Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-11-03
Discourse by Rev. Mervin Richardson.

Discourse by Rev. MerviII Richardson.
At the Salem street church last evening,
Rev. Mr.. Richardson preached a powerful
and effective discourse upon national affairs,
taking his text from Judges II :6-'In those
days there was no king in Israel; every man
did what was right in his own sight" That is
every man did just as he pleased; there was
no constituted authority anarchy reigned,
and the nation was for the time being ruined,
us all nations must be which are without law
or the power to govern. That is the best gov
eminent which best protects and blesses its
subjects, but it must be power strong enough
to carry out its laws. Have we such gov
eminent? When Mr.. Buchanan under his
oath to maintain and defend the constitution
of the United States said II have no power
to compel treason to obedience" he struck a
death blow at the government, and when he
held friendly negotiation with men who had
already committed the first overt acts Of trea-
son, we felt how low the nation had sunk, and
how darkness was coming over the land.
But thanks to the loyal north, Washington
was saved and the new administration was or
gained and set in notion and all true men
set their shoulders to the wheel. The leaders
of the rebellion were keen and desperate
men, and now we are more than foolish if we
underrate their power, or treat lightly their
nefarious schemes. Our safety lies in sup
porting the government. Our government is
of the people, and the people must sustain it.
First. Because ii is our government. Des-
potlsms say that democracies are fair weather
governments, and cannot withstand the storm,
an opinion which could not be sustained by
| argument The idea now prevalent in Sec
tons in this country, and the staple of vitu-
peration in Europe that republics are inhe-
| rently weak is not true; history has shown
the weakness of monarchcal governments.
| The truth is, that since God said, Let there
| be light" as he did at the time of the refOr-
| nation, governments have grown i'll strength
in proportion as they had the support of the
| people. Our government is powerless with
| out the peoples support, but with it no gov
| eminent is so strong. When monarchy will
show fact such as the north has shown in the
| last eighteen months, we will call that govern
ment strong. No, we want no other govern
ment; God helping us, we will have the same
our fathers gave to us.
| Remember that we of the north are in the
same boat; we sink or float together through
the storm. To conquer or be conquered are
the only alternatives; compromise and con-
cession are out of the observation-disclosures and
statesmen agree in this. Concede, buy of
this rebellion! The authority, the dignity,
the glory, the strength of our government
forbid it. There is no such medicine as com
promise to end this war, and the sooner all
such thoughts are abandoned, the less will be
the loss Of lite-the sooner will the war be
ended.
The policy of the president regarding eman-
cipaton was then considered. 1t was evident
that the president was reluctant to issue the
proclamation until he felt that it was necessary
to save the nation. Not to sustain him in this
measure, is to abandon all. The proclama-
ton is not an anti-slavery document-there is
not an aut-savery principle in it. Mr.. Lin
coin only strikes at the chain of the slave be-
cause a rebel master sits entrenched behind
it, and if he could reach that rebel without
breaking the chain, he says he would do SO.
The following classes should support it:
/. Those men who have advocated slavery
as Mosaic and patriarchal institution can
sustain the president, for by that law once in
every fifty years a year of liberty and Jubilee
was proclaimed. This they have granted as
being true Of the Mosaic law, although they
have not advocated that part of the patriarchal
Institution. Their argument for slavery was
bottomed upon Moses, and now that year Of
liberty is proclaimed, shall we not see the
flags of freedom out and three times three go
up to heaven from these Bible advocates OF
slavery? They must do it, or they are per-
iurers and hypocrites. shall hold them to
Moses.
2. All who desire the most speedy and eff
fectual suppression of this war must stand by
the president in support of this measure. The
south say they can fight the north twenty
years with the aid of slavery. We take this