Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1861-01-24
JANUARY 9Th, 1861.
ADDRESS /,
To the Clergy and Ldity Of the
Ciai stinn Churches of The COur1tTu


DAAR BRETHREN When evils SO great impend over our
country every citizen should do his utmost to
Them land the house of the Lord their
which is it. We have therefore presumed humby but
earnestly to beseech your favorable attention to the follow
touching the duties appropriate to the people OF
God in this day OF rebuke
The great sectional questions which divide the opinions
of the North the South seem at length to have reached
the crisis One State formally it's allegiance
TO ne the paon We are in the midst of
revolution only boodless YETI Butte day the COM
Snp s al parties with aSpfy
bloody arbitrament of the sword Daily the pupc heart
stands still expecting lest the mex breeze wnSh sweeps
of civil war; which may soon be re-echoed from all ''ner
quarters. .o, toto d;son
pontmen aud lover of his country knows not whittier
to look for refuge, except to God But IN this extremy,
cheering voice reaches from the great city OF New
ork in the form Christian appeal to the people OF God
the South and signed by twenslx o the most neoVed
venerable among the clergy OF various Chstan
denominations.
similar appeal is also issued by most revered and in
fuena Christians from Chicago, in the great est
The object both Cod people to the rescue
of their country and to the blessed work of peace makers
the chasm which threatens divide country to
give their solemn that sectionalsm ana IA
natcsm rot dominant at the North anu 10 pleogs
themselves noble work of breaking the rising power
and restoring rights in the Union Stating the
solemn conviction that the victory OF truth ana rgh over
error can yet secured if time and favorable auspices
allowed for the scu there they mpore the south
not 10 precpate of the Conteder2ton before
they allowed behind the heated or Interested par
zans, who have INSTRUCTED public opinion and make the
appeal to the honest and patriotic people every
al the South will concur meeting these frate nal and
generous advances in the spirit in which they are made
We know that may bid Northern brethren GOO speed
their work. behalf Of the Southern Christians we
fully their aectonate greeting, and pray
God that they may be successful IN moderatng anoste
removing misconceptions, in dspelng tanatlcism: and
them to lose time in work SO urgently need
aay the just apprehensiOns of our people But now
become Christian brethren OF the Southto
operate in sphere in the same peaceful WORK
Have anmosties to moderate no mlsapprehensions
repudate CREATIONS of feeling and language TO
confess and make towards renewed fra
ternlty! ..
rupture the Federal Union hequeahed to us by our ne
sires maGng their glorious work and showing cur
selves unworthy Of their nheritance as bringing the gor
geous promise of the Empire Republic to an early and
gnomnious close pungng the country into the new
table evils Of financial Distress and but too probably INTO
the horrors frequent inaugurang on this NTH
peaeeul continent, the jealous potcal system OF u
rope with its balance of power its enormous standng ar
mics, its crushing taxation, and ultimately Its despoc
governments; covering the CLAIMS OF American
anity epubicansm with failure and disgrace before
the world destroying national weight and glory ana
personal Curty abroad Disappointing the
hopes of throughout the nations ana st
flying the claims Of tyranny as bringing nnumerabe con.
usons, assumptions and disasters upon the churcneS OF
Christ and arrestrg the benefcient abos OF
the missionaries and teachers, and drying up similar
of the charities, which now carry ue to the perish
ing souls the Heathen Surely he who would risk even
the possibility OF result dire, unless mpeed to 1t by
absolute and nexorabIe hath not the heart of
Do these causes then exist We would distinctly say
avoid creating mscheVous mistake that If the southern
of this Union persiseny refused their full rights
the confederation and its territories, and the
protection granted by the Constitution to their peculiar
property then, in Opinon the Southern people must
conclude that these do exist aud that the caastro
phe however amenabe, be met, sorrowtuy indeed,
and yet with resolution OF treemen. But the other
hand cordially appreciate the honorable sincerity OF
everend Brethren the North who assure US that IN er
opinion the necessity for this ultimate resort does not yet
exit; and assuredly every motive should prompt us TO
till nope becomes impossible that they judge correct
y We rejoice to grounds for such hope IN the large
and patriotic minority, approaching SO nearly to hall the
Northern community who in the lae Presidential lon
su1rdgGA
rights the extensive reaction which has since appeared
in pablo sentiment there the perseverng hopes and e-
forts OF our wisest patriotic legislators conc
and in the force of truth and right when fairly present
ed Nor permit this hope to be eXtngushed by the
pertinacy Of the leaders of that misguided party which
a>sas rights when their conduct may be so fully eX
aimed by the personal eXasperatons OF former poll cal
collisions by expectation that the impruden
haste Of part of the Southsln people would
justice their before the nation and by
their full consciousness that the peaceful triumph OF con
stuona right would be the final downfall of their selfish
ambition.
We easily believe that these considerations may prompt
them to deny JUSTICE and yet that their constituents
would be just than these leaders who misrepre
them. Moreover Il differences so long and
keen contested had produced many misconceptions
on both sides, should have been less than hu
man, and party history would be different from that OF
all other free nations. Nay patience and serious dis
cussi0n, in the preence interests solemn and
dOus, dsspate those misconceptions is there not still
ground to hope that the Southern people would carefully
avoid compcatng their righteous cause, by any undue
haste by infringing upon existing laws, pre-
udlces more than the absolute necessities OF sedetence
ed party leaders, the body the citizens, dsencumber
ed OF ali other questions of change of anc
of public wealth, which were recently mixed with if the
North asked whether she would yield to generous
and ta construction OF equal rights and in the future
puactuaIy observe it, whether she would force to
unwilling but necessary seldeence outside the Union the
answer would be one which would restore peace to al
anxious country
Now would humbly urge upon you, dear brethren o
the South, whether due country to cur race
to God, and due especially, to the noble who
entreating give them opportunity to achieve
our rights and peace for by the weapons OF agu
men that should withhold the rreparable step as lonG
IS @
And brethren OF the North and South, alike,
would say, when that final step is so solemn and may
awful, should every honorable avoiding it
necessity be exhausted the good before he takes 1t
OF nope true living spark, only illusion, wou
not be better wait till that uncertainty decided thai
the calamities of the extreme remedy and after
wards be haunted perhaps by the remorsefu discovery
tha We had precpated them without actual necessity 2
for sedefence be elayed single day; but would
specially plead, that it would be emnenty worthy of you
measures would off embarass the appeal from tn
rulers to the people of the North would causeessy
such measures would fire the destroying passions
civil war; 1t becomes us, while we prepare for tn
worst to look diligently on all sides for some mediatng u
pire, by whose impartial hand the dogs of ma
be held in leash till the final verdict of the peopl
issue might still be that they should then be chained
forever instead OF being let loose to rend
mother And further we would humbly appeal to a
the modeatng influences appropriate to the followers
BILE mind unsuitable Christian men, Christa
ministers should be in the front of party
ments, when all history tells that such movements
become heated without becoming extreme In temperin
the polite together God has given to the Chrsa
members function like that of the conscience in the
man. which regulates and moderates the whole. The
of common body the resultant of many concur
forces of which if some liable to be too sluggish,
always mpetuous The Christian may therefore safe
conclude that his duty will be best performed by acting
the moderate instead of the vehement Gods people
regulators of the social machine Shall they forget
most necessary and wholesome Junction. and throw thei
whole momentum to hurry that motion which they should
hntf
itself with its mad velocity Let then all stud
moderation OF political sentiments ofresentments and of
lQuape. Let of linz las