Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1861-01-11
From The Roston Journal-Extra.


There was very large attendance at the
Park Street church, the lower part of the
house being completely filled, and the gal
leries nearly So After the reading of the
26th chapter of Isaiah, and the usual de-
votional exercises, the paster, Rev. A. L.
Stone, announced as his text-Amos, Sd,
6th-"Shall there be evil in city and
the Lord hath not done it?'
1t is our instinct, said the preacher, IN
times of trouble, to appeal unto the Lord
for help as Peter did when he attempted
to walk on the water. When bland skies
are over us, and gentle airs blow, we are
apt to forget that strong administrative
hand is upon us, but when storm and
darkness come, we remember that Divine
Hand, and that there is a God, and that
He works in human affairs. Such time
is now upon us as people, and to employ
ourselves only in cursing man therefor,
without looking up to God is to be guilty
Of the grosscst impiety. 1t is WELL there
fore, to observe this day and study its les
sons and our duties. With regard to the
character of the crisis it is not necessary
to say much. Ever since the foundation
of our government, two systems of social
labor, one based on slavery and the other
on freedom, have existed among us and
continued quiet between two such antag-
onistic systems, with their irreconcisable
moral differences, could not be expected.
Each side has been watchful and eager to
gain to itself advantages, and there has
been an increasing interest and excitement
as the struggle progressed. A conflict was
inevitable With the contest between two
antagonistic systems there has been min
gled the selfshness of personal ambition.
At last there came round one of our
quadrennial elections, in which, more def
nitely than ever before the great question
whether freedom should be national and
slavery sectional, or the reverse, was sub
mitted to popular suffrage. Pending this
issue, the upholdcrs of slavery became
more restless, violent and mcnacing than
ever before, threatening resistance to the
decision Of the ballot box. The candidate
obnoxious to the South was elected, and
then arose those startling events which
are now upon us. A choleric and infat-
uated State has put forth her hand upon
the pillarcd temples of the Union and dis
placed one of its columns. She has de-
clared herself no longer Of the family
henceforth an alien and foreigner. She
has tried her wit at cajoling and intimi-
dating the chief executive Of the nation :;
she has assumed functions belonging to
the general government; seized upon gov
eminent military stores, and occupied ma
tional forts. Momentarily the plot thick
ems, and financial crisis has laid its hand
upon industrial pursuits.
In this hour Of gloom we turn our eye
to the head of the government, to see what
hopes or help there may be there, and we
see only hoary dotard or a hoary traitor,
or both in one, driving the fcrce-mettle ed
steeds of the chariot of state with slack
hand and wandering eye, and touches that
only accelerate the mischief toward the
gulf of anarchy and ruin.
We are taught the lesson, that one ele-
ment of wrong built into a nation, life is
an element of weakness and of doom. Such
an element was among our foundation
stones. No perpetuity was intended or
desired for it, but it was cemcnted in. It's
decay proves infectious and it has cor
rupted private life and character, patriot
ism, humanity, theology, Christianity, of.
fetal honor and right. No masonry ever
reared on Gods 70 ,tstool trusting to such
material as part of its support, ever stood
or can stand When the floods come and
the rain desccnds, and the winds blow, il
must fall. While man is building God is
building, and if we build against him We
cannot prosper God is teaching us that
sorong is aceahness.
In view of the lessons of the day anG
the hour, our first duty is toward God
We should inquire wherein we have per
sonally gone away from him. We arr
huildip0 orr lives in tho history of th,