Weekly national intelligencer., 1864-03-31

spasmodic action Of physical forces holding men
in mechanical union without any congruity Of spir-
itual natare and moral disposition. u ,sl /.
| We know there are those who now exalt the
propagandism Of the sword above the propaganda
ism Of Christ and his disciples, It's held "ioyap'
to do 50, but in our eyes, it isgnone the less ip
f.tuated and profane for being the dialect Of in-
Ipiety talking in the cant Of philanthropy II A.
distinguished member Of the House Of Represen-'
tatives, speaking in his place in that body not
loLg ago, held the following language, whether in
derision or in earnest, we cannot say: t9igU5g n
'Ths spirit Of Massachusets has done in two or three
years only what Christ, the Church Of Christ was
twelve fifteen hundred years in accomplishing in the
Roman Empire" syHs7l
We will let our readers choose between ihs
spirit Of Christiaaity, working gradually but sue
cessfully for centuries to uproot slavery by the
elevating doctrines Of the gospel, and the esprit
of Massachusetts," the two are here contrasted.
The two systems Of reform are unlike enough, but,
at the risk Of being counted "slow," we must
decline 10 give the precedence to the latter, whe-
ther regard be had to the agencies used or the
results produced. The effect of these "three
years" fighting against slavery, in the name Of
fighting for the Union, is thus generalized by one
of the most martial of our clergymen. We quote
from sermon delivered by the Rev Henry Ward
Beecher only last Sunday:
We know that within the lines of the rebel army there
are three million slaves As yet learn they doce
amenabe to the will of their MASTERS paeut and snbser
Went This state of things exists where it's DESC
ations surround them, where Inducements civil and mill
tary are held out to them what then, will be the fact
when peace Is come and war 10 at eDdf Do you sup
pose there less of lust less of azness less of avarce
the South than there before the Lust ava
ce and lazDess are the basis which slavery
rested Will not the value of the slave be great
an article Of commerce Can he not pick cotton and
cut sugar-cane AMI grow well ever Dent
be deceived Slavery is not dead. You may cut wasp
in two with sword and the head will creep off way
but who will without caution approach the alcular sting
You may cut slavery in two with sword but so long as
it virtually exists its sting there. The only way kill
wasp is to mash It, and the only way to kill slavery
is to grind 1t to political powder"
Christ and his apostles thought there was more
excellent way than this by which to remove social
evils. Mr.. Beecher undoubtedly is wiser than
they, We do not exclude all war from either our
theology or our philosophy, but we do most entirely
exclude war from the theology or philosophy of
reform. The idea of such means to
such an end seems to us the every error of the
moon, as We read the history Of human ameliora,
ton and as we understand the law Of moral progress
? We do not state these views in any expectation
that they will influence the minds of men who are
heated with the passionate strifes of the hour.
Such persons are all aglow with phrenzy which
dazzles their reason. The light that leads some
of them estray is all the more delusve for seeming
in their eyes to be light from heaven They sup
pose themselves to bo fighting Gods battle ("
while aware that they are using carnal weapons,
and that He asks not such aid to promote the
cause Of the right in fsld where moral forces are
the only true agencies of reform In such fight
they who use the sword out of its proper place and
sphere may weH fear lest they find it whetted with
the Divine malediction which proclams that they
who take the sword shall perish by the sword,
while the hopes of social reform built hecatombs
of the slain will prove illusory in fact as they
are unsound in theory. The sword rghtfully vim
dcates the cause of political law and order, but
those who WELD it outside of this it's appropriate
sphere are doomed to hold it by the blade and not
by The handle.
We are we'll aware of the taunt with which
it is common to repel such con,idcrations as
these. They signify, it is said, that slavery
is too sacred to be touched by the rude hand Of
war" "You may kill rebel, but you must
not disturb the divine institution Of slavery"
Where this reply springs from fanaticism it is
of course beyond the reach of argument. But,
as there may be some who hold this language
in sincerity from want of sufficient perspicacity
to apprehend the real purport and bearing of the
views we have announced it may be proper to state
the position of rational and unconditional friends
of the Union on this point.
We have to say, then, that such mems loyalty"
does not turn on conditions looking primarily any
more to the preservation than the destruction Of
slavery. They hold that war is an agency which
oan be lawfully invoked only for the attainment Of
political objects falling within the scope of civil
government. A defensive war, waged for the pre-
servation Of the Constitution and laws, is war
which may be rightful and expedient. And in a
war SO waged it may be a part of the Providential
necessities accompanying it that moral ends shall
be subserved and social reforms precpitated by its
progress. But when man deliberately steps out
side Of the province and sphere of his action, and
rashy blindy presumes to translate the counsels
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