Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1861-06-27
VOLUME 7.
0tioinal Matter.
A SERMON,
PREACHED
ON THE NATIONAL FAST-DAf,
CHESTER, s. c., JUNE,la 1861,
By REV. A. G.. STACY.


PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
Trxr"The Lord our God be with US he with our
IKIsos, vrn: 81.
The spectacle which our newly organized
nation presents to-day is truly sublime
Everywhere, from the Potomac to Flori,
da reefs, and from the Atlantic to the Rio
Grande, business has been, to great ex-
tent, suspended the sound of the church
going bell is heard, and devout multitudes
are throngipg the sanctuary that they may
confess their sins, and offer up fervent
prayers to the Father of 'nercies.
Angels as they 20 on errands of love
must view a scene like this with delight,
and God himself must look upon it with
appreciation.
The houored Chief Magistrate of the Con
federate States, at the instance of the Con
gress, having called US to the throne OF
grace, we would come penitently and be-
licviugly, that We may obtain help 10 time
of need.
Is the Lord on our side? This is the
great question which presents itself for our
consideration. Cursed is that nation which
engages 10 war without the Divine blessing.
If God is against US, the sooner We aban-
don the present struggle the better; but, "lt
God be for us, who can be against us!" 1t
is matter of prime Importance, therefore,
that we determine the conditions upon
which the favor of Heaven may be secured
l. 1t is requisite that the cause be good
The inmutability Of God is shown In his
inaexible adherence to right principles
With him parsiality to persons is impossible.
He will forever favor those plans and ac-
tions which accord with his own attributes,
and be will forever frown upon that which
is in opposition to his revealed will. To
suppose that the God of goodness will coun-
tenance an evil cause. is the climax of folly.
In view of these considerations, we dnd
unspeaIable comfort in the thought that
the cause Of the South is the cause of Jus
ttce. We have asked no favors at the
hands of the North; have done them no
harm we have for long course of years
simply entreated them to give US our rights
to abide by the Constitution. We have
never sought to enrich ourselves at their
expense; or to aggrandize ourselves by as
persing them. In all our dealings with
them we have striven to observe the gol-
den rule. May We not, then, confidently
appeal to the God of rectitude-to the Al
mighty Friend of the oppressed
Ours is also the cause of Truth. We
have not concealed our wrongs and profess
ed to be satisfied, that We might suddenly
visit our opposers with sharp retributiou.
We have not tried to right ourselves by
treachercusly entrappiug those who have
injured US. We have plainly told them OF
their errors, both iu theory and practice.
For many loug years we have warned them
of the danger of their aggressions upon us.
We have repeatedly pointed them to the
totteriug fabric of the Republic, and as
sured them that another breath of injury
and insult would overthrow the majestic
structure reared at the expense of so much
toll, privation and blood, by our illustrious
fathers. But reason failed, eutreaty was
impotent, aud being compelled to choose
between servitude or secession, we accepted
the latter.
Truly then may we say that ours is the
cause of self defence. We cannot believe
that Cod loves the craven wretch wAo p'S
sively allows himself to be trodden under
foot-his honor to be dismantled, and his
wife and children to be insulted or slain.
He who has said-"Thou shalt not kill'-
and whose fearful frown rests upon those
who wanlouly bring armies into deadly 60,
lisioY, ill, nevertheless appreciate the u.s'
truction of those who would murder the ln-
nocent. v wage % war of invasion or
of conquest. We simply ask to be let a.rne
To say that we had no right to withdraw
frou the old Union, is to say that in this
boasted land of freedom there is no redress
for Aagraut pational wrongs; nc check to
the tyruauy Of ruler; uothing BE- submls,
sion and grinding Inequality for those
whose interests are opposed to the lawless
rue of sectional, irresponsible, aud hos
tile ,pajority.
TO say that the States have not the right
to determine when they ought to dissolve
their connection with the Federal Govern,
ment, and that they can only leave 1t when
that Government or its tribunals give them
permission, is simply to say that theJ can
not leave it ali for when will tyraot Or
tyrapnical majority give judgment against
themselves, or voluntarily release their vic
tins from their iron grasp? If separation
is not secession, but revolution simply, then
the Federal Government is a consolidated
nationality. If independent States cannot
sever their connection with the old estab,
ment when they themselves adjudge that
there is sufficient cause for dissolution,
then christianity, and humanity, and civil
cation, must grove on iuterminably in the
dust of ignomiuious bondage. lnsurrec
tion is sin J.; the uprising of sovereign State:
against the gigantic usurpations of those
whose interests they have long been advan
cling, is an act of upquestionable prob'ty
We have in the Scriptures an l!!ustra
tive instance. Rehoposm, king of lsrae
oppressed the people. They entrenfed h'u
to tighten their burdens; but the naughty
monarch took the counsel of the young
men in preference to that Of the old men
aud insulted his suppliant subjects by say