The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-10-27

of political progress; and patriotism invoked
religion TO purify the nation, that IL might
merit a remission Of its agony, and a rcgtora-
ton TO the favor Of the Supreme, that he stood
forth, bold, bad man, TO seducc thousands
Of his countrymen to the commission OF
PERJURY.
| REvERDY Johnson, Of Maryland, the sub
! orner, has hitherto been considered as that
distraction in our earnest, patriotic politics,
border State couservativc-U Unionist, imbucd
| with pro-slavery preiadices and attachments
| Mr.. Secretary SEWARD despatched him, il will
! be remembered, as a special envoy TO New
! Orleans, TO release large amount Of specie
| which had been seized Ia trOasiiU to France
| by Maior-Gencral BUTLER, who detained and
claimed It as Rebel property, which il pro-
| badly was After the Accomplishment Of this
monetary surrender the plenipotentiary re-
| turned, and took his seat in the Federal
| Senate where, sometimes nebulous among
| the stars in ilne-spun constitutional construc-
tions, and sometimes a rigorous political ne
cessitarian, he has oscillated between easy and
emphatic Unionsm.
Senator JOHNSON is accounted an acute
lawyer, and may deserve a purely technical
reputation; but for knowledge and intellectual
excellence, beyond the pale Of his profession,
he is not distinguished Upon the whole,
while he Is not Of the first rank, he is n man
Of ability and artilce, and "thc very wise or
the very foolish do little HARM" 1t may be
added that oppression has always found in the
mere lawyer It's most serviccable apologist and
instrument. whether it has been attempted by
a king of the house Of STUART, OF that
wTetched American President whose name
will descend to poserity associated with those
historical inGlmies, the ostend Manifesto and
the Lecompton Constitution.
Let us consider, for q moment, the moral
attitude of this Senator, who has been indus
trious in evil, although impotent to secure its
success. He has recommended to a multitude
of people the taking of false oaths, that they
might thereby obtain political advantage;
and has assured them that they would escape
the consequences Of perjury in the courts of
Maryland. And this, it appears, is acqulttance
in the eyes Of the suborner; for it is not sup
posable that even his presumption is equal to
an offer Of absolution for breach of the
superior law" Yet perjury is not only a
statutory offense, but It is NAHUM IN SEA vio-
lation of the law Of God, utterly unjustihable
to the Christian in any aud every situation.
DcplorablC, indeed, would be the conse-
quenccs if it were not 80, both to individuals
and societies. An oath is the public solemni-
cation Of that confidence which is the cement
OF civilization. The man who, without COM
pulsion, takes il falsely to sub5erve the end OF
cOvctousness or creed, takes in vaiut to advance
his petty occasions the awful name of his
Creator And far worse is he--a greater
criminal--who undertakes to justify the wrong
on principle. No casuistry, though it dropped
from the pen az BEIIAL's tongue dropped
manna," can beiog the reason and conscience
of good man in the solution of this question.
| The carly Christians might have apostatized
| to this Senator's entire satisfaction by burning
| q little incense to the pagan gods with mem
tai reservation; but they preferred to be hewn
| with the sword aud torn TO pieces by wild
beasts
And what fell and fraudulent aystem is
that to uphold which this devils wickednes'
has been assigned! Ayl even in Maryland
where slavery, it has been said, was shOrn o
its rigors. what a record of despotic inlamy
does It present! The ten years. imprisOn
: ment Of the preacher GREEN foD the oflensC
ofreading q boolwhich delighted the civilized
world from the Russian steppes to the placer'
of California; the cruel wrong suffered by
MARTHA ANN WGIGUr and her children
seized by the villain BuLLEN; the gross out
RACES upon JAMES i. BOWERS, Of Kent, al
upright ant-slavery farmer Of property, whc
e was finally driven from the State, with th,
ayowed approval Of such men rs Ezekiel
g ! CIIANlBERs and oil the