen-
dence is denied. The seIfevident truth,
that Governments derive their just power
from the consent of the governed, is even
denied S.P.
CHAPTER II.
We have stated that wherever evil en-
trenches itself in property and legislation.
the pulpit serves as its apologist and advo-
cate. We have called attention as illus
tratve thereof, to the positions taken by
Southern legislation, that slavery is right,
necessary, and designed to be perpetual,
which, til, pulpit defends. 10 prove that
these three positions are false, should be
the office of that ministry which Jesus
came to establish. Though permitted, as
a trans EFT evil to be overcome with the
growing faith and charity Of christian men; ;
still there can be no doubt whatever that
slavery is wrong. If the condition of the
negro in America was such as to require a
tempo o y state Of administrative coercion,
to prevent him from becoming once more
4 lawless barDarIan-to restrain him from
trespassing, in his Ignorance, on the rights
OF Others We Were required by our Chris
tan doctrine to make that very restraint
means of unfolding bis latent capacities for
freedom and order, 10 righteous self-goy-
ernments. We were bound to stand to
him IN the place OF a just, wise and com
passionate elder brother; to show our own
gratitude 70 Him who broke the. yoke Of
our task-nasters, by leading 4yirgin
people, the very infant Of tue nationA torn
from the arms OF its mother continent; to
form thus possible instrument for the en-
tire enlightenment of the whole African
race. True, this duty would have inyoy-
ed labor, virtue, patience, wise legislation
and great selfsacriiice; MS indeed all duties
require which are OF pubic magnitude
I il is possible, however, that BY this time,
or cd Dred people would have paid tho in
creased cost of al this progressive educa-
lion. What has been daneg AS we look
around Us and see what fields are ripened
fJr the harvest, what angel with blood
red sickle moves toward The reaping, we
ask what have the leaders Of Tie nasst
donel
They have systematically poisoned the
S3uthern mind against til classes ia tie
/ North, most deeply vpfssd In q tlivina sc-