Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-09-28

We should not forget that the ain Of covel
business forms By far the larger part Of ths
colossal evil, Slavery, which now stand
with one foot upon ths Atlantic coast, an
enc upon the margin astride the Gulf an
Southern Atlantic States, while beneath Il
huge form 100000 Of victims are he'll
down to the dust The advocates Of thi
system Of servtude would be ready 10 wasl
their hands from Il before another settinl
SUM- II their hesrts were quit Of covetous
ness. II is this that has drawn into tn
Southern field perhaps nearly 200, 900 troop
10 defend an illegitimsts title TO the soul
and bodies Of men.
Although ooysteasnosB may not take OF
this form with US, yet Belf-hattery shoul5
not persuade US that we are FREQ from it,
Had we been free from this sin at the Eortl
might not comparative emancipation hav,
triumphed ere this, and the bloody struggl,
Of fratracldal war been prevented?
4th. Another cause of humiliation is fore
most in extravagant reliance upon men anC
measures, upon party and the vigilance o
party friends, for the salvation Of the Re
public.
5th. Sill another cause Of humiliation Il
seen In that, conscientious convictions O
personal duty 60 often yield 10 our own sci.
hshness or indifference.
II. The object Of this days Fast was brief
| ly stated,
Not 70 atone for past offences. Thisis i'm
possible.
1t TO seek q right way Of the Lord for US
our children and our substance.
There may not occur in many centuries tC
come, another chance for a generation "a
achieve 90 much as is now possible for us e
obtain. Ours is arare opportunity. Let ul
meet it.
III. There were particular reasons where
fore Ezra called the people TO q fast. And
ours are very similar.
lst. Because Of the high ground which we
occupy morally, religiously and politically.
10 is not arrogant 10 say that We have cho.
sen higher level than our Southean foes.
It will not answer to recede from right
ground, rightly assumed.
I'd. To shift ground and change premises
exposes to shame and invites defeat, illus
treted IN the case Of Ahaz-2d Chronicles,
2s:22-3.
Sd. Another reason is, because tho only
sure way to success is to come to God and
walk in His counsels.
4th. The illustrious examples from sorip-
ture encourage Us TO approach unto God with
our cause.
The above claims to be but meagre out
line of the discourse. The attendance was
very good, being larger than usual on similar
occasions, on the part of the church and con
gregation, and still increased BY The presence
Of Captain Browns company.
EUCLID STREET CHURCH.
Rev. Mr.. Biting r, Pastor of thu Euclid
Street Presbyterian Church, preached from
Numbers, S2ichaPter, 22d verse:
But if ye win not do so, behold, ye have sinned
against the Lord and be sure your sins will find
you oHt.
The alst portion of the sermon was an ar
gument to show that claw is viudicative -
that God breathed a life into every statute /;
that He has enacted that whenever any of
these laws arc broken, they will certainly y
avenge themselves sooner or .ater. This
was shown by illustrations drawn from many
familiar natural lays. We, as a people,
were summoned by the President of the
United States to observe day OF fasting,
humiliation and prayer, on account of our
sins. Il was therefore necessary that we
should know what our sins are. National
Sins are embodied in the manners, customs,
and laws Of people, and especially such
sins are committed BY ourselves and approx
cd of or tolerated BY the people.
It seemed to the speaker that our frat ma
tional sin is Materialism. The habit of the
national mind is to give undue pemanence
to material as opposed to moral interests
The vast resources opened TO the first emf
grants, agriculturally and commercially, ia
vored the growth Of material interests
The world seemed all before them, where
to choose. They left behind them home,
parents, laws, schools, every conservative
and reforming influence. No nation ever
grew faster than this, but its growth has
been crude, gross, debasing.
The next national sin is Licentiousness
/ The spurning Of restraint; making light Of
Law. Exalting the individual above the
| State. Similar causes, also have brought
| this about. The fFst settlements in this
country were q refuge, and reaction from
| despotism in church and State in the old
world. Hence our liberty always tended 10
licence. The democratic spirit inherent in
man was little restrained. Hence the insid-
ious sephism Of independents read its poi
son everywhere.
Our third great national sin is Slavery
It is our greatest national sin, because It is
the creature Of law. American Slavery is
not merely the right ofone man to another.
services, but il is the right Of one man tc
another. Not simply the right tC
work him, but to sell him. Il il
the right, by law, to erase the name
OF his creator, and write upon him the name
OF his owner. Ittakes him out of the cate,
CORY Of man, and put him into the schedule
of things. This is the system which the
American people have taken to the bosom O
fifteen Of their State constitutions, an6
which, of lato by judicial sentence, have
endeavored to enshrine as the palladium
OF our liberties, within the walls Of the
Federal Constitution.
Our sins have at length overtaken u.s.
Our materialism blunted our moral sense sc
that We would not, could not see its be-
uumbing touch. Our fne spiritual discern
ment seemed gone. Is de6led eur news
papers, our public charities, our pulpit, oul
politics. But we went 20 our farms, oui
merchandise, our coarse pleasure we grew
rich and cared not, only when taxes becam,
tooonerous, or official misrule threatened Ou
property = did safety committees sprinJ
from indignant communities and execut
wild justice upon official outlaws. Embezzle
ment, forgeries, defaultings, dishonest as
signments, bankrupt laws, city, State repu
diation are all proofs ofour materialism, AM
in part the penalties of it. And now come
voraoious war 10 glut itself on our gros
wealth, TO eat up our selfish gains, and trus
deliver us from the thraldom OF coVetousness
We can save our industry, enterprise, intel
ligence, and virtue; it is meant that we shall
we may learn economy moderation, and trus
in Goo; il is designed that we shsll-but tn
price demanded is our money or our life.
Our sin Of licenciOusness too, ha
overtaken Us. Fret, In respect to tn
press. No sooner had the doctrine q
, secession shown itself than it was man
! ifest that the chisl strength of th
/ insurgents lay in their hopes of Northern
sympathy and help. And why this hope
Why the libertinism of that portion of tn
press had by unlimited, and persistent false
) hood not only inhamed the passions and pre-
judices Of the South against the North, bu
} had begotten and nourished the belief thl
/ the aid of the democratic and conservative
North could be depended on. But no,
came the avenger. First these papers, fe