Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-05-03


more at stake. In time Of war, than God's
religion and all ordinances because bv eI.
ample Of our Cody ancestry. our old puri.
tan wor,hics Of the New England pulpit. who
cops,cra,ed the banners, and bap,ired the
swords. and blessed the soldier, In the ancient
fight for freedom. and sometimes went before
him to the field, ssou the green sward Of L,I.
.ngton on that April day, long ago-thsir
descendants IN she p,lpi, cannot be true to
God In tho discharge Of their sacred iunc.
tion.. unless they are true to their country
and because. for one. believe that there Is
no duty for the Christian pastor 80 sacred
to-day q. TO seek 90 swell. and steady. and
guide tho currents Of patriotic self.devo,ion.
Very likely some OF you will judge other.
wisc. Am not indifferent to the judgment
Of my fellow men. but as think and be-
i'c'c I must speak. Lot us look then q,
our relations and our duties In the strange
tragic times upon which We have fallen.
And the frs, poin, is, can We ,ruthfully
and honestly borrow the words Of Jepthah
the Gilsadite TO the King OF Ammon, as our
vind,ca,ion 10 our brethren and foemen Of
the South. Z" Wherefore have no, sinned
agains, thee - The question 10 not whether
individuals ha,c spoken harshly, rashly,
and unfraternally against their fellow citi.
Isns Of the Southern S,atcs7 Not, whether
the Northern conscience has widely and
earnestly pronounced against the inherent,
unri shieou.nc-. OF tho great domestic ins,i-
tuition OF the Southy No, whether by all
means fairly and lawfully open to Christian
reformer--thc pen, the pres. the pulpit.
the ro,trum. the varied voices OF free discps.
.ion--humanc and philanthropic men have
done their best 10 revolutionire the public
sentiments Of thi. land and bring us back to
tho Acknowledged position Of the fathers
and founders oi the Republic' Not whe,h.
er Ia the settlement Of new territory. free
dom has poured in her majori,ics and saved
tho virgin soil from the curse Of slavery
40, whether one halfcrpred old man. on
hi. responsibility 20 8od and his own soul,
dashed himself upon the rampant. Of that
institution In q wild crusader Mono oi
the-. issue. have been made. IL 10 known
,ha, none Of these are the real issues. !, is
a paricidal hand iha, has been lifted. The
blow tha, has been struck. las been deliver.
cl against the breast Of the National Gov
ernment. Tho question !. tho only peril.
nsnt question, ~ha, has the general Gov.
srnmsni csne 10 injure or offend one OF
-cven States of the Sou,h' And that ques-
ton cannot be answered.. twill go down
the .trcam o, history unanswered and un-
answerabls. No, one rish, ha. been tramp
led on no, one immunity withheld not
one privilege denied : not one liberty In.
fringed and not even solitary lnterc.,
threatened. n the issue were with North.
ern frccmen rs individuals, IL could not be
successfully maintained that the South hal
ever Suffered any wrong II any right in
this land Is sacred and universal, IL IL the
right OF FREQ discussion. and the exercise OF
this right is the exten, Of Northern SHINING
We have thought aud felt and believed and
have therefore spoken. but We have obcyed
the laws. We have kept tho Constitution,
only coniendng that 1t should be interpret.
ell a. the father. framed it, and as all parties
now confess-even the authors OF the new
in the interests Of justice and freedom. But
wha, possible indictment agains, the NJ.
,ional supreme administration Not a
wori-not whi.pet-no, n shadow. Be-
fore IL was an administration, the plot OF
treason was perfected and con'umma,cd.
To-day each State il absolutely supreme in
the matter Of ITS own institutions and laws.
and not one Statute OF the FEDERAL Govern.
men, has crossed the lines Of State sover.
eighty. certainly not ut the South, to inter.
pose another and n restrictive authority.
Utterly. utterly and forever grounjle.s Is
this great crime OF assailing the mos. cen.
erous, the most liberal. the most beni6cent
Government on the face OF the earih-a
Government. on the charity OF which. in
many public interests. the as.ailants lived.
Before witnessing world-beiorc the tri.
bunal o! impartial hi',Ory-bsfore the bar
of omnlscience. the Government OF our Ma.
,ion,l Capital can stand up and say TO the
spirit OF rebellion. F" Wherefore | have not
sinned again-, thee"
Will it be pretended that the Government
was quick and hot to take oiIcnss, that It
rushed to arms on Sigh. pr"yocation. eager
for the frey: that il made war certain and
inevitable by precipitating is occasion and
tanning its ire.' Nay-was there ever be-
fore in all human annals q government 30
iorbearing, so pa,ernal, 50 calmly patient,
- silently enduring under manifold and
manifest wrongs-hoping against hope that
right reason would reas-ert 1t. sway and the
hour OF madness pa's-pushins iorbsarancs
even to the verge Of pu'ilanimi,y, ,training
the confidence Of its friends, and sitting oil
the enthusiasm Of its supporters. and only
at last, in self defense, by the fnal wrong
and deadly and unprovoked assault. put.
ting forth its power and saying to rebellion,
{" thus far, bu, no farther ~ Was there
ever such spectacle be'ore' Kings and
Cabinets might well look on amazed. The
muse Of history will write It with unminsled
admiration. Surely this government may
say !, with emphasis clear and loud I
have no, sInned against thee"
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