The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1863-03-12
A Word from Bishop Clark, Of Il. L

Cation. 1t is fervent prayer for peace,
and does honor TO both the head and heart
of this Justly celebrated Episcopal Divine.
Bishop Clark's text was from Lamenta-
tioi 8 V, l6:
"The crown is fallen from our head Woe un-
to US, for We have sinned.'
After reference to the sad picture OF
reverses which the prophet describes 10
the book of Lamentations, the Bishop pro-
ceeded to show the application of his Ian
guage to the condition Of our country at
present.
1--WE have fallen upon evil days, and tho
heart of the nation beats with agony. do
not wish to say word that shall deepen
The gloom; we must look the facts in the
face; we must be willing to see where we
stand, and what dangers threaten US. The
crown of prosperity has fallen from our
heads, There IS no suspension IN the
operations of business. There are many
who are making money as they never did
before BY 81 gle turn Of the wheel,
some find themselves rich wlo were poor
Yesterday. There could never be better
TIN for shrewd and daring speculation.
Money is drug, when man las made
his half million, he does not know what
TO do with it. for he feels there is no pa
per which may not be rags in year, no
stock which may net have stand stlli.-
Nothing is safe but gold and land; and the
former can be had only at runous rates,
and the latter may yield no income. We
have sort of hectic prosperity, but the
vital organs are diseased. We have an
abundant currency-an over-abundant cur
ncy--becauSe it is fictitious, "promise
10 pay" which every body knows is lie.
This show of prosperity cannot last long.
We are blowing the bubble larger and
larger every day, and it grows thinner as
it expands 1t glistens gloriously in the
sun.nine for IA momen', but it VII burst
suddenly and vanish into space. We have
ceased to accumulate the true material OF
pres erity, producing and manufacturing
bur dainty. Every ono knows that soon
he supply will be much larger than the
Ienani 4. and are sp' cu!s,ing upon the
impeding calamity.
Ills is not the worst The temptations
10 fraud arr. irresistible. and many men, o'
whom we had expected better things. are
yield n to the temptation. The most dis
e, uragins thing in tie presen, alarming
,iiss 10 Tie fact that 50 ma y loyal clil.
ms .re improving the opportunity to
mass enormous profits 10y fraudulent
,peculstions upon tha mi>er;es Of the coun
ry. have seen the results Of this al
Washington, in forms that make men,
blood curdle with indignation. have seer
sick and dying men, in our hospitals, fur
nshed with suppl for which the COZ
tractors were pail a generous price, and
he poor creatures turned away with loath.
ing from the nauScous substances laid up
on their hot and fcvered lips.
Here at the North we abolished slavery
e when it ceased to be profitable; but dowr
TO the present hour the very name o
African is term Of iudigniy and re-
proach. We cast COL tempt on him becaus'
he is weak. We exclude him as far as W,
can from every station of responsibility
no matter what his qualifications may be
and would be glad to b. rid of him alto
gether.
hold no Utopian views upon this sub
lect. | never believed that the relation c
master and slave is of necessity Sin.
always thought that evil needed to be care
fully and jadiciously handled.
> Again, we have sinned, as a nation, i
the persons of our representatives. and ru
? lers. Is it the wise forcthought and sobe
judgment and delibe rate wisdom of th
community which determines who sha
h be our rulers? How are they nominated
s How are they elected? How do they con
IS duct themselves after they ara elec,ed?--
Do they never take bri5es2 Do they rep
resent the country or the party that elect
- them1 Do they decide upon every que
ton by its meri.s? Are they always sobe
IN temperate, chaste, free from all obscenit
" " and profaneness! Do they always ute
their honest convictions? Whenever
measure is proposed for action. do the
= ask "Is it wise and is it right?" and 30 d.
sermine how they will vote?
er Alas! the crown of glory is fallen frol
our head, and there is no hope for ii
country until the people rise in theirmgl
and say ''We will no longer have prof
de gales aOd fools to rule over u.s." The de
cent has become 30 low that IL ia conai,