The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-02

Equally familiar Is it to intelligent
minds that Great Britain contributed
not little to furnishing privateers Tor
the late so-called Confederate States,
and that Macmillan, supported by
French guns and French soldiers, mas
set at defiance the Monroe doctrine by
attempting to maintain the extremely
barren honor of being Emperor of Mex
leo. These are few leading facts OF
which the American people may be
presumed to be not wholly ignorant.
We would also remind certain of our
clergymen that slavery, through the
sum of all villianes," is abolished on
this continent, and certain others that
''abolitionistsn are creatures OF the past.
The crack of the slave-driver's whip,
| together with the clamor of the So
called "fanaticp for the abolition of
slavery, in silenced. These incidents In
our recent history, and others intimate
| ly connected Herewith, the preacher
may presume that the people at large
have at last heard Of and will not listen
| to the announcement of them as things
new and heretofore unheard of. ei
We trust that none of our readers will
insinterpret the spirit in which these
words are uttered For the last four
wears the Thanksgiving sermons of most
of our clergymen have been little else
than stale campaign speeches, labeled
with text from Scriptures and padded
with some theology and more PARTISAN
ship. We intend no insinuatiOns against
what is termed preaching politics.
fThe stoutest opponents of this never
complain so long as their minister ut
ters opinions that coincide with their
own. Even granting, for the moment,
that the pulpit has done the harm In
this respect which some argue that 1t
has, we claim that it has also done yeo-
man service for the government during
the time of its trial. Exceptions there
may have been, but, as class, the min
listers of the Gospel have been thorough
| ly patriotic throughout the recent war,
and oftimes have expressed their opin-
| ions openly when to all appear
| anccs the withholding of them
would have been of positive ad-
vantage. But at this time we look to
the American pulpit for that influence
| which can emanate from no other source
| Like the old Puritans, its representa-
| tives have shown themselves valiant in
the day of battle, and, like the old Puri-
fans, let them prove themselves magnani-
nous i'm the hour of triumph. Worldly
| 6ldtSSuldHSJip hity dSCOihpiiSH hAuchHa
such period as this, but Christian
craftsmanship, i,nbued with the princii
pies of Christian religion and enunci-
ated by its appointed ambassadors, can
| do more. This latter we need to-day
Wherefore we ask the pastors of our
churches to forget the things that are
past and impress upon their charges the
solemn responsibilities of the present.
The passions of men are to be allayed
and their judgement quickened. Nc
policy of reconstruction can be thor
fnghIy efficacous unless the temper o.
the people is harmonized with the prin
ciples first enunciated in the Sermon or
the Mount. To imbue the American
people with sentiments BETTING
nation that claims Christianity for 1T
guide, there is no such efficient agency
as the American ministry. And were
every pastor, on the day of our natiOna
thanksgiving, to strive to impress upor
his hearers the responsibility resting
upon each and all of them as Christian
men, that day would be memorable in
the annals of the country. Why shall
it not he so! The Round Table Dec. 2