New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-04-28
THE NATIONAL FAST.

Thursday of this week is the day appointed
by the President for general humiliation be-
fore God in view Of our National iniquties,
trials and suferings; and we note with graft
fcation many evidences that its observance
will be all but universal. Probably no former
Fast was ever so generally observed as this
will be.
The Coyenanters of this country-lineal
descendants of the Scottish Church so honor
ably distinguished in the struggles of the hu-
man race for civil and religious hberty--have
issued the subjOned criticism on tho Presi-
dents Proclamation, which in its spirit an2 oh.
ject they heartily indorse;
THE CoyEgASTERs UPON THE PRESIDENTS
AcIIoy or IHz PIrTsBURGH fREsBrTERr uPos
| PROCLAMATION.
Tie Committee upon the President Proclamation
respectfully reports T>t We rss.rd tho Prsdsnt' eesn.
calling the nation 10 the exercise Of lasting
fer advance Of any pebe document nom the Questionable,
OF Government, which has ever ALLEN pnd.r our nStse II
nations the euy Of nations 70 own their dependence upon
h ovsrrgns Porsr-;hi tho,, nation. Only are blessed
IA. land jus. punishmeut Tor our nn'-Aha thh
nation h.. forrOtsa God and have been too proud to
pray 10 the God that fGade us.
We rstaId u a. 80 q gros.n TIA. such ns,..se
don saa W. would i.in hope tia. the Lord viii 10
non. wrath beh0ldns how be humbeh himself
Thss are Asw.vsr two defect, 10 IN. character Of the ,p
pointed fas, Which are most important net absolutely
LOrd is. The fs that GOD has chosen Ne 70 loo.s the
pressed 90 rec and brsas svsry So While we
Isdss and svs all credit 10 the Go'sEnmsa and especially
70 the President fof the emancipation Of the sve II the
district o; Columbia aud the Proclamation Of EmsDcipsli
In Tie Rebel s,s,e.-sh sFs,y iot' l. not yet broken
million women, and children still toll for n.ush and
/ sol
which the entire and willing control or tho Govern
uent The crime Of sAvehodiax Is Que Of ocr greatest n.
.ion.l siu and of which God Is dealing with In sore
judsneuis Can .Ipset tho removal u the p-na while
the crime alma We would tender 10 country the
sdvics .vsa by D.url 10 Esbucb.dnsIl.i Nov there
fore break oil thy Sins By rishteoane and hiIs oiquiIs
b. showng mercy 10 the poor may DO enshsning OF
toy tranquility or restoration TO fsvor.'
The second defect in the Proclamation and cannot but
.Ssa hs sataory Il IL. lord Jo.u. Chit or to seek FOR
gvsne,, end restoration to favor In His II IL only what
the Fshsr Ia Ch9s which has the prouse Of
answer sns We ara directed ~h,'osVe we do 70 DO all
| IN the 10 Of the Lord jesus"
Nations, u well individuals can haze no sece's to God
except through the Mediator No ooneth 10 the
Father but NO." Neither 10 there other under
Heaven given among whereby Js can be saved" lie
thai denisth the Son the tame tho Faher NOW
therefore, sns' be wise be Instructed ys judges OF tue
ys perish ha anger be kindled but lite-Pl IL
should thu. patton observe tie day sppoiuted trust
they will observe IT, viii be national indoremen; Of the
Proclamation and ser such act there be no, manifest
display of ito Divine fo gveooss a1d favor shall regard
THIS failure to bf.sk every Joke second-Ths neglect to
honor the Son honor tho Father and to seek
don aud favor His Our past fasnss have been fol-
BIS manifest token Of acceptance sud these
,iuJ the We would hope better thing. Of this
but , with fear We know tina. God 10 gracious and will
We would the congregation, under
that they observe the day appointed by the President
pcte the Divine pardon aud favor for the nation through
reach either Individual, nations IN THs NAME OF CHksr
Respectfully submitted. A. NJ. MILLlGAN, Oh Com.
This is right in its leading proposition. The
essence of fasting is repentance-the forsaking
of evil ways-snd he who has tasted week.
and returns at the end of it TO the practice of
oil his former inquities, might just as well have
never tasted at oil. Had the President e1-
pressly ordered all the slaves of Rebels, in.
GLIDING all those held in States or districts
supporting the Rebellion, to be set free so fast
as our armies could reach or be reached by
them, il would have been better than dozen
fasts, and done more to put down the Rebel
lion. Kentucky is to-day q sleeping volcano
and Tennessee one in full eruption, for want of
this. No traitor anywhere, under any circum-
stances, should ever have been recognized by
the Federal authorities and their upholders as
the owner Of any person claiming the protec-
tion of and proffering loyalty to the Govern.
ment of the United States. This is 30 obvious,
so palpable dictate of ju.tice, reason, neces-
sity, that we shall never cease to marvel that
it was ever disregardcd.
But on the other point raised by the Cove
nanters the President is right and they entirely
wrong. They urge that the Proclamation for
Fast should have acknowledged the author
ity of the Lord Jesus Christ" But this would
have been to exclude Jews Deists, and, in
short oil others than Christians. from the rec.
ommendation to fast. Why should the Pres
dent do thisi We have, happily, no Estab-
shed Religion; our people are in part non
Christian, and our constitutions and laws rec.
ognize their perfect right as citizens to be so.
1t is quite right for the Covenanters and oil
other Christians "to do oil in the name Of the
Lord jesus" it would not be right in the
President, as President, to require this. No
doubt, be will, both in his public and his pri-
vate deyotiOns. keep the Fast exactly as the