, 1863-05-01

blessed where God Is the Lord.
Ministers have often said go, and men received
their Saying as something not 10 be disputed opeu-
u. but ret not to be believed in practice. 4 nation
who haa literature, commerce. science 1nanlfac-
tures-whose sais wllteucd all harbors, aud whose
Tag was everywhere lonotcl-whfch had within
isscil nu the elements Of material grcatness-must
be prosperous and happy It Itmight legalize intcn,-
and might proisne { COS ' sabbaths bb.a
ad m Go Gssfsfbss liz 0sic
worship Lucrr. the dumb and filthy; might permit
the spelling foIr millions ofmcn women and chill
drcn Of freedom. knowledge, manhood, and char
se,er, se. and yes BE- prospnTous and happy Vow
the religious press. not from cowardiy se1vility-
put fFom one ftrong ~ HE maturity, Commanding
" she Ei1sst Y sho I aT!es ever ma1sacd for
from the highest in authority. the most eminent il
s'at,on-thai ns, ~ az thrse arc delasons. They
sNns a.! $, 5to15 hs onE that nation is happy
There Is. IN the proclamation recognition also of
Gods sTriMtHftjastitt. !, te no hour for mau,Ilin
pratng ula love which cannot punish God is sos.
ercjg1l lie hates sin he s,ntes fsaud and robbery.
Like his own tlundcT, ring bis anathemas agafnst
oppression. Ne cannot endure 1t, Today with
istra;e asEs Us to remember that nations .ike Ill
diriduai: are <ntsc' g pMni<nent* and eli as'ikt-
not from the minister Or the priest, bu: from The
Com1nandrr-iu-C Chief Of onr arulca and nayies H
fccls, as We should, there is One miShtier than our
hosts. Who will visit OUT sins upon us.
The Chief Magistrate sums up our national
crime in one specification: " Va AorS forgotten
{nd.'
The portion Of the proclamation in which the
words jl:st quoted stand is like some Of the old
penteitial pealms: :" We hare forgotten God ~
II we had not, could our sins have 50 grown up TO
heaTens Could we have learned to tolerate and
thcn apologize for the rankcst cEimcsy But for
that could We have tolerated intenpcrancc, poltt-
cal corruption: pcrday and fraud. and high-hande1
usuETt Gould nc have spoken lightly Of the cries
OF four millions of euslared humanity,
bought and sold and cI.attcIizcds Could
VIC have eaid their case is sad. but then it is
merely hpolttical question, not one for thc pulpft
or the religious paper, or tho prayerrooms Had
we not forgotten God, when re supposed VIC could
20 on with fuch crimes fostering In our hearts.
and when We wcrc content to accent the liberation
OF part of the oppressed as rtFt military pectt-
stty0nd ft1r nea*uf6, without confession. With
forgotten Godf
And to day, when men CRY out that this system
must stand, and that We must accept 1t and try to
20 on pcaceably with It, do they not forget
the God who says. "Fot the oppression Of
Of the rcor and for the aighins Of the needy now
viii ariee saith the Lord Have nc not forgotten
the God who says: "Thfs the fast have chosen,
to lobec tho bands of wiclcdncsa. to undo the
heavy burdens, TO let tho oppressed 90 free, and
Tint SC break every yoker" .. ,.
The Chief Magistrate recognizes the necessity
of Repentance, individual and National. It shon!d
inclIdc Coutrttion, Confession and Restitution
| Thcee elemcntk enter into genuine repentance IN
indivtduals-Nhy not In nations!
Our Repentance must be By indtvtdnAls. uo"
| hare eNe departed ttom the uTing God What re3ec.