Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1862-06-06

D IL III may De gooo, just and equitable
y and then there is no greater earthly Lles
, sing; it may be as bad as bad can be, Sc
: impotent as not TO protect the weak from
! tue aggressons Of the strong, or SO un
, just as TO draw the sword against limo
. cence instead of guilt, but even then it i,
far preferable to anarchy. The despo
] tism Of the Hapsburgs, or the imbecility
Of the Bourbons is better than no gov
ernment at all. Upon no higher grounds
then, than those Of worldly wisdom and
expediency, government is entitled to an
, earnest and hearty support. The obli
cations, however, of Christian patriot.
ism, in this regard, rest upon a higher
and firmer basis-even upon the Divine
injunction Tribute to whom tribute is
due, custom TO whom custom, fear to
whom fear, honor to whom honor" -
Christ himself set beautiful example of
obedience 10 this requirement., when he
wrought miracle, that there might be II
means Of paying the small tax due from
himself and Peter. The early Chris
;ians paid taxes to support the Roman
government, and Pall declares that in
this they were only doing their duty.
Governments cannot be sustained with
out means. Its officers and servants
must be paid. They devote their time
and talents to the service Of their coun-
try, and upon ordinary principles of JUS
tice are entitled to be paid. There is
not public interest that can be attended
ed to without expense, nor is there one
which is not, more or less directly, the
private interest Of every individual in
the country. Taxes are part of the
price we pay for The blessings of good
government, just laws, and free insttu-
tions. This is true in time of peace, and
much more true in time OF war. The
high taxes we shall have to pay for many
years to come are a part of the price with
which we purchase for ourselves the con
stitulional liberty and national unity
which our fathers purchased for them
selves in the same way. High as is the
price, ii is no more, nay, it is thousand
fold less, than the things purchased are
worth. II is with good reason, then, that
we are enjoned by God to render tribute
aud custom when lawfully demanded
And so closely are The interests of every
individual connected with the stability
and efficiency Of the government, that
Christian patriotism will bold all its pos
sessions subservient TO the government,
and ungrudgingly surrender them all, if
need be, for its support.
Nor is it by pecuniary assistance alone
that Christian patriotism upholds the gov
ernment, There is a moral support
quite as necessary, and without which
neither money nor physical force can pre-
vent a government from going to ruin
or later. If there be not genu-
ne and hearty love for the institutions of
2nc's country, if the people are sharp to
watch for the haltiHgs of their rulers,
prompt and severe to criticise any of their !
alingS and shortcomings, ready to de- ,
nand a change OF administration when
,veranyr real or Sc eming mistake is made,
bat government has no solid foundation
0 rest upon. II is built upon the sand,
nd whenever the rains descend and the
ioods come it is sure TO fall. For lack ,
# moral support the temporal power of +
he pope is tottering 10 its base, and not ,
ii the bayonets of France, nor all the +
'eter'S-pence of the faithful throughout p
he world can long delay its downfall. !;
4ack of moral support precipilated our Y
overnment into the battle of Bull Run, ,
or was it until that disaster had taught =
he people the necessity of allowing gov =,
rnment to make its own plans and exc
nte them in its own time, that it was :,
BILE to arrest the tendencies which threat ,
ned TO overthrow it. The hearty moral +,
upport which the government now re- h
elves from twenty millions of people en- p
bles it TO stand firm as a rock against n
le assaults of treason, and to put in ex- r.
rcise means which promise to extermin- II
te treason from the land. Christian ~
concerns itself chiefly with its ..
wn duties, charitably believing that civil b.
nd military functionaries will attend to b
leirs. Eternal vigilance is, indeed, the a,
rice Of liberty, and there is small dan o,
er Of watching our rulers too closely W
1t eternal vigilance and eternal fault ii
lding are not identical, nor will con- ri
ant critics m inspire either the ability y,
the disposition to do those things which D
e for the highest good Cf the country. d,
In the last resort, Christian patriotism re
quires the citizen TO support the gov d.
nment by bearing arms in its defense id
ations are some times, in the providence NJ