Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-08-13
FAST DAY.
For the Weekly Telegraph.

i,p a., For the Weekly Telegraph
On our recent Fast Day, at
tended the religious services in your village--and
| confess 1 felt not a little disappoiuted-aud
many othrs felt the same-=that we were not
favored with the usual ex ,rcises-., Fast Day
Sermon in particular. Why all at once follow
so closely the letter Of the Proclamation I
do not think it requires any wonderful acumen
to look thro' that shallow pretert and discover
the true cause Of the deviation from established
usage.
Fast days like Thanksgiving days. are IL
may so speak, landmarks in our history-they
are good stand points whence the philan
thropst aud especially those called to minister
at the alter can look over the past and note
the progress Of public sentiment on all those
great questions that ag:tate nation and tend
to make it prosperous and happy So great
national sins, may thus be pointed out and
the people exhorted to forsake them ard repent.
l did not rel ish the general tenor and drift,
If the remarks made--wiih tiro exceptions. /
do not think So ch are times for controversy.
Still think those two bomshells were rightly and
accurately aimed, and think, scattered some OF
the erroneous ideas entertained by portion of
the audience. With these tiOo exceptions, /
think there was disposition to slime over the
loyal people OF the North-to put US all in the
same category with the black-bearted traitors
Of the South-@that we were almost, if not equal
iy guilty with the South of the causes that led
to this terrible war. l admit there las been
conniving at our great national Gin by the peo-
pie Of the North-a portion oniy-and we are
more or less mixed up with other great sins,
and are guilty before God for much. but to as.
scrt that we are all in the same boat together
that we are equally guilty with shareholders
and traitors, is an insult and libel upon the in-
telligeuce, t he picty and the patriotism of the
free aud lberty-lovirg people of the North.
live are equally guilty in the sight of God,
why are we not equally punished for our sins
Have the Free States and their people been
ravaged and visited by the ruthless hand Of
war as they have been 7 Have want
and all the terrors aud horrors Of war Wis
tied US as they have them
If we are equally guilty, then God is not
just is his punishment. No one could fail to
notice how fearful most were to state what,
a6ove all others, was our great national sin
slavery. That was ignored and various others
mentioned as tho cause why Gods anger burned
toward US. Oae was that the people had ne.
elected to properly support Gods Ministers
that not one in t,oeaty received an adequate
support-iiterally starving. Now, T think that
argument was then and there plainly refuted.
Were there not three or four representatives Of
the profession there on that OCCASION and did
they not all look slick, as if iheg lacked r5r noae
oil the good things of earth but fared sumptu.
ously every day Facts will not substantiate
the assertion as made by him. One good
6fother said lie did not wish to see JEFF Davis
hung but that he should repent g.. ALL very
well. but is not that going beyond the clemcncy
Of God himself? Did he give the rebel angels
time to repent Did he give Korah, Dathan
and Abram and their rebel crew, time to
repent. No! Ilstant destruction followed
them, JEFF. Davis, as well as the murderer
knows that death is the penalty of his high
crimes, yet be deliberately and de6antly goes
on 10 bis treasO and plunges the nation into
all the hotf5rs Of civil war. If the murderer
when convicted, is hung, why should JEFF. Davis
be pardouedf presdme because he is a
wholesale murderer The greater tts crime,
the more the probability OF escape.
Some are now willing TO take Jeff's. hand and
say "Well. it's true you have febelled and
got up big war-got up d family row--but
then we are just as much to blame for the
cause that led to i as you are, and you and
your people were once part Of us. come let
US take drink and make up friends dnd be
as we once wese"
But think nine-teuths of the loyal North
will say: "Let JEFF repent if he will and be
quick about it, too, for he has had ample time
already, and then hang him and all his leaders,
higher than Hamau." So mote it be.