Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1861-07-25
THE RELIGIOUS PRESS.


come involved in war without great sn
says:
+" Doubtless God is Furnishing US for sim
The whole nation deserves punishment, the
whole nation is now suffering. Some part,
OF the nation, aud some individuals are
specially sinful, and we may be sure that q
just God will rghtfully apportion his judg-
ments in the end. We are assuredly called
to humiliation, repentance, and reformation.
But the fact that We are now suffering the
just judgments of God for mutual nationa
sins. constitutes no reason why we should
permit our SoutherU brethren to commit, un
resisted the greatest national crinse-the de.
struction of our nationality That this crime
is one of greatest magnitude is seen when
we consider the origin and end of civil socie.
! .ty. The State cannot be regarded as mere
voluntary compact between individuals, bav
ing no higher law than the will of its mem.
bers, no higher end than their earthly wei :
| being. It's origin is divine-the will Of God
its ultimate end-his glory Hence obeGi-
ence to civil government is demanded as a
Christian duty. Upon this basis does God
himself place the question of obedience to
civil government. Let ecery soul be subject
to the higher poacers, TOR the poacers that be are
ordained of God Whosoeoer, therefore, re
siSietk tie posoer, resiSteth the ordinance of
God: for he Is the minister Of God 10 Thee for
good-a reDenger to execute aorath apoa Inn
that dleth eUI Wherefore ye must needs be
subject not only for a0rath, but also for con-
science sake. This obedience to establish au.
thority required as Christian duty, must be
yielded to every command not ID Itself sin
/ ful N1fb7111j IN 4
man for the Lord s sake, FOR so is THE WILL
OF GoD. This is authoritative, decisive. 1t
places the obligation Of civil obedience upon
reason that binds the conscience. What
God enjoins, whether in his word, or by the
officers of civil gov rnmeht, which is of bis
| appointment, every Christian must obey
! Hence those " ho have almost without shad
ow OF excuse taken up arms against cur equ-
table and benz oficient government are guilty
OF treason TO God as we'll as to man. They
sin not merely against human law, but
against law viyifed by the mandate of Jeto-
vah To permit the rebellion now inangu-
rated against national authority to 90 for
ward TO an unresisted and therefore success
! full conclusion, would show sinful disregard
of GUd's ordnance"
In discussing the war, and its probable re-
re=4lts az regard 10 the status of slavery, he
| Western Adcocate says.
Constitutcnally, no change is contem> :
plated though, should the war be protracted
and violent, very great changes iu the actu-
al state of slavery may be etfected during its
| eJntinuance by military proceedings But
apart from such contingency, il must be
evident that things cannot return to the cons
dition they were in previous to the war that
is, the state of the peculiar institution must
be greatly modified by the things now transr
piring. Il will probably be tolerated-merea
ly tolerated but clearly discountenaneed,
and politically dead. The influence of the
government must be orenly and effectively
against its growth and extension. No more
slave territory. must become the practical
law in the case. Emancipation by compenr
sation, partly from the national treasury and
partly from the state, should be encouraged
IN ali the border states, and a decidedly anti
slavery attitude must be maintained by our
goVerumentin all lis foreign relations. With
these conditions of security against the re-
cuFrence OF another pro-slavery rebellion, the
nation would be safe till the changed state
OF things, politically and financially, would
wholly eradicate that which is manfestly the
source Of all these troubles. Let the Amer
lean people lay this to heart: that chattel
slavery Is incompatible with the perp6tua,
tion of our free Institutions, and ask them
selves whether it is not better 20 now provide
for its ultimate eXtirpation. This will be
simply carrying out the known and oft-re-
neated doctrine Of the fathers Of the repub-
lic."
Ztoa's Herald si,ius descants on what it
deems the probable upshot of the war t..
{" But what will be the result of this con-
troversy God only can read the future
We can only draw conclusions from the
past. We cannot and do not believe that
there will be any arrangement entered into
by which separate slave holding Republic
will be allowed to exist on our Southern bor-
der. No the edict of Heaven is against it.
Humanity, Civilization, Christianity, the
spirit of the age forbid it. If Slavery sur
wives this shock, it will be becarss he South.
ern States speedily yield, and claim the pro
lection of the Constitution. Should they do
this, protection would be granted them and
Slavery would survive. But it would be a
survival only to be followed by gradual and
rapid decline. The shock it has already re.
cieyed is death stroke. 1t will never rear
it's head defantly again. It is pale and sick
ly and ashamed of itself. It's constitution is
thoroughly broken, and there is no ring in
its voice, no power in its arm. Had it's ad-
mirers not rebellei it might haye lived per-
haps century more. and in some places
with all of its pristine vigor; but they made
the mistake of thrnsting 1t out head first
against the Constitution Of the United States
and it has already received such blow that
no amount of nursing can ever make it
breathe easy again. One effort of this re.
bellion then, will be either the peaceful or
violent extinction of slavery"
BaF The mortality of soldiers depends up
IN +,o;r oor.k;trt;oro1