The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1861-10-11


Ircjoice to bear testimony to the steady
patriotism Of our Roman Catholic priest
hood, who have e1erted their commanding
influence among their people in behalf Of our
National Union, and Of vigorous prosecu.
tion Of the war.
II the Judgments Of God shall unite us a.
people and break down the walls Of parti.
ton, that have heretofore, too much separa.
ted us, they will, in this re.pcc, also teach
us Righteousness.
V. We may always consider national
judgments to be just ntrJuiion upon W.
for our national sins. They prove tha. "ths
way Of transgressors Is hard" to nations as
well as to individuals. Special judgments
are not always awarded as the punishment
Of individual sins. Theeightcen upon whom
the tower OF Sloan fell wero not sinners
above all Others In Jerusalem. The reason
Is, that this life Is not the period Of full ret
ribution to men as individuals. II is other
wise with nations. They exist as such only
In this world, and they must be punished
here, and the ruins Of the empires that have
gone down to destruction are silent but clo-
quent monitors to the inhabitants Of tho
earth to learn Righteousness. While we joy
fully admit thst from tho landing oS tho
fathers to the present day, there has been
much true and fervcnt piety In our country,
and thousands upon thousands Of living
churches Of Christ have illustrated the pow
er and beauty Of tho gospel, We must also
assert that we have not onlyprcvcnted in our
country union between the church and
state, but we have also declared divorce In
too many instances between our religion and
our politics, and have too often practically
discarded the idea of our dependence upon
the God Of nations. Our national constitu.
ton wholly ignores the existence OF God.
The eternal principles Of right and justice
have often been ruthlcssly trampled upon in
the management Of our national affairs. In
the treatment of the aborisncs Of our coun-
try (which God has not forgotten II we havc)
in the Punishment Of the Chcrokccs from
Georgia = In the giant sin Of oppression
which has been the fruitful source Of 80 much
trouble, and is the sole cause Of the civil war
now raging-in the astonishing amount Of
corruption that had 30 deeply penetrated tho
national Government that II was pronounced
a few years since, upon the floor Of the ma
tional Senate, by Mr.. Toombs Of Georgia and
Mr.. Hale Of New Hampshire, "the most cor.
rupt Government on the facco Of the earth
in the luxury and e1travagance Of manners
that have 50 generally superseded the simple
habits OF our ancestor-in the almost uni-.
yersal desccmtion Of the Sabbath, and by
many, too, OF the highest officers Of our civil
and military departments the fearful raw
ages OF intempennce, lireutiousncss and pro-
ianity-shall We not feel that these great
and damnins sins have justly brought upon
us the calamities that are now well nigh
overwhelming us1 Shall not the judgments
Of God teach us Righteousness!
vi. Finally, the proclamation Of the
President calls upon us to repent this day
not only Of our national but Of our individ-
ual sins. Lot me ask, my brethren. can one
be done without the other? Can we feel any
just sense Of our sins rs q nation, without In
the FIRST place offering "thc sacrifices Of God
which are broken spirit" on account of
our personal transgressions? Cody sorrow
for sin must begin in the heart Of tho indi-
yidual, and in reference to himself. II this
day Of fasting, humiliation and prayer, shall
be duly observed by this nation. 1t will be
because It is thus observed by the irdiridilais
Of the nation. II tho Almighty Is to grant
us delyerlnce from the imminent dangers
that threaten us, It will DO because the atti-
tude Of this nation on account Of itssins viii
be like that described by the prophet Zccha-
riah-"In that day, there shall be great
mourning in Jerusalem, and the land shall
mourn every family apart-the family Of tho
house Of David apart and their wives apart
the house Of Nathan apart and their wives
apart. AL the families that renain-eyery
family apart and their wives apart"
This is no day for ordinations and rccrim-
inations-fpr undertaking to measure out to
particular individuals or communities the ex-
act measure Of responsibility they are under
for the calimities that have come upon US
We well know that tho slave power could
never have obtained its asccndancy In our
national Government without Northern vote.
Wa are well assured that at this very mo.
mcnt there j. many loyal heart In tho
scccdiug States longing for delivcnnce from
the reign Of terror and violence to which
they are now compelled TO submit We do
not hold in our hands the balancx Of tho
sanctuary. There is One who Gun do II with
perfect accuracy, and who will "onc day ren.
der to every man according to his deeds.'-
Our duty to-day is, first Of 9 to confessand
forsaks our individual transgrsions. We
arc not to thank God IN the spirit Of tho
Pbariscc, that "we are not s other men
are," but to say with the Publican, with
heartfelt contriiion, "God 10 merciful To mo
a sinner" When Christ told his disciples.
"One Of you shall betn.y mo-" the faithful
eleven, instead Of looking At Others, thought
only each one Of himnelf, saying, "Lord,
IL Il IT
Let US thus humble ourselves a. nation,
and as God s true, the dark cloud 20 closely
impending over us shall soon pass away, and
on its retreating folds the bow Of pssco