The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-11-06

"Forever float that standard sheet,
Where breathes the foe but falls before Us
With freedoms soil beneath our feet,
And freedoms banner streaming oer u.s."
Again: -sfs.f -. r-
"Columbia, Columbia, to glory arse,
The Queen of the earth, the child OF the
skies;
Thy genius commands thee, thy glories be
hold,
While ages on ages thy splendors unfold
But we must not lose sight of the OBJ
ject for which this meeting was designed
The intent of this convention is not, an
aware, to celebrate some military exploit
or political feat, nor have your represen
tatives come here to prorou euloges or
the name of some military ehieftain.
But we have come in remembrance o.
the founder of Lordsday School-the
celebrated Robert Raikes who was truly
e benefactor of bis race, and whose name
will be green in the memory of millions
long after the names of warlike heroes
shall have faded away.
We are here to celebrate the goodness
of Almighty God who gave His only be.
gotten and we'll beloved Son to redeem
our lost and fallen race. We are here
too to enjoy the blessings Of religion, free
dom and educatioa;' for which blessings
if man wouldnot feel thankful, he ought
to be branded as an ungrateful wretch
As yet others are fighting for us and shed
ding their heart blood to maintain those
privileges and blessings which are ours to
enjoy to day, and which our fore.fa.hers
purchased with their life's blood at the
point of the bayonet aud the cannon s
mouth.
We are here moreover to manifest our
regard for the Bible, the book OF books
and mans only safeguard in time of dan
ger. 1t is my sincere conviction, as was
intimated in the beginning, that the pres
ent deplorable condition Of our country Is
greatly attributable to on indisposition on
the part of too many, to reverence the
blessed Volume of Inspiration. Man has
a threetold nature, physical, intellectual
and moial-hence to educate him prop
eriy he rahst receive physical, mental and
moral training; manual labor, mental dis
cipline and moral culture will constitute
man, what God, his Creator, designed
him to be.
It is said that knowledge is power, and
it is true, bat how often do we see that
power abused. 1t is receiving an exten,
sive wrong application now q days. There
are too many upon American shores who
have abused their liberties. They are
wreckiess and corrupt, caring for neither
God nor man. Desperate fellows and
guilty of great crimes; such as lieing,
cheating, swearing, revelling, plundering
and oil such deeds of infamy and shame
so strongly denounced in the Bible, and
against which our Father iu Heaven has
so kindly warned u.s. When l ponder
these things there is scarcely any perceiv-
able ground for establishment at our ma,
tional trouble. Doubtless, as nation our
sins have been both great aud many In
100 many instances the head has been
caredafor while the heart has been neglect
ed Myadoctrine is that the mind would
better remain undeyeloped, unless its pos
SCISSOR have heart that will rightly di-
rect it, ys3a oW aa t
1t is painful to know that in the differ
ent States, especially in the Southern ones,
a vast NUMBER of.thes youth are migrate
fal to their parents, ungrateful to God
for the blessings He has bestowed upon
them; and are disooedient, uekind, disre,
gard the Bible and trampIe upon parental
advice. OF course suchunworthies could
not be otherwise than. curse to society
and disgrace to their friends.
Then, parents, look we'll to the moral
culture of your children. They can nei'
tber be useful nor happy without il. Con-
'iaue your efforts to purify the moral at
mosphere, and teach your sops and daugh-
ters to revere the Bible, for it is the only
hope of our race If it were not vain I
could wish myself in possession Of elo.
quence adequate to give you something
like just conception of it's worth and the
regard we should cherish for it 1t is; as
it were, a mighty bridge spanning the wide
Of Gods love may freely enter. and over
which they may pass into the realms of
everlasting delight. II is also as great
monument whose base is planted deep
down into the dark recess of the tomb,
but whose top pierces the empyreai re-
gions and reaches the throne Of the Most
High God. And this monument, BY grace
divine, we may ascend to seat at the
right hand of the Sovereign Ruler of this
vast and stupendous universe.
But have failed. Probably nothing
better can be done than to quote the poet:
Bright candle of the Lord; Star of
Eternity, the only star by which the frail
bark of man can navigate the sea of life
and gain the coasts of bliss securely"
Then parents and teachers, and all who
love the Bible ard who see the necessity of
pushing forward the Lordsday School
go on, and labor diligently ard
for the work in which you are
enpaued IL of that kind of whiph the tal.