The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1863-08-12
GoIden words.

The Report of the Committee on the State
of the Country, of the late Erie Annual Confer
ence, is paper of such fervent spirit that
we commend it to all men. Thereport was
written and read before Conference by Rev.
G. Kingsley, Chairman of the Committee.
\. The Committee on the State of the Country
offer the following report: go
The present gigantic rebellion is conflict |
between two antagonistic forms of civiliza-
ton; the one founded on the Declaration of
Arnerican independence, and recognizing he
dignity of labor the other founded upon /
slavery, and a supreme disregard of the well
fare of the laboring classes. The one seeks
to elevate all classes of society,"; the other
makes the elevation of the few to depend upon
the perpetual degradation of the vast major
ity. Slavery, be it remembered, does not de-
grade the black man alone; the poor whites,
on account of the odium attaching to labor, are
reduced to condition SO low as to be deSpised
even by the negroes The determination tc
extend, perpetuate and nationalize the system
of American slavery, making it the central
idea in the entire national policy, domestic
and foreign, and demanding that minority
Eamounting to less than one seventy-ffth part
of the entire population of the United tates
should have controlling influence in every
department of the Government, has for many
| years been the settled policy of those now in
rebellion. Not content with domineering
over the helpless victims of their sel6shness
at home, they determined to rule both North
and South with rod of iron. The fear that
owing to the greater prosperity and more rap
idly increasing population of those parts of
the country consecrated to liberty, this power
! to control everything, and have everything
their own way, was about to pass out of their
hands, has led to the deliberate purpose of
breaking up the Government of the United
States. An institution originating in theft
and robbery, and whose continuance from gen.
Grafton to generation is but prolonged theft
and robbery, now rises up to destroy our Gov
ernment, and lay waste the goodly heritage
which God and our fathers have bequeathed
to lis. g ~ ,-.,s7.s. .-.. ~ .-.=f-t7ts7 =f4.
AS ministers of the Gospel, we should deem
ourselves guilty before God and man, did we
mot feel lively and abiding interest in the
preservation of our tUmon and the continu-
ance of our free institutions. Christian men
and Christian ministers have as great an inte-
rest as any class of men, in all that concerns
the welfare of our common country. In the
first place, itis aaduty directly enjoined upon
them by God himself to maintain and up-
hold good government, as a Diyinely ordained
institution. In the second place, the labors
of Chiistian men and Christian ministers have
contributed nno small degree to the prosper
ity of our country. The senseless cry about
meddling with politics shall never induce us
to look on with Indifference, and see our
country torn to pieces. We care nothing for
absolute political partisan issues. The only
living issue now is whether the Government
itself shall live or die. Our convictions are
as strong as convictions can be, that the Gov
ernment of the United States extending over
every square inch of her territory, should be
maintained at all costs and at all hazards, and
that whatever stands in the way of this, nc
matter what it may be, should be put out ol
the way as an enemy of the human race. Il
seems to lis that the signs the times strong y
indicate the will of God to be- that slavery
the wicked cause of the rebellion, shall PER
ish with the rebellion itself The. negroes
everywhere hail the approach of our armies
as the opening of the year of Jubilee. Theil
uniform testimony is that they have long
been PRAYING for this hour. They come withir
our lines with their eyes streaming with tears
of gratitude, and with prayer and praise min
gled with songs of thanksgiving. They as
cribe their deliverance to God, in answer tc
prayer. They are all willing and anxious tc
aid the Union. cause, and willinglyaoffer W
their lives in defense oftheir common country
To refuse their aid is TO strengthen the caus,
of the rebellion, for if not permitted to hell
save the country, they are compelled reluct
antly to aid in destroying it May God gran
that aiding the cause of freedom, they MAJ
themselves all become freemen. , y.r, Ii
We have no fellowship with that professet
loyalty which, pretending 10 be favorable II
the Union, opposes every measure that car
possibly restore it. If the rebellion is to b
nut down it requires men to do it To op
pose enlistments, therefore, or to oppose tn
! draft, is to aid the rebels; matter they un
? derstand very well, and count upon. If mel
60 forth to defend the Government, they mus
be fed and clothed, and this requires money
! ! To oppose the raising of money for this pur
pose, is to help the rebellion This is ais
well understood and counted on by the rebels
These men make wise distinction between
the Government and the Administrations
They will aid the Government, but they vii
not cooperate with the Administrations
Do they not know that the Government
carried on through the Administration, an
n not otherwise 2 To refuse to co-oI crate wit
0 the Administration in the present crisis
therefore, is to help the cause of the rebellion
: He who at time like the present cannot ris
above the miserable tranimels of party, S
: far as to cooperate with all necessary inceli
f ods of an Administration for suppressing til
r rebellion, is utterly unworthy the name Of a
! American citizen. We hold it to be the dut
ID ofaevery, man fit to live under such Gov
eminent as ours to be willing to give his in
fnence, his prayers, his money! and his lift
n if need be, for the suppression of the rebellio
: and the integrity of the Union. :
= Oa ,5lost ,..oal, TT g no+oct;yo n