The daily Green Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1861-1865, 1861-08-26
American Sovereignty.

| fed by Christianity itself, as, tor the time
being, an indispensable State power and
Office, how shall it be conducted? Who shall
be chiefly represented in its management
The worst part of our population? wicked
men ignorant men? wild, rash, and cruel
men men who take pleasure in rapine and
violence? men who fight for the love of
fighting, and care not what amount Of dis
tress they create? men who laugh at the
Bible, and scoff at God? Are they to DO
chiefly remembered and respected by our au-
thorities, and allowed to fill our camps with
profanity, Sabbath breaking, intemperance,
and all manner of lniquity? Surely these
are not the people. They are rabbe. The
great massca of Evangelical Christians, and
all who sympathise with them in reverence Of
divine institution, they are the people, the
strength, and beauty, and glory of the nation.
They are to be chiefly represented in the
management of war, as in all other connec-
tons the best of our population, good men,
intelligent men, prudent men, just men, be-
nevolent men, men who deplore the necessity
of war, men who believe the Bible and adore
and worship God. They are to be remem-
bered and respected and such discipline
established and enforced in the council, in
the camp, and in tho field, as they can ap-
prove and sustain such discipline as will
preserve in the army the highest moral tone
the majestic sense Of law, and the solemn
and immovable mig ght Of a good conscience.
There is no Sabbath IN War! ! Who says
so? Has God ever said 60? Does the Bi.
BILE say SO? Do the people say so? Does the
church, or even the State, duly representing
the people, say SO? Or, is it an unauthor-
lied assumption-an arbitrary and in6del
desecration? The Jews regarded the law
Of the Sabbath as prohibiting war. In their
later ages, indeed, they SO constructed it as
to admit the propriety of defensive battle.
And, SO far as have noticed, they always
made their defense good. But an onset was
not allowable on the Sabbath. Neither, in
my judgment, does, Christianity allow it
Nor can hope for success under such cir.
cumstances.
Our late battle was Sabbath battle. 1t
is said to have been specially ordered so; to
provide spectacle for civilians who could
most conveniently attend on that day! Can
this be true? IF so, who can wonder at the
result
Some forty regiments were there. Wero
there forty chaplains, also, representing the
Christian ministry Of the country? And
were there hundreds or thousands of soldiers
also, representing the Christian ministry of
the country And were there hundreds o.
thousands of soldiers also, representing the
membership of the churches Of the country {?
Why, then, was not the Christian sentiment
of the country remembered and respected {?
Was that onset a work of necessity? Not at
all. Was it the work of mercy? Not at
all. Rather, it was work of cruelty. The
necessity was for rest, for sleep, for food, for
religious instruction and worship. Had the
Sabbath been observed, as it ought to have
been, in all probabity-that is, so far as we
can see and judge-~the result would have
been different. AS it was, there was no de.
feat, properly speaking. Never was greater
bravery exhibited, in the history Of the world
And victory was almost assured But, then
for wise purposes doubtless, the innocent vere
oilovsd to suffer tor the guilty. Then came
the punitive panic-the judicial disappoint-
ment. And the civilians, for whom it is
said the battle was ordered, became the instru.
ments of overthrow. The NATIONAL In
rELMGENoER "-perhaps the most trust
worthy of all journals, in an editorial headed
-" The TRUTH OF HIsToRY;" issued on last
iday-distinctly declares-'' The panic be-
gun with some amateur warriors, was commu-
nicated to the teamsters and affected only
portion of the troops who had been wearied
by ten hours struggle without food or re
ireshment of any kind The great body of
the army maintained good ORDER
Well would it have been for these civilians,
and for their country also, if, instead of at
tending this Sabbath battle, they had been
quietly assembled, in the sanctuaries of the
city, adoriug and worshipping God, in the
beauty of holiness. And we'll would it have
been for our army, as for our country also, if
that Sabbath had been kept as holy day, |
throughout all the encampments : if the bod
les of the soldiers had been refreshed by food
and rest, and their spirits refreshed by hymns
and prayers, and the thousand conscience
cheorers of the word OF God.
If there were no commandment to remem-
Der the Sabbath day, and keep it holy the
very beauty OF it, and blcssedness of it,
should make it regarded as the most charm
ing of all human inventions or institutions.
And surely if six days out of seven are
enough for working, six days out of seven are
enoug for fighting. would that We might
bona that henceforth there chall he no mora