The weekly union record., 1865-08-19


barisms of self constituted ,yrants in arrogance.
pride and unbeiieying hate. How strange it
now seems that it could ever ge, such hold
on the Nerihern mind. Nor should We have
occasion now 10 speak OF what ;rGs, provided
this uuclean spirit of caste had ceased TO be.
There turks. too msnifes,ly even now, feel
ing of injustice. or. 10 say The least, reluctant
Justice, iowafd the freedman. How severe
. has been the lesson of Justice which God has
been teaching The naiion, and how slow We
have been in receiving ii. When these iniat
! uaied people first opened ERE on Fort Sumter,
there rung out upon the air, 10 The lover Of
freedom. the tocsin of freedom, and siGrerg's
knell Ministers. all over the North, told
their people that God was about 10 overthrow
slavery How many were ready TO sneer at
the idea that God had anything 10 do with it.
" Strong bat,alions.r it was sarcastically said.
drew God on their side. Never did people
more reluctantly meddle with an institution.
We remember in a speech which we gave on
the raising of our flag 10 a rural district in
Wisconsin during The earlier part of our strug-
gle. 10 have remarked that Formerly our
flag meant liberty ior all men. OF late. it has
been interpreted TO mean liberty to trhite men :;
but now it is going down to settle with the
raitesnake flag. and when it should again float
over all our cities and forts il viii mean liber
ty to the coiored as well as be white" Where
upon there was some side talk Of spiking The
gun. which had been made ready 10 speak out
the feelings OF patriotism.
Men were willing to risk battle without
an appeal to God. "On to Richmond was
the CRY. and il negroes come 10 Us we will send
them TO their masters We came back TO
Washington disgraced in our own eyes, to reor-
/ rN for trvp n ynpilattnr
warfare in which our defeats came near equal
ing our victories. At length the good Lincoln
tGod bless his memory slowly. but surely gave
the nation his immortal proclaim .tinn and 10
the tables were turned The army gathered
strength. and like thunderbodt OF Jove. il
hurled itself upon the enemy defeating, routing
ard demoralizing them on every hand. With
what unexampled victories God has crowned
our arms, What complete proslration OF the
forces on the part of slavery. How humbled
the proud sons OF oppression. as black brig
ade enters irst into boasting Charleston and
impregnable Richmond Aud as though God
would leave no stone unturned in rendering this
unholy calling doubly abandoned even in their
own eyes, there follows the revelations of
starred soldiers tortured freemcn and an GSSas.
SinGte,i President. What ingratiude. What
stupid madness Who rushing fast against
Jehovah's providence cast themselves, Judas
like. headong" and "all their bowels
eushed OUT
III What is the object Of The present DAY
Of taaing.
On the 14th day of April last, there fell
responsibility as with a lightning stroke. upon
Wee President Johnson heaven high in mag
nilude. aud which for peTp'exing questions,
ever changing their forms. might well lax the
intellect Of an angel. To meet these respon-
sbilities in the honor of a free government, he
asks your prayers.
The great work of his administration is to
repair the breach and to restore the path of
liberty to dwell n." To do so, he nust main
tain the dignity Of government, rebuke and
punish treason. and offer cemency to bih.
erto ungrateiul, yet misguided people. The
question is no longer. " acW they return TO the
Union but hou many, and upon what terms
may they return.
Coming generations, and possible disafec-
tons IN time TO come. must be taken into ac-
count. Treason must be made 10 appear
treason, and the traitor to feel that the ruler
bearelh not the sword in vain" Yet this
must be done in harmony with that prayer,
d" Forgive. as ye would be forgiven Already
there is a difference Of opinion on these ques-
tons among leading friends aud it is manifest,
unless Providence holds the hearts of the peo
pie, Mr.. johnson cannot be unanimously ap
proved 10 dng course he shall choose.
The Freedmen's Bureau is also to claim at
tention. Its very organization will be op.
posed. and its workings hindered. There are
schools to establish, prejudices 10 overcome.
wrongs to be borne with, ignorance TO encoun
ter, and the thousand unhappy influences to
meet. incident to an oppressed people. through
enslaving others and by being eusluyed This
shapeless mass mnst be encouraged TO high
toned citizenship. And right here. let me
again notice the reasonable demand of our
colored soldiers. Having been recognized
citizens in rar, they ask the rights OF freemen.
unabridged. in peace. Who shall say that
their unparalleled loyalty, their bravery and
soldiery bearing in battle, with their modest
reqaest now free, does not entile them to the
elective franchise upon such terms we give
it TO others. There shall be one law" saith
God, for all who dwell within your borders"
II you choose to make an intelligent qualifi-
cation for voting, do so !; but do not cUunlen-
ance a law that admits white iguoramus
and excludes an intelligent black. We say 10
that man who stands pointing the colored man
to Liberia, or camoring for di>iranchisement,
that he has slept. while forty years OF history
has passed on before him.
Bathe great object OF our prayer to day
is the estab l-hment of permanent and last
ing peace. Two years ago there arose peace
party in our country, but they were prema
ture They had unimey birth and they
died Of morbid circulation. Ministers OF
Christ would not pray for them then. If the
truly loyal asked for peace, it was only pros
pecIive one, founded in liberty and justice to
..lf nd -rrrcaaA hp friu artu nt the
Government. No1r they ererywhere pray Tor
peace Who of lbo-e, who " cried peace
when there was no peace" will now JON Us.
". Let us notice fer conditions Of Gods
bearing prayer for national blessings.
We will not give our own surmisings; let
this chapter from the Bible speak them. This
chapter was given, as The conditions of ma
tional prosperity in the days of Isaiah.
For The state of mind, though under pre-
tence of great piety in fasting, which God Gb