Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1864-09-01

i.ens,. snee and hall The Of oIasnssy sd,,.
, ID
+ in the feld--rhen the Gag was insul,ed--
When gnlted States territory was invaded
eheN' United states property was seized bv
armed traitors, and chen ths Upited Ststes
; authorities and Government vero do6ed =
when open war was actually ina pp6rated
and 10 fearful progress. and the civil arm
absolutely impotent, then all negotiation.
compromise, concession for the purpose az
removing, difficulties ceased. ,When law
ls violated by combinations teo powerful for
the civil arm, then the Ultima ratio Tsopn,--
the military arm must suppress Thus reads
the law And the Administration. bound
9,y oath, had neither choice, alternative nor
9iscreiien IN the matter BY the laws Of
| GOD and OF manly the organic LAYS and
the law Of nature--by the lsys of war and
the laws Of nations it was sacredy bo,,nd
70 call out tho military, since the civil arm
through the civil courts could not reach the
case. Bound, as certainly, as was the Pres-
ident to order the military to qusll troubles
ih hansas, to .queil the John Brown raid.
10 quei the whisky insurrection, 10 sun.
press oouth Carolina Notification, or to sup-
press any formidable uprising in srms
against tho Government. This is the (lon-
stitution. Was It just so in regard to the
other wars2 ~ =" '"'
Inow ask your attention, my dear sir. 10
the teachings Of the Higher Law as bearing
upon the character Of this war, and the cor.
responding duty of citizens Though ig-
nored By the infdel democratic party nov.
al IS neverth eless Higher ldtc in a C6ristian
country aud to a Christian people. The
contemn!ng of this Law is only another rea-
son why your morally putrid party should
De "a aoandoned by every God fearing man.
Inc divine law teaches that igil govern
ment \, IT'S, Is an an ordinance Of God. He d tls
that rssisieM tho pager, rss.iteh IL. srd.:
nance Of God. 'Hs boarth not the sword
IN vain" A: in the case OF murder, no in
d,ylduai eau iafiot the death penalty.-
Fengancs is lnine, l will repay, saith tbs
Lord: The power Of life aud death ia, by
God himself, put into the hand Of civil
Government. "Hs 4 the minister of God. a
reudage TO erscate lsrat4" upon those who
',resisi the pol1sr'-'Aad Mev that ,sass
staH receive to thenseJcss dan,natson.D But
treason and reballios being capital offences.
and Including the less offencs, murder, tbey
must, by divine Law. he ''apeagsd'-punish-
cd by the civil goTernmspt clothed With
power over human lita.
II civil government bs on erdinanss OF
dod-and none but the intidel donies-,nd
II the executive bears not tbs swerd In vain.
aud If the military power is in the hand OF
the executive, and he holds not that sword
In vain, then. tGhea formidable resistance is
made be is bound to suppress it by tho
competent and appropriate arm-the NH.
fary. Thus stands this question in divine
law Then the Inference is irresistible
The people are bouad to support the Gorern.
nient IN the execution of al its lawful DOW
ers Becaase-
Ftrst. The duty Of submission to civil
government Is corrslative to the divine in
sttntion OF government itself. Let every
sou, De subject to the higher powers for
the powers that be are ordained of God"
Second. The law requires willing and con.
sc'eDtious and active obedience. '.Yemust
needs be subject, not only for wrath but for
conscience sake" That is. do what the law
requires not from fear of its penalty, bu,
from sense Of duty. Third. The natural
inference is the moral obligation resting
upon the people represented by the execu-
tive to aid In the execution of all the au-
thority vested. a the moral obligation the
representative and represented identify.
And now, my dear sir, as an o!diand ipti-
mate friend, in the close of this epistle. let
me suggest few questions for your consi6-
GRAFTON, which. would fondy hope, ferthe
sake of your country and your own inward
peace as Christian man, may have a
practical Influence upon your mind and your
future course.
What'is II, according to the spirit of
christianity, to be ''sutjact TO the powers
that be-? Can any Christian man, enioy-
ing the protection and the privileges of
the American Government, consistently
withhold from it, now in its struggle tor ex-
istence, an active and conscientious support.
Is not this rebellion resistance 10 the ordi-
nance of God, against which He has pre-
nounced damnation Do not these who
sympathise with the rebellion, or give it aid
and comfort, impiicate themselves in tho
same ''dan,nafioa" And does your dem
ocratic war-peace party now support the
Government and strengthen its arm bearing
the sword and for the supp essioa of armed
resistance Is it, in the honest and Chris
tian sense, now subject to the powers that
bel Sir, yon know it is not You know il
ls now rendering verv efficient aid and COM
fort to rebellion. You know, moreover,
that 1t is making all the resistance. in every
way and in every form, it can with safety
to ITS cowardly sympathy with treason. =
How can any patriotic, intellgent, honest
Christian identify himself with this treason
stained paIty2 Sir, you msy--snd risk the
damnation God threstens TO resistaDce-I
cannot WASHINGTON bLSToE, JR.