Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1861-05-10
THE WAR AND TIRE PATRIOTS
EJTTH,

{
, Of the thousands of the soul-stirriDg dis
courses from the prlpit within the last few
weeks, one by Rev. DR.. STONE, oi Park
Street Church, Boston, is very remarkable.
1t was delivered April 2I, and now appears
in pamphlet form, published by HENRY HoYT,
Boston.
Taking for his text the appeal Of Jeptha
to the King of Ammon, (Judges xi: 27.)
:. Wherefore hare not snned against thee,
thou doest me ,crong to tcar against me j.: The
Lord be 5udge this day 5et'ceeH the children Of
Jsrasi md the children Of AnmoH,' he ap-
plies it with great force to the war now
waged against tie Government of the nation
by the rebels of TIE Southern States. An
extract will show the scope and force of the
discourse
1t is parricidal hand that has been lifted.
The blow that has been struck has been de-
livered against the breast Of the National
Government The question Is, the only per-
tinent question. Iihat ms the Gsn6TGf Cor
ernnlenf done II injltre or ofeHd one or Seren
States Of The S1uth And that question can
not be answered Il will 20 down the stream
OF history unanswered and unanswerable.
Not one right hae been trempled on not one
liberty infringed and not even Il solitary
interest threatened. If the issue were with
Northern freemen as individuals,i 1T could not
be successfully maintained that the South
had ever suffered any wrong. IT any right
in this land is sacred ana universal, 1t Is the
right Of free discussion, and the exercise OF
this right IS the extent Of northern SHINING.
We have thought and felt and believed, and
nave therefore spoken, but we have obeyed
the laws We have kept the Constitution,
only contending that it should be interpret
ed as the fathers framed 1t, and as all parties
now confcss-even the authors of the new
in the interests of Justice and freedom. But
what possible indictment againsI the nation
al supreme administration? Not a word,-
not whisper.-not a shadow. Before the
present administration was inaugurated the
plot OF treason was perfected and consum-
mated To-day each State IS absolutely
supreme in the matter of its own institutions
and laws. and not one statute of the Federal
Government has crossed the lines of State
soyerci .ntv, certainly n15 at the South, to
Utterly, utterly and forever groundless is
this great crime of assailing the most gener-
Gus, the most liberal, the mO-s benefcent
Government on the face Of the eaSth,-a
Government on the charity Of whIG5- in
many public interests. the asSailant5 lived. !
Before Witnessing world, before the tn !
bunal Of impartial history the bar /
omniscence, the Government at our Nation |
4 4
Of rebellion. Wherefore | have not sinned |
against thee
Will it be pretended that the Government |
was quick and hot to take offence that 1t |
rushed t. arms on Slight proyJcatiOn, eager |
fer the fray that it made war certain and |
ine7it8iia by precipitltiny It's occasion and /
tanning It's fires? Nay,-Was there ever be- |
fore in all human annals Il Government 50 |
forbcaring, 50 pateru6l. So calmly patIent,so |
silently enduring under manifest ard mani |
fold wrongs hoping against hope that |
right reason would rea5sert It's sway and the 1
hour Of ma1neSs pass,-pushlns I1rbearance |
even 10 the verge Of pusililuimIty, straining |
the confidence of its friends, and sitting all |
the enthusiasm OF its supporters, and only at |
last, i'm self defence, by the final wrong and
deadly and unproToked assault putting forth |
its power and saying 70 rebellion, Thus !
far, but no farther d" Was there ever such /
spectacle before? Kings and cabinet,
might well look on amazed The muse of
history will write i with unminGled admir-
alton. Surely this Government may say 1t
with emphasis clear ana loud, Il have not |
sinnel against thee.
And then follows the next line OF the an
cieut yiudication, "But thou dJeStme wrong |
to war against me How ualnable for the |
modern yiudicati0n that wrong The wrong
Of long and silently prepared conspiracy I
of munitions Of war ruitorJusly appropriate
cd OF public treasures plunlered: Of the |
forces and armaments Of public defence scat .
tered far and wide: OF the loyalty Of citizens /
and sollicry assiduously corrupted OF forts, |
aud arseuais, AID miutS and national vessels |
seized Of fsystematic attempts to sCduce !
State alter state from the Coni6ltrlcy Of /
insult and injury t. -hs national function /
aries VI all the allegiance of more than two !
millions of free white citizens 10 the General /
Government formally dss lyed Of armed |
occupancy OF the national property and /
finally, OF battle orened with cannon and |
mortar against 4 national fortress and Its /
commissioned defenders under the flag of
their country. 1t may look feeble and child I
ish--there may seem to be little Of dignity
and authority, when the Government waits
and rises up to say, Thou dOest wrong 70
war against me, but it is not undignifed
in God 5 sight it is the grandeur of receIy-
ing wrong patiently; 1t IS the inyincble
strength OF right. When that protest can be
truly offered then God the righteous Judge
is on our side, and with arms in our hands
,4D n, a " .Y,Y,a9l "a the ttd tf bottl.z