The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1863-02-14

folly of petulance. We are seeing how little
logic there is in calling names. The people
are showing their disgust at political ex-
travagance and partisanship = and how
thankful they would be for the privilege of
electing good rulers without the ministry
of parties. The attempt to make freedom
odious is falling. To crave liberty for all
is getting to be respectable.
We are repudiating what Laboulaye calls
the s'blasphemy of supposing that God has
set apart one branch Of our human family
to dwell forever in the house of bondage
We find our most conservative religious pa
pers talking about ''the practical atheism of
idolizing the Union for its own sake-mak-
ing it the object of patriotic idolatry instead
of divine ordinance and the instrument of
Gods designs for carrying forward his
providential government" We do not de-
spair of seeing the time when the majesty
of justice shall be universally recognized
and all men shall acknowledge Gods gov
eminent as above coustitutions-and right
eousness be set higher than expediency.
Our President said to delegation of mer-
chants, that "the great question with US all
is not, Is God on our side but, Are we on
Gods side ?-for God is always right"
We are beginning to hear new complaint,
to wit: that the Christianity of the land has
stood too much aloof from politics. By
and by it will be deemed no impertinence
that religious teachers should apply religion
to common life, both private and public. 1t
is an admirable sentiment of Mr.. SeYm our,
Governor elect, that we are bound to make
every sacrifice of passion and prejudice for
the restoration of our country. More of this
sacrifice, long ago, would have saved vast
amount of blood and treasure. We are dis
covering that the golden rule is in effect a
physical law, which no amount of strength
| can safely defy. We are paying a fearful
price for principles which we mi ht once
have had for nothing. When we have paid
the cost, we may prize them more highly
! The burdens of our new condition are be-
ginning to be felt. and we are discovering a
strange power of adapting ourselves to them.
A recent writer in the Atlantic Monthly
says that the taxes which we are beginning
to pay are for filing up our national Dismal
Swamp. which engulfed armies and popula-
tons, and created plague, and neetralized
hitherto all the vast capabilities of this con-
tinent; that this taxation will make the land
wholesome and habitable, and will draw all
men unto it.
must confess that my own mind is pre-
pared for heightened and stormy exodus
out of our great national sins. We will be
| forced to the heroic, before we see the end of
our troubles. We have not come in sight of
heroism, until we are willing to lose money
for principle. We are acting over again
the very weaknesses of the Hebrews, who
were frightened at their own deliVerance-
who could not bear short rations for a season
who to-day would stone Moses, their
leader, and tomorrow would sell their lib
critics for the flesh pots of Egypt. This,
alas, is human We will not trust God long
enough for him to lead us through the will
derness. We falter at the processes of our
personal discipline; and probably, if God left
us: to our own choice, not one of us has
nerve enough to compass his own salvation.
But we are not in our own hands-thank
God for this He has taken US into his
hand; he has put us into the furnace. We
cannot come out till he bid us.
| But chemists tell US that gold is unalter-
able in the common fire. Whatever is pure
in us will survive the flames. AS to the rest,
let it CO. We shall be no less happy after
our idols are destroyed. Let us pray to God
to do this work thoroughly, if we can bear
it, May he settle our trouble on the prin-
ciples of truth and justice. 1t matters com
paratively little what becomes of our opin-
ions, our prophecies, our personal fortunes
Eeven, if God wants them as means of doing
his work. Let US be patient. Better have
the gold in the furnace twenty years, than
have it come out aught else than gold. May
God complete his work. To him we com
NIT, with implicit faith, our bleeding coun-
Itry. "Our soul wateth tor the Lord; he is
our help and our shield. For our heart
shall rejoice in him. because we have trust
ed in his holy name. Let thy mercy, o
Lord, be upon US, according as we hope in
thee %