Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1862-07-09

representing the Congregational Churches
Of this State, holding its annual meeting
in this fourteenth month Of the Rebellion
and Civil War, would give uiteranee to It's
views Of the state Of the country, in the
name Of Him who is head over all things
20 the Church.
The people and their rulers in one part
of the land are in armed rebellion against
the Federal Government. This is des-
perate attempt TO execute q long plotted
conspiracy Of the Slave Power to seize the
Government, and to reconstruct the Re-
public on Slavery as the cornerstone. A
series Of encrOachments, yielded to, or in
effeotually resisted during several success
sive administrations, has emboldened this
rapaciOus power to aim at complete ascend
ancy in the Union. Failing to toaecOmplish
this by political craft, and signally defeat
ed at the late general election, the last re-
sort was to secession. State after State,
following South Carolina, leaped into the
| gulf of disunion. The inevitable result
was war: for secession. was rebellion, dis
union was treason. There could be no al
lOwance of Southern Confederacy. The
integrity Of the Republic must be maintain
ed,-if necessary, by resort to arms
This was the outspoken sentiment of the
North, expressed with surprising unauim-
ity, and executing its decree with the might
of sublime uprising Of the nation, and
by the rush of armed thousands to the de-
fence Of the threatened Capital and bor-
der. Peaceful citizens, versed only in the
arts Of productive industry and CONNER
cial enterprise, and Christians nurtured
in adherence of war, sprang into full
grown sOldiery, and extemporized the
grandest army of modern times, thus de-
monstrating the inherent and unconquer-
able strength Of truly democratic institu-
tiOns when permeated with the spirit of
christian civilization.
Now that the popular excitement has
given place to sober thought, we, as a
christian body, are solemnly called to re-
view these extraordinary transactions, and
to consider the state into which they have
brought cur country. May God give us
wisdom and fit utterance.G
In common with all christians, we hold
that war, as it is generally originated and
waged, is among the highest crimes; and
we regard this war as one of the most
criminal, on the part of the rebels, being
by them set, on gigantic scale, against
everything good in civil, and everything
sacred in religious, order. While in this
aspect the war is fagrahtly wicked, we
cannot regard it as criminal on the part of
the nation; but, seeing it is the putting
forth of the national arm to crush a dam
gerOus rebellion, and t6protect the life of
the Republic, we view it as duty which
the Government owes to the people, and
the people to the government; and we give
the war our approval as thus defensive
and conservative, It has another aspect
which eommends it stillmore to our christ
ian regards, to our efficient support, to our
earnest prayers. Webelieve it is destined
of God to extinguish slavery. Nay, from
our standpoint on the walls Of Zion, we
think we clearly see that the war has al
ready smitten slavery to its death To
our view, every bloody battle field, every
repulse and victory of the Federal forces,
every slain volunteer, every scene of
Southern atrOeity out-doing barbarism,
every unwomanly outrage dispeIling the
illusiOnssof reputed refinement, and show
ing to what appalling depths of debase-
ment Southern society has sunk has been
a death blow to that chattel system, which,
while it embrutes the negro, dehnmanizes
the white man, and depraves the family
We recognize in this war, as we have |
from its inception, only more and more !
distinctly, the right arm Of the Lord made |
bare TO wound the heads Of the Slave |
Power over all the South. We see, in the |
delays which have so tried our patience, in |
the repeated collisions between the admin
istratiOn and leading army officers, and
among the army officers themselves, re-
specting the policy to be pursued toward |
the slaves Of rebels, in the. .escaps Of so
many slaves, in the protection, employ |
ment and instruction given under Federal |
authority to great numbers of contra
bands" whose praise is in all lips; and I
also in the signal providenees which have
continually given prominence to the slave |
question in spite Of the efforts to keep it |
out of the strife,-we see in all this the |
evidence that God is conducting this move
ment with unerring aim, and resistless |
force, to the overthrow of chattel slavery. |
Firm in this. faith, we cannot apprehend |
that this war, waged by the people of the |
North, sustained by the prayers of the good, |
and by reinforcements from the bosom Of /
the churches, will prove in the end calam-
itous to the interests either of the Nation |
or the Church of God It-cdnhot indeed, |
but be fearful scourge to the slave States, |
visiting upon them manifold evils, from |
which they will not in long time recover. |
1t must also entail great calamities upon
the whole country, and retard seSiously the
enterprises of christian benevolence. In /
these and in other respects this war is a |
frightfOl scourge, and yet it is no doubt a
deserved chastisement, to which it becomes |
us all to submit, in deep repentance of our
blood outlines toward our oppressed
brother.
Nevertheless, we feel called Of God to
lift up our heads, and hope, and rejoice, in
the tokens That He has ordered the war, |
not as a curse to the nation, but rather as
a means, terrible indeed, but effective, Of |
delivering the nation from its great curse
and crime, of redeeming the enslaved, and |
at the same time Of Hberating Zion, and
opening to the saving influences of a free
gospel, the whole South We therefore re-
joice in this war. although we deplore the
immeasurable suherings and sacrifices it
must involve; we rejoice in il because we |