New-York daily tribune., 1861-07-02
DIR. SPRING on NATIONAL AFFAIRS.


puit at the Brick Church Of Fifth Avenue ana
Thirty-ffth street. There was good attendance
The Rev. speaker announced that the subject OF h's
discourse would be found in the sth chapter OF lsaah
the 10Th and 18th verses:
Say " Confedeacy 10 al them TO whom thls IeI
hs tay Con deracy neither ye their fear nor be AFRAID
smef me Lord OF ho bimsef and let him be your ie anu
The defniiious of the word confederacy were given
including its signifcaion IN law ar combination Oh
two ef more persons TO conmlt an ulid"iul az, ~
There were MANY examples in history of these unlaw
full and unioly combinations PRAYER for protection
against such a combination was found IN the sd IsalI
Tie States confderat against Israel were many ana
strong and the Psalmist pays that they may be ner-
Is routed and DESTROYED. 1t ia view OF these Ire
quent combinations that the language OF the text was
uttered. The Lord told the prophet TO speak 10 AhaZ
TO fear nor be iaInhearted for the tius o theSe
smoking irebmnds. d,
The Heritage of the best Government the world had
ever seen had been lett TO us and according as we
were faithful unlthiul TO God, 20 ourselves ana TO
our posterity would IL be maiutbned or destroyed IL
WAS obvious that God had u controversy with the
American people. If we would avert il we must at
wisely in regard to our national sins. What were
they What Where should he begin There was
covetousness lslaveholding II which was ldolatry,
cursiug and swearing for which the land moufned,
lying aud SANDER which diHgaced the public prets,
the violation of The Sabbath, the scramble for place
mad ambition which was the bane OF patriotism qua
the veriest Of the country. 1t was rare tlng
for thOse seeking the public tfVor 10 DC KNOWN hH
houest ana true mou; self lies at the bottom of their
Iatliotism they serve their country just go far as
their country serves them. We could not look for
return of prosperity until there should be return OF
national morality.
The second topic Of the dscourse was the duty Of
uphOldi the National Constitution and the Govern
ment which God had given u.s. Dr. Spring sai1 he
should probably bo accused by s0me though be trusted
by tut few OF wandering out OF The sphere oil tLe Cos
rel in his Iemarks, they would necessarily have
pl ical bearing Had the Church Of God no patriot
lem And must the pulpit be prescribed from an ut-
teIauce OF that patriotism The pulpit during the
Revolution ore OF the principal means Of galnii
our Independence. Tho political action OF mlulsiefs q
was attended by Ier AID should, therefore, he
under the influence Of high and holy principle Re
lgion ought TO be carried into every department of
lie, not excepting the conferences OF state. IL could
not be that ,hSUus principles We're OF no account IN
national auirs while they were Of aclmowle ICED
importance in everything elsc. The B e was full OF
truth and full of political truth. lhose who were
now cldmOrOus s.Hnsi ministers Of the Gosfel be-
cuufe they stepped forth to sustain our patriotic rulers,
did no, much complain Of political preaching rs Of
the kind of politics preached. Southern preachers
might preach politics ad urge their hea.ers 10 rebel
lion. The Rev. Speaker then referred 10 the lorna
tiOn OF the COnstuDn, when iUur Ecucs Ot govern
ment came up for consideration: Firt, consolidated
form in which there should be no separate State Gov
ernment. The objccli,n 10 ths Ian that n
vigorous government ol Ibis hnl over all our eteut
Of territory would neccsfa lily be spouc. Another
was the go log OF assocli0n aud 90 act separate
independent States. TO I'll. II wac objected that they
would be left the prey II foreign utngae and TIE
victim 0i mutual rage, riucOr and revenge. lie third
WAS 10 form two or more conederu,ts each to b. in
dependent Of each other. This was uuauimou.ly
abandoned. Tie one adopted the Union Of all The
staes and pe,fle aeeoted TO ihe salss attention to
the minute Iatts, and to The General Government
protecting care oi the whole.
Alter enumentirg the dsariers brought on by the
Southern rebellion, DR.. Sppns said he knew not that
there was any appeal from there evils bot lie sword
Who wapod the present war u was HmnsiIg - hear
some persons complain Of the J. dcrl Government ne
waging It, His predile ctiOns bad been with tie south
lie had deicLced the South and her Institutions under
wtheiing obloquy al home aud abroad and he would
do go sti if the ssuc involved the constitutional rights
Of the South. But they bad driven us 10 The wall
and We bad presentcd 10 The Issue of government
10 government. -lhe time Wa- when the South bad
fIicds At the North. lie complained Of h,r tiat rhe
had dealt unfairly. She would fain take away our
nationality. We had no idea Of pcac,ablo secession;
this was a solccisu Of government. The blow had
been struck, aud II was too late 10 talk about any
compromise rhort OF that which involved the complete
overthrow OF rebellion, and the establishment Of gov
ernmeut Sympathy for deluded friends who were
with the rebels might be natural, but not always
guileless. These symVathes were sometimes appeal
10 with crafty design. In conclusion, DR.. Spring
eXhorted his hearers 10 TecuT TO Gods word, 10 the
Constitution of our country and there lake their stand
and let fortune, life, and sacred honor be all merged in
the OF recitude aud truth, IN the cause Of God
aud their country.
discourse Dr. Spring turned and Invited hir colleague
TO make the concluding prayer that Dr. HOgue did
not comply with the request, although It was twice
urged.
Immediately after the bencdiction had been pro-
nounced, Horace Holden. esq.,, announced that all
gentlemen presen who approved of the sentiments OF
the discourse would at once convene IN the lecture
room Of the church. The men having repaired there,
Mr.. Allen was called To the chair, aud Mr. John A.
Bryan chOsea Secretary. Mr.. Holden then offered the
following resolution, which unanimously adopted:
Cordially approving the setmen's Of the ecouIe delivered
by the Rev Or Spig and believing that the public good
expressions Of ,ch views and feelings At th crisis and also
TINT an extensive circulation OF he discourse viii promote the
R,s0ired That Committee Of three be- appointed 20 rsqnest
copy for publication snd DF sprng accede 10 this request.
for s immediate publication eud circulation.
The meeting appointed the following gentlemen upon
the committee: Messrs. Holden, Bryan, and Allen.
The meeting then adjourned
TO full understanding Of the significance Of one or
two illusions ia the sermon aud also of the subsequent
meeting IL 10 necessary 10 state that the Rev. Dr. VIM.
J. Hogue was formerly Professor in the Union Iheo
logical Seminary in Virginia, from whence he was
called TO be the associate pastor of the Brick Church.
Some of the congregation affirm that, tnce the present
crisis began, he has gwen uteraace 10 definite
timents of patriotism IN the pulpit but bas referred 10
the country III such Il vague and misty way that his
language gave affirmative evidence Of patriotism
As DIR. Hogge has brother who preached treason in
Richmond before it broke out in organized FORM aud
has since become chaplain in the rebel army with
many friends arrayed against the Government together
with the fact that his wife il Southern lady, and
understood TO hold strong secession sentiments the
congregation have exercised considerable orbearance;
but getting tired of the suspicious if not diseyal
mined that understanding should be arrived at and
hence the action as recorded above.
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FOURTH OF July ExcURsIOSs-The steamer Peer