Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1861-04-06
FAST DAY SERVICE
SALEM STREET CHURCH.

ence, to hear his views upon "the decline OF
patriotism" He chose his text from the book
of Daniel, the words being-"For under the
whole heaven hath not been done as hath been
done upon Jerusalem"
Daniel at this time was mourning for the
desolation of his native land, and while fasting
and praying, recounts the causes which had
brought it to its present condition. Israel had
refused obedience to Gods law, her Judges
were corrupt, setting at defiance the nations
law, the nation had been ruined, and Jerusa-
lem, the beauty of Zion, made desolate. Now
after seventy years of captivity, the time APP
preached for its restoration, and the prophet
offers up his prayers to God. He had given
them a name among the nations, and now
must they long remain captive, their capital
plundered, the reproach of the nations around
them. Under the whole heavens hath not
been done as hath been done at Jerusalem
so great destruction and so sudden. Daniel
was greved, as every patriot must have BEEN
Yet the land was dear to him, for its whole
history, tor that glory which rlvalled that of
other nations, and above all, for those institu
tions of religion which are still respected
among nations.
This is, he said, the saddest fast day in our
nations history and the words of the text are
not too strong. Under the whole heavens
nothing has been done like what has been done
in our country. Honored of all the nations,
with promise of a permanence and greatness
never equalled it is suddenly rent divided,
and delivered into the hands OF traitors, its
strength defied, its laws trampled upon and in.
sulated, and its impotency contessed-a shame
and reproach to the nations. 1t is no new
thing foi kingdoms to fall. On the pathway
of history are strewn the wrecks Of many ma
tons. The strong have devoured the weak.
Republic after republic, all the free cities OF
Europe in the middle ages-all went down by
intestine war or foreign conquest Nations
also wasted slowly away because Of their vices.
But under the whole heaven, never was seen
a spectacle like ours-a nation by It's own
hand committing suicide; Its chosen guardi-
ans, the men who had sworn to maintain its
integrity, the ones to strike the blow. There
was not single tangible excuse given, the
government was in the hands Of those same
men who had passed every law upon the stat
ute book, the whole power was in their hands.
New men were chosen to administer that gov.
eminent. but coniessedly without power to al
ter those laws, at least for years to come.
There was not a complaint except by partizan
leaders not one grievance to be redressed.
From north to south the people were content,
more SO than any other people on the globe.
There was not one thing ct which to complain,
in the laws or the constitution. There was
oppression in the land grevious to be borne,
but it bore upon those who were dumb, and it
was not from those four r.sillioris oppressed
victims that the cry of dissolution came.
When Mr.. Hale sid in the senate chamber, to
Mr. Breckenridge. 81 don't know what those
gentlemen want; do not know what it is OF
which they complain" only answer that
Mr.. Breckenridge could give was that they
feared the way in which the republicans would
administer the government. Our territories
have been organized on the principle of squat
ter sovereignty, and any STAKEHOLDER can 90
thiiher-and of what can they complain
How has all this growing hostility to the
government this cry OF secession more open
every day, been met Was the cry made
by indignant patriotism, "let the government
be maintained and the laws be executed! 7"
Nothing like it. There was some stir in the
money market, but there was no general patri-
otic heartbeat for the honor Of the country.
Those same orators who had been before
shouting Union, Union,' were dumb, and
that same man who has been going about for
years garnishing the sepulchers OF the fathers,
went forth to stay these proceedings. Only
the cry, ''you have 10 right to secede, but
government has no power TO prevent you"
Such a pitiable and contemplate spectacle
was never seen under eile whole heavens. For
five months tile weakness of the government
has stood this test Let us divide, they say,
and make 30 effort to maintain the honor and
integrity of the nation. There are not one
million persons in the country who desire
division or the least change in the govern
ment, and in the remaining twenty-seven mil
lions there is notpatrotism enough to save the
country and to maintain the constitution in its
integrity as we have gloried i'll ii for the last
seventy two years. He proposed to trace some
of the steps in his decline OF patriotism
Material prosperity was one cause. Nations
generally are in danger from despotsm, and
rarely from the wealth of the millions, for the
millions never had any. No nation ever
equalled ours in rapid increase of riches. So
long peace had never been enjoyed by any
nation. Our resources are almost unlimited,
and it is not strange that as people we should
be diverted from the virtue, equity, and right
eousness in which the government was found
ed. III business prospers, are not all things
well OF what account are principles if the
per cent. sinks? The lawyer has left his
brief, and the minister his pulpit, because they
found more profit in business. Office is sought
for its emouments, not for its honors Our
rulers are VIGOROUSLY all second or third rate
men. There is now larger class of men de-
pendent upon the thrift of corporations and
not so independent as when aboring for them
selves. Southern leaders understand this de-
votion TO gain, and the readiness of the north
to sacrifice political principle for the sake of
material interest. He rejoiced that Mr.. Ste
vens, the vice president Of the southern cony
fa1, had h,lI 1nfs,
ciples, declaring that while our constitution
guarantees freedom to all, theirs does no such
thing. Seeing by every census that they
were losing comparatively with the north,
they have been able to put new constructions
upon the constitution, and new compromises
were given them, not only he half but the
whole ready to be delivered to them rather
than suffer commercially. The south, always
working the political machinery, outwit the
north, devoted TO material wealth.
Again, the tone of the speeches of our
prominent men, and of the newspapers since
this rebellion began, is significant Thirty
years ago it would have been different; then
the fires of freedom burned brightly on the
affairs. Read the leading speeches and papers
of to-day, and it seems as if those fires had
been quenched. The majority are dead set
against the Union as it is, but wish to patch tup
to suit traitors Virginia in convention weeps
| according to words) over dissolution but not
man OF them means Union only the mean
est kind of secession, and northern papers
have taken up the dishonorable cry Its whole
influence is to weaken the nation, and create
hesitation and doubt where there should be
frmness and decision.
Another cause of the decline of patriotism
is seen in the attempts TO put down freedom
of speech. Not in the SOUTH for there no one
looks for ii, but in the north. The moment
freedom of speech is put down you take steps