New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-05-01
Gsd's Controversy With the Nation.

| Gods Controversy With the Nation.
DISCOURSE OF TIE REV. J. X. w. SLOANE,
| PASTOR THIRD REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN
| CHURCH, TwENTY-THrkD STREET.
TgxT-For the nation and kiagdom thai win not thee
Isaiah { {. "a ' N' -''. ''
We have met this morning In obedience u q
proclamation of the President Of the United States
appointing this as day Of fasting, humiliation, and
prayer. This proclamation and the resolution Of tue
Senate. passed Immediately preceding their adjourn.
men, in accordance with which J! was issued, are
tho most remarkable documents that have ever been
issued from any public source since we were ns-
ton. They recognize this war as righteous udg-
ment Of Almighty God upon the nation for National
sins, Q declaration that should cause the brow Of
thoee tbeolosians who have Persistenty denied this
patent truth and declare that il IL impiety 70 speak
Of it as nythipg moro than aJatherly enhancement
~ mantle with shams.
| I. WE HAVE pIsoBEYTD AND pIsHosoRrD GOD.
| FTst. We have no recognition OF HIS name or
authority Ia the Constitution Of the United States
This fact 10 established by the simple reading OF that
document.
Second. We have not recognized the holy Scrip
lures as the fundamental law OF the land.
| Ihpd We have refused to recognize the LORD
Jesus Christ ~ King Of nations lhis has never
been done ~ far No we know by this nation IN Any
form. Tho claims Of Messiah have been entirely
ignored. Thu truth we must reco. nize, whatever
ci.s We may do; while We leave this undoae w
sbsl NOT secure PEI mansns prosperity aud peace.
Is. VIZ HAVE DENIED TO OUR FELLOW MN THEIR
IsALIEsABLf RIGHTS
That Slavery IL the immediate csuse OF the war Ia
~ certain a. that tho war exists.
Frat We sinpsd In admitting slaveholding
States into the Union. Slavery existed, 1 believe,
in ali the thirteen original States IN somo form or
other with one exception. Nevorths l-ss, many 1t
was in the process OF gradual oInctionj II then and
there the friends Of equal rights had refused 10 enter
into the uniou with any State that did not pledge
lseh 10 abolish IL at the earliest possible moment,
the b,drs would have bean strangled while the
Young nation WA In its cradle, and tho present
bloody war would lave been averted. Ali Union
with elaveholdina States Is = sin and Q crime, and
thus tho nation was cured In its very root we are
aware thai there many apologies TO DO made for
the patriotic men Of that day, nevertheless they
shoud have carried out the Declaration Of Inde-
aud remembered that CONCESSIONS 10 wrong
are always rainoas IN the emo.
| Seeo.d Va have ,innoi 10 granting concessions
to slavery In TO Consultation. We have no time to
d,,cu.s constitutional thsoriss That are Ceossit
,,oa .ss bAAsd IN orts. 20 secure hcs,ty plsani
80 Slavery, u just a. plain CONCESSIONS. how
ever small, TO q crime 20 stupcDdous are q
ain they are 10 many lightning rods attract
ing ind bringing down upon the fabric Of
Government Gods wrath, 10 blast and destroy.
They should be al once erased, and the Constitution
The restoration Of tbs Union must be the princ-
ple tina, po Slave State shall be permitted this
continent. The honest coarse IL not 10 deny snd at
temp, 10 cheat, through IN ambiguity OF words re-
speeding the stpuiatiops OF the Constitution but 60
10 amend it that there DO for doubt upon
tia subject A Constitution that blows hot and cold
Ia the same breath 10 not worthy Q great and free
nation. 1t must bs ali for liberty. According 10 al
early Christian tradition balls vi fife Issuing from
me ground compelled Julian TO desist from bis ai-
tempt 70 rebuild the tepple ct Jerusalem. Any at
tempt 10 rebuild our broken Union with Slavery as
an element in the structure will call forth the lire OF
Divine vengeance and prevent the contamination OF
| tho wickedness.
| THIRD. We have sinned In permitting the Govern
ment 10 be administered in tho interests OF Slavery.
Slavery 10 the Pnaclon that has held the reins aud
driven the chariot Of State ever since we were u
Government.
| Fourth. We are now shining against God every
dsy In not making final end Of this bideous iniouty.
In vain We fast for Sabbath breaking, for luxury,
for political corruption, for proiane swearing, for
any or all of our national sips, while this great
iniquity u unrepented OF aud uniorsaken.
| Way 10 the baud OF the Senate held Us IL IN con-
over this fatal cancer that 10 eating out the
very vlisls Of tns nasioaf Why did they not call Us
10 FAST for the sio Of Slavery, and call upon the
nation 70 upheld them in The Of all possible
for its extinction " once Kentucky and Tennessee
are burden too great for us 70 bear Why is this
uplsrs II he that We are not sufficiently hupbed and
tbst God has moro terrible calamtes In st0.e Tor Us
than sny that wo have yet endured. Has this
lsprosy 50 infected every stone OF the edhce that
here 4 no salvation for us except through the fur
mace of national destruc;oni May this fust bo fol-
lowed BY such convincing aud enllYhtenug power
of line Spirts that the nation will 10 led 10 looss
IN, boads of ,ctckedasss," undo the htdUy bur
dea,," break every yoke," let the oppressed 80
free"