Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-05-31
TESTIMONY OF The CHURCHES.

During the past few weeks the various re-
ligious organizations Of the counuy-national
and local-haye held their anniversaries. If
any one doubted before to which side OF the
rebellion and its causes the conscience and re-
gious sentiment Of the country inclined he
can doubt it no longer. When the old school
Presbyterian Assembly bears testimony against
hereditary" slavery as a sin against God and
a crime against the state there is small field
left Tor its biblical defenders and south side"
divines. Both general assemblies Of the
Presbyterian church have been recently i'll
session in Ohio, and both gave large share
Of attention to the present aspect of public
affairs. The new school assembly addressed
IN earnest letter Of sympathy and encourage
nent to president Lincoln, pledging to him
all the influence and support they could COM
mand till This gigantic and ineXprcssiby
wicked rebellion should be destroyed" The
old school assembly, which. till the adoption
Of DR. Springs famous resolutions last year,
was the chief pillar OF slavery, is quite as
bold and remarkable in its utterunces. DIR.
Robert L. Breckenridge Of Kentucky. this
year, takes thc lead Of the progressivcs. In Il
report on the state OF the nation. drawn up
by himself. lie remarks :-''Iiic system that
makes OF proposes 10 make the relation Of
master and slave hereditary, perpetual, and
absolute, must be wrong. as it is a nogatiUn Of
the principles and proocpts Of the gospel and
Of the very idea Of civil liberty and inalicna-
hle rights. 1t is here, we lclieyc. that. rs a
nation, we should feel that we have verify
been guilty concerning cur brother" The
address then charges that the rebellion is the
result of a long-cherishcd purpose 10 Loss the
eHti,e trane-uoyk Of our government on the
single priRciple Of herldifaJy serritude, and
urges ''the bounden duty Of all people who
compose this great nation" to stand by the
government in its efforts TO crush force by
force till the reign Of public order and peace
returns. This address and the resolutions
which accompanied it were debated for three
days and finally adopted by 1919 votes
in its favor and 20 against tt. These
twenty were from the border states.
In every possible respect the views of the
local bodies here have been more explicit di-
rect and decisive. Theij' guns at least are
not turned from 1.-The cncmys magazine. -
There is scarcely one OF these societies. which
has not expressed. with varying degrees Of
emphasis, its deep adherence Of the system
Of slavery as the author of all our public
evils without any compensatng good. One
OF them, the American Baptist Missionary
Union, never charged with extreme views on
this subject, has stated in sharp and distinct
words the common opinion of all the rest,
that the rebellion had its origin in slavery,
and that "a safe, solid, and lasting peace cam
not be expected short Of its complete over
throw" Can there be any doubt of the
tendencies Of public opinion? Is it
not the height of madness and folly to
expect that, with the past years terrible expo
rience, the people will continue their gentle
and patient forbearance of men and institu
tons that have been conspiring against thu
republic for many years? 1t may be plcasan
for the old party hacks to ignore these brigf
lines of progress But it is too late to kee
them from the public eye. Time may be IT
CURED for them to produce their just ciie'
upon public policy. But that policy mu
yield to public opinion, or be broken upon j
wheel