Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-11-14
THE NATIONAL CRISIS |
AN ADDRESS, :
DELIVERED BEFORE THE ".I !,
Young Mems Christian Association
Of San Francisco, Auyust II, 1861.
. 7D'E'' = 'V'''V'VV"i -I"Jt'"t ] = IOUIs
by REV. W. c. ANDERSON, d. d.

Young Mems Christian Association
of San Francisco, Auyust II, 1861.
by REV. W. c. ANDERSON, D. d.
YouNG GENTLRNiEN IL could wish that
the circumstances under which | am called
to addie ess you this evening were OF u differ
cnt character. You ale Christian Asso-
cation; this Is your anniversary meeting
hd IT would seem only fitting that an nd.
dress at such time should have a direct
reference to the nature, or relations, or OBJ
Jects, OF your Society. But every public
speaker knows that the usefulness of u dis
course depends, in no small degree, on its
adaptation to the circumstances of the time
and II happens utthis 'time.that 30 rapid, so
wonderful are the ongoings of the wheels of
Divine Providence, and 20 startling. so anna
zing, are the events evolved, that all eyes
are arrested, all hearts are fixed upon them
and them alone. Thus, when the heavens
grow dark, and the glancing of Gods eye is
seen In the forked hghtnings, and His voice
is heard in the passing tempest, and the
ocean lifts up her waters at the command
of the angry fy phoou, the hardy sailor sees
but. one thing, hears but the loud roar,
thinks but Of the terrible storm which is up,
on him. The routine work of the ship is
dropped in an instant, and he addresses him
self to the stern realities which have come
down upon him. SO it is with u.s. The re-
provingeye ofJehovah is upon us as nation
His voice is speaking to US in words of re :
buke and alarm. The clouds are gathering
blackness over our but late sunlit country.
Every eye is fixed, every ear is intent, every
arm nerved to the crisis; and each one asks
himself, each one asks his neghbor, "who
knoweth whether thou art come to the king.
dom for such time as this?" Gentlemen Of
the Association, there is but one subject these
days, no use to veil the fact, there is but
one. Everthing dear to US us nation isin the
hazard; oNr duty to our God as Christians,
our duty to our country as citizens, impera-
lively calls us to consider it. accept the
call, and speak to you this evening on the
present fearful crisis of the nation, and what
it demands from us as Christians and citi-
zens.
l. War exists. Our peace loving, happy,
prosperous country has dropped the plow-
share and has seized the sword Her COM
merce is languishing i'll her harbors; the
sound OF the loom and the anvil wakes faint
er; the note of the herdsman scarce is audi
BILE; and in their room we have the "con-
fused noise of the battle of the warrior, I"
and see the garments of our sons and broth
ers rolled in blood. Let us look at some of
its characteristics.
/. 1t is upon a stupendous scale. Among
the annals Of rebellions and civil war, his
tory records nothing like, it. The civil strifes
Of Greece, and Rome, and our fatherland,
England were mere local in sal re OF; MS yyiissn
compared with this 1t covers an area far
larger than that of the Roman Empire in
the days Of its glory, extending from Maine
to the Rio Grande, from the Bay of the Del
aware to that of San Francisco. 1t involves
directly thirty millions of people, people
tcr the most part Injured to toll, and, when
disciplined, destined to be terrible in battle.
From the vast extent of territory, and the
warlike character of the combatants, it is
likely to be the boodiest war of modern
times; already have We fearful earnest of this
fact
.. 1t is an unprovoked war; 1t comes in
the form OF naked rebellion against Just au-
thority, and against mild authority; author,
ity which fostered and protected the personal
and material interests of all its subjects
Since the world began, never has there ex-
lsted a government more mild, more equitable.
Errors in its administration have been nu-
merous and gross, but they have never come
in the form of expressions Of the citizens.
(lnprassJOn of anu citizan nr clali nf citizans
was from its origin unk nown.
So far as the freedom and the r;gbt. of tbc
snbiect are concerned n ever a c;y;l govern.
ment was entitled to the name ot naternai
il is ours. A too great disnosition 70 v;eld
its own right TO the unreasonable demand.
ofits citiyens has been its Greatest weakness
And to that very marty which Is now in re-
belion. II has been singularlv hind e-bnm;l.
;atipclv so Its leg;slet;ve ;ud;c;ol and ax
ecntiye denartments have fSr the last I tb;rt,
Years welded to the nnconst;tnt;onai de
mands of these men With . cooInass mn
naralleled thew have steaa;lv beld IN 81 ter ter
rorem "disun;on." and 10 nac;fv and reta;,
them the Gayernment has broIen Il, com
| nrom;sas modified ;ts nrotact;vs nal;cv Jas
troved the onlv comnrebsnsive and ad.ouat, h
system offnance II aver hSd and deoradedits
| elf;n ;ts ovn .ayes & The eyes of, bs werd Tba,
demanded the nnrcbase of the FIor;das ~ q,
an outlet for tba;r nec,,l;.r n st;t.,;on and /,
ma was nmrchsssJ ot the axnenSo of ,a;il;onS u ~
JoIlaps I For The same s reosnn ,hav n de,"anJ a
oJ ,ha annex.t;on Of Teyos and .1 Z; wes Jnn'
% ot ' ,he c"st "r n,nv m;lIors S" mnrs was 1%a, ,
domandad tbat ,hc ordinanca of I7s7 sbo',l
ho ss, os;ds and that tha Sn;, wh;eh T. h.t
solemnIv | cons,.crated - 70 treedom fare"e,
! sIonIJ bo ono,,,,;od hv M;ssonr; "s sj.r'
S.ota d j. was dona Aa son,a ",,,,o,''ar -" ar