Marshall County Republican., 1861-03-14
Patriotic Prayer.

At the close of discourse in Simpson
Chapel. Greencastle. on Sunday. the 18th
Of Jan. by Rev. James Hill. a number of
ministers being present. Rev. Samuel God
frey. without any previous notice, VAS
called on to pray. and offered the follow
ing impromptu prayer, which was written
ont by one who heard it. and was ac-
knowledged by the author to be correct
1t will be recollected at this time Toombs
had Just declared himself traitor in the
United States Senate, and an attack was
expected every hour upon Fort Sumter:
"Oh! Lord. our Heavenly Father. when
we retrospect our past lives we have need
to come into Thy presence tremblingly, for
we have sinned. and that previously; for
we are an intelligent people. We profess
to be Christian people. but by our rep
rescntation we are not. We, as a Nation.
are drunken fraudulent. licentious, proud
and oppressive: our sins have brought us
into grievous difficulties; our once happy
country is now stirred with commotion.
and on the verge Of civil war. Wilt
Thou, oh! Lord. chastise us sorely? Oh.
turn away Thy wrath and help us to repent
in sackcloth aul ashes. Help us to heartily
repent of all our National sins. We are
upon the verge of dissolution. Save MS,
Lord. Inspire our representatives with
true patriotism. and may they be ready to
make any concessions and compromises
that honorable; but strengthen them
that they may never compromise with sia
and slavery. for we must be First pure.
then pcaceable." That horrid anomaly,
slavery. threatens to destroy our nation
dissolution is progressing. the dark plume
Of treason mods under the shadow Of tho
Capitol. and the tread Of traitors, worse
than Arnold. resounds in the Senate cham
Der. Our ear is momentarily waiting to
catch the sound Of artillery. proclaimine
the commencement of a bloody war. Oh
wilt Thou sweep from our horizon these
dark and dreadful clouds. and let the sun
of peace shine forth. We trust in Thee
as the God Of Nations: our strength and
wisdom fails Oh! save us by Thy pow
er! Chastise rs not too sorely, and help
us to press to him who holds the rod
Help ms to exhaust all the resources oi
peace to avert this dread calamity. But
ii it is Thy will that slavery shall die. and
that :ts death be by war-that it shall be
drowned in blood--oh! God of battles,
sustain our military. For we believe il
right even to pray for our armies. But a
few days since. in Fort Sumter, the Stars
and Stripes of our country swiftly arose
in the air and shook out its folds over a
band of kneeliDg patriots. There, oh!
God, let the banner float, untorn and un-
stained. until the thunder Of the millcnni-
um shall shake down the buttresses Of mil
itary Notifications. Let not the accursed
emblem of disunion. whose most striking
characteristic is its symbolic representation
Of that old serpent, tho Devil--unsurp its
place. But may that become the shroud
OF traitors. We learn that the inaugura-
tion Of our new Executive will be resisted
by armed force-thst violent hands will
be laid on the sacred ark Of American lib
erty. As BY tradition when Heliodorus
attempted to despoil the temple of God,
he was met with = horseman of fire. so LEI
the traitors be met with the 6ery trooper.
II the attempt be made let An avalanche OF
patriotism overwhelm the vsndal horde of
treasonable men, and crush them into OBJ
liviou. Oil Lord. we know. that there are
men who cannot rise to eminence BY virtue
Of their geniss snd character, but who,
JET, thipe for place on the historians :