Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-05-13
I'D - For the Standard.
- A BIG PETITION, @ ~ -

e. IS hGa ~ For the Standard,
... scE,s A BIG PETITION, a p ~ 50
For the OAri.tian People Of all the World to sign
Some time since it Was announced that the pun
ishment of youth convicted Of murder, and sen
fenced to speedy execution, bad been commuted ~
the court of pardons Of . prominent State IN she
Confederacy, to imprisonment for Life.
Some surprise was expressed in the community
which was the scene of the crime and the trial, 1t
this result It accounted for by the TACT "there
was big petition" that the death penalty might
in his case, be RENTED. 'r...
It has great power with men, 1t has greater power
with God For, in direct contrast his mercies with
those of men q Chron 81, 1877 are great His
SSwer is infinite. The things which are impossible
with men, are possible with God. With God oil
things are possible Suppose we try what "a big
petition" will do in behalf of our distracted and
blocd-stained country. Let every Christian in our
free-for every soul is concerned in this matter
put their names to it. We have heard of petitions
q mile or more long. Let this oe as long as from
Maine to New Mexico and % broad as the cont
nent 1t may, in fact be much longer and broader
All our missionaries in foreign lands will put their
names to it They will get many signatures to it
among the new born souls whom their blessed Ia.
bors have won to Christ from paganism.
Hundreds of thousands of our dear brothers in
England, Scotland, Ireland, France Switzerland,
Germany, and all over Europe and The world, will
put their names to it The earth may roll it out in
its daily revolutions-"l as the earth, broad as
the sea"-all dotted over with signatures, for every
secret prayer will be signature; every heartfelt
petition in the family, the prayer meeting, the
cate, whom the Father heareth always will present
it for us to the Court of Pardons, the Throne o.
Grace above, that peace may again visit US.
Is it not manifest to thoughtful men, alike North
and South, that We have been driited or rather
driven into that stormy sea- where the vessel o.
State like to have foundered nearly eighty years
agop From 1888 to 1880 this whole nation wal
Confederate" but not United" States 1t vouli
be worth while for every American to review tha
period. The nation was poor and weak, despica
BILE to foreign States, which preyed unchecked OF
the commerce Of this continent and on the verge
war among ourselves. Trade was stagnant indus
try parayzed In the language of an eloquent bis
torian OF the time, "our navigation was ruined
our mechanics were in o state of inextricable poy
erty; our agriculture was wi,hered; and the none.
of the country gradually finding its way to ruin.
Seven years Q7ss-l79O) we were in that condition
From the bitter experience of its mseries, tn
States came slowly and reluctantly together. The
We became rapidly strong and great. We wer
prosperous at home and powerful abroad 1t be
came evident ut once that we had got into the mol
NAL condition Of American political life. The pre-
gress of the then United States was, to use th
words Of an eloquent French writer, "amazing an
appalling" Now the bond Of that Union is dis
solved. We have only been in that dsunited cor
dition for a few short months; and what is the re
suit? Will it take another seven years of industris
lethargy commercial confusion and political disc,
ganization and national weakness to teach US owe
again that short but potent maxim, united "
stand, divided We fall2"
Shall we not rather implore "the Author q
peace and lover of concord" to restore us to ths
state Of peace which for seventy years was attende
with every possible manifestation Of his approx,
ton and blessing? f.