Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-06-19
Fnr tha Standard.
For the Standard.
Eampson's RiddIe..A Sermon BY Bishop Elliott,
of GeOrgiaS ~:


of Georgia. -':
TExf-Judges II: IA, Sand sampson said unto them,
will now put forth riddle unto youi fye can certainly
it then Twill give you thirty sheets and thirty change
Of garments Bnt ye cannot declare it then shall ye
give thirty Sheets and thirty change Of garments And
they said unto him. put forth Thy riddle And he said,
Out Of the eater came forth meat and out Of the strong
Bishop Elliott claims in this discourse delivered in Sa
vanuah last fast day, to have solved Simpsons AEous
riddle prupOuDded to the Philstines therefore
ms ridde Is ihatonf Of tbs war which
nvorous eater like an there will in the end result
great and lasting benefits 70 the South, whose separate ex
istence and independence nation he takes for granted
the final result the So out Of this terrible eater
shall come forth meat out of the strong shall come Ortn
sweetness ' a. - ra
The Bishop enumerates some of the choice morses OF
meat and of the honeyed sweetness that shall come
forth out of the neat Union We admire his rhetoric and
style along but convictions have not accompanied
his conclusions and Illustrations For instance he says
that the South heretofore mere personal courage mas
been dolzed He predicts that hereafter moral courage
and herosm will be he'd in chief admiration We cannot
see how this consequence follows IN view OF inc
of the prOfoundest Dvines of modern times that
in contemplating the influence OF war public morals
would be objectionable not TO remark the effects never
fails produce those parts OF the world which are It's
immediate seat The injury which the morals OF people
sustain from invading army is prodgious Inc aglIS
ton and suspense universally prevalent are
with every thing which requires calm thought or serious
reflection. In such situsiOn, is it any wonder me du
ties OF pey fall into leglect the sanctuary OF GOD Tor
saken the gates o Zion mourn and are desolSe "a
mazed with The sight of rapne and slaughter the Peo
pie acquire hard and unieeng character The pre-
carOus tenure by which every thing held during the
absence of laws must impair confidence the sudden rev,
outions fortune must be infinitely favorable To and ana
injustice He who reflects these consequences will not
think it too much Affirm that the injury the virtue ola
people sustaus from INVASION greater than that when
affects heir property their lives &c Nor can we admire
particularly The illustration which Bishop gives oil MS
point in the destruction of the Merimac by Com. Tatna
which the Bishop regards sublimey heroic. mueh
opposite illustration might have been taken from the
beginning of the war; when Ing raham true ~ MIS-
trust first delivered the authority that had conhded
in him. his ship and then with honor bright, took his
stand for the South in the example Of DE Lagnie Com
mandant of the Arsenal Fayetteville, N C., who first
made honorable his men, then himself took Them
to washington CITY, and after that embarked the
vice of the South. Who does not feel the moral heOlsm
Of such conduct and feel that such men Will be trust
worthy the death in any cause which they eSPouse p
Contrast with the conduct of such the example OF
Gov. Floyd of Secretary Cobb Of Senator 1oombs
and other original secessIoniss whO with all the Oblga-
tiOns Of oath Of Office upon them sVaed the nseves Sc
cfey of the advantage Of their place Of Office to destroy
the government they had sworn TO support Gan we Tor
get these things We wOudf What has Prospered or Can
prosper in the hands of such menr We are far from de-
nying great results be achieved by this terri
bic war but firm conviction is that nothing substan-
TALLY Od lastingy result to people without
accepting this war as judgment from God upon The sins
of the whole people, and bowling down before him In the
dust of repentance and humiliation. When shall have
all virtue and Prosperty-Nt6 fire We want peoIl,
to believe this and to act upon t. We want them to look
at this in the light Gods Holy Word as declared by
the Prophets And folly to dictate to Almighty God
how this shall end He has his purposes in view,
which must prevali and the vision OF men will gradually
expand upon those purposes time advances Thus far
in nscrutable darkness "This war" said lately
strongly feeling Southern the writer this
not Abe Lincolns war; JEFF Davis war. II is God Al
mightys once felt differently, but my feelings
have changed, especially since lost my sou-and now
this war must on till the purposes Of God Almighty,
whatever they be, shall be accomplished" Whether this
people shall hereafter be people as before taco
more beyond human sagacity to predict, but this
do know, that Co.'s OA not Nuns shall prevail What
ever is most for Gods glory shall prevail And it night
be easy to delneate in different from that Of the
ceent Bishop of Georgia. how out Of the rent Of
the Union taught BY bitter experience and chassed into
humility and mutual love and reciprocal respect for local
feelings and interests might come forth meat" and
of the strong Eagle might forth sweetness" There
is tradition, Mr. Curtis in his history of the Con-
sttutien (yol IL 1917 that when Washington about
to sign the instrument, he rOm his and holding
the pen his hand after short pause pronounced these
Shoud the States reject this excellent Consttu-
ton, the probability is that an opportunity will
again offer to cancel another in peace-hs neat OH be
drGlCe ia Blood" Read Jer. xviii. 5-l0)