The Portland daily press., 1864-12-31
Saturday Morning, Dec. 81, 1864.
A TWO YEARS RETROSPECT
THE REBELLION.
~ NJ A Discourse
Delivered in the Second Parish Church
! ad Nov. "a, and Dec. %, 1884.
BY REV. J. ]. cARRUrHERs, D. D.

published, l traced, SO lar us they were deyel
oped, the dealings and designs OF Almighty
GOD towards our country in connection win
Inc rebellion then and still existing in our
land. DARK, and TO the eye OF sense, portent
Gus clouds then hung over us. Repeated dis
asters In the field, reported dissensions in The
Cabinet, angry debates aud dlscuss,o ns in the
! legislature, doubt aud desponGency wide
spread among the people, and real or seeming
lncapaclty ON the part OF prominent meR en-
trusted with the conduct oil our military afiail a.
all combined to tempt us to misgiyin z and dis.
trust as TO the issue. One, snIy, OF the lead
ing governments ia diplomatic alliance with us,
appeared TO favor our cause, and whatever or
al influence this might have had or NAV have
had on other Cabinets, it could not materially
help Us to unsatisfactory solution OF the question
whether, after ali our sacrifices ana suIieriDgs,
our country was to be violently rent asunder, or
the heritage OF noble ancestry transmitted.
unimpaired, to our posterity. 1t was then,
100, with many, matter OF doubtful disputa-
ton, whether the country could long stand
the drain OF men and material necessary 70
maintain sufficient force in the wide field OF
conflict; and with not few, it seemed TO be
toregone conclusion that The prosecution OF
the contest could only lead to further disas-
ter and TO final discontinue Little consola
tion came TO US from abroad. Our represent
atives at foreign courts were not over Jealous
in the cause OF Unity and Freedom. Promi-
nent European governments betrayed dis
position to take advantage OF our distractions.
and defeats, so as to further their ewn views
OF interest and ambition, and 10 venture on
q species of insult, interference and direct
opposition to our national will, which. in 9TH
er circumstances, they would have scarcely
dared to manifest. 3 The most formidable
armamsnts by sea and land were clandestine-
iy and, In some cases, openly promoted by
home and foreign sympathizers with our re- g
bellious fellow CT liens. A large portion OF
the press In other lands, and even In our own !,
did all that plausible argument and perverse
misstatement aud persevering hostility TO the
existing Administration could effect, toward
deranging our finances, discouragiDg our sol
diers, dIyin up our national resources, and
defeating all our efforts to defend the right
and re- establish and perpetuate the Union
Thus it was towards the close OF 1852. Yet
even then we ventured to speak with some
degree of COZ fdence, as to the then present
aspect and prospective issue Of affairs. We
admitted, in full, the facts now enumerated.
We unieignedly deplored the evils attendant
on the sanguinary strife; but we found, on in
curing into great principles and gratifying
facts, what we considered ample "compensa-
tons" for the war; These were distinctly
and at length enumerated, and it is a matter
OF thankfulness to-day, that not one of the
positions then taken has been in any way
weakened by the progress of events, and that
every hope then expressed has been fully re-
allied. This proves that common sense guild
ed by the sure sayings OF God and the course
of events illuminated by the principles of
Heavenly truth and wisdom, are much safer
guides of opinion and of Judgment, than the
lucubrations of party zeal or the labored de-
monstrations of political philosophy. 1t fur
nishes encouragement to exercise, in the fu-
| ture, a still mistaken reliance on the truth
and faithfulness and power of God, as furnish
ing both motive and material for ardentthsnks-
giving and adoring praise. The motive has
been inconceivably strengi hened and the MAZE
rial has immensely decreased during the last
two years, and 1t will be our pleasing task this
| morning, to sustain, by some irrefragible ar
| gumen's and unquestionable facts, the de-
| won't aseription and declaration of our text
-"Unto Thee, o God, do we give thanks !;
unto Thee do we give thanks. for that thy
name Is near. thy wondrous works declare"
/. We see the wise and kind and wonder
working hand of God in preventing prema-
ture. partial and precarious peace, based, as IL
must have been, on principles abhorrent TO
! the mind of God, and entirely incongruous
| with our prosperity and safety as nation.
We have, as a people, tried moral, or rather
immoral compromises long enough. The
time passed has sutficed to show the futility
/ OF all attempts TO bring light and darkness,
righteousness and uhrighteousness. Christ and
Belial into Amity and Concord. The expert
ence of nearly a century has proved that free
dom and slavery cannot eoexist under the
same constitution without constant irieIiop,
collision and ever threatened ex ploeion. They
are naturally and necessarily antagonistic,
and the history OF this nation hitherto has read
all other nations and our own a lesson which
we ought not to have II qnired, but which, be-
ing required. God has been pleased 70 I'm.
prove In such a way as viii assuredlv save u
from oblivion The lesson was taught many
sges ago. but has yet to be learned BY the
great majority OF Statesmen and Of nations.
Ii has been repeated q thousand times, with
out sentibly affecting either the judgment or
the conduct OF mankind. IL has failed, even
to this day, 70 influence, a. IL ought, the cabl-
nets OF the most Christian nations on earth.
IL has been written IN characters OF living
light on tho political heavens OF our own and
other lands. Il has been traced, times with
out number. on the unSritten annals OF the
pssi, In characters Of blood. IL has been
spoken 10 closets aud on The housetops. Ev-
cry mountain and valley, every sea and con.
tinent aud Island has res0u0ded With the echo
OF this primary snd fundamental principle o
Gods moral administration. "Righteousness
exalieth nation; but Elm is the Ieproach Of
any people," tra .ire .ib-.4
Il has has been cur reproach that we have
tried, vsiply tried TO secure our exaltation as
q people. whilst consciously held down 0y the
superincumhept pressure OF the sir and shame
OF slavery. With such an incubus on us,our NOR
alelevation was impossible. Itplaced US in per
petual antsaonism with the purity. the justice
the sovereign authority of God. We could moi
be morally great and prosperous, whilst the
blood OF millions prema,urely hurried by OPP
preston to the Judgment seat was crying
against us. God could not bless US with in
ternal concord and external security, willis
the chain and the lash and the stifed cry o.
unrequited labor and implied anguish were
telling perpetually in the ear of the Almighty
the tale of our iniquity. In mercy to oul
Involved In the same condemnation, In mercy
to all future generations of our race, he has
decreed, and he has brought us, as people, Il
bow to that decree, that there shall be and car
be no peace within our borders, till our ma.
tional iniquity is purged, and ''liberty is pro-
claimed to all the Inhabitants of the land"
We recognize the benevole nee and equity o
God, In So controlling the guiding spirits o
this rebellion, and so overruliDg the hesita
ting counses of our Cabinet and the half
hearted patriotism of some distinguished
leaders, as to prevent an incipient movement
toward sa peace which, whilst slavery existed
would have been a compact with sin. we
bless the God of justice and of mercy, that he
has forced rs to the conclusion that peace
and safety are to be found only in accordance
with His will and In practical coincidence
with the developement Of His Will IN the en-
actmenis Of His law, and the events OF His
experimenting Providepce. To every over
ture for peace that may hereafter come to us
either from humbIed rebels or intermeddline
sympathizers with rebellion, we shall present
as the sine qua non Of all Prellminaries to-
wards such 40 issue, the unalteraole and In
violate decision, that slavery must end fol
over. The axe Is now laid to the root of thi:
mas tree, and 1t must come down. Every yoke
must be broken. The cry Of oppressed mil
lions piercing the heavens must cease. Thl
olive-braneh must not be saturated. nor ever
stained with our brothers blood. Henceforil
immoral compromises must have no place, no