The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1865-04-05

ever since, and yet the Nation hns just re.
affirmed and emphasized it's will "s consttu.
tioually expressed four years ago. Then,
however, the ballots gave Int uncertain
sound. This year they thuudered. The event
marks Presidential tcrm-a cycle Of time in
our history. 1t dates the fourth year Of o
struggle that will nuke the cycle forever illus
trious. Hence the manifest .propriciy Of eS-
tending our retrospect beyond the year, OH
this day Of National Thanksgiving. llencc
the demanded fitness Of putting on record
here to-day that which shall impress US with
the greatness of the salvation for which We
arc assembled TO praise God.
need not recount the steps that led 10 our
nationality. The immortal paper that told
the world our purpose was u SOLEMN protest
against oppression. However the exigencies
Of political partisans may have led them TO
pcrvert that document and torture it into n
series Of "glittcrins geueralities,' the men
who signed it and the men who sustained them
in signing it, heartily believed the principles
it get forth, and we've willing to die for them.
The partial Inconsistency Of their practice
with this belief VAS owing TO circumstances
held to be, in part ut least, beyond their con-
troll. When the Mayhowcr butTeted the sea
and bore to these shores the Pilgrim Fathers
consccratcd TO human liberty, another ship
came treightcl with Il cargo dedicated 10 hu-
man bondage. 1t landed nineteen slaves at
jamestown in Virginia. And when we struck
our sturdy blows for independence, the iSno-
bic truitHge that sprung from the germ con.
ccalcl in the hold Of TINT siavc-ship had
spread itself over the land. Slavery was
therefore intcraccd with our institutions, aud
rooted in our soil, when we became nation.
The posture of the leading men Of that day,
however, was hostile to this barbarism. They
were convinced Of its wrongfuncsS. and eN.
pectcd and desired its gradual and ultimate
extinction. "The prevailing ideas -.
were, that the enslavcment Of the African
was in violation of the laws Of nature: that
it was wrong i'll principle. socially, morally
and politically.'% But with advancing years
and the development OF mechanical appliance,
the interests Of men changed, and whether ns
Il coincidence or II consequence, their convic.
tiOns changed with them. Alas, that moral
ideas should be 80 often harucsscd TO the neck
Of material gain! 90.
Meanwhile we prospered beyond all historic
parallel. Our only national outfit "wns the
wilderness and our head but these proved n
richer dover than infant nation ever had be-
fore. The wilderness We changed into fruit
full fields. Onr head We put into schools and
colleges and churches; into Inventions, me-
chanics, the arts. We spanncd the continent,
with our industry. We whi,cncd the seas
with the sails Of our commerce.
But with riches and power came pride and
corruption. We took sacred prime pie up with
US into the moant of Material Interests, and
bound it upon our altars, and sacrificed it
Nf Il ma IinS
sion for gain. until il overrodc all else. Trade.
commerce, territorial acpuisition-thcsc were
the high-roads to individual and national a.-
rnndizcnlent, and nothing must bar them nl'.
Was any measure Of policy proposed 1t
was canvassed in the interests OF Cotton and
Of Commerce. II Commerce was at all scru-
pulous, and vcnturcd with 'hatcd breath even
the mlde.t protest against scheme manifesto
lv in the interest Of oppression and injustice,
il needed only IL muttercd threat from Cotton
10 make Commerce ashamed Of itselfan will
inc 20 strike hands with the Southern King in
the furherance Of almost any pcrnic'Ous ana
uniustitiublc measure. And the spirit Of party
how ,ha, grew into power and swept men
from their convictions, until majorities sapc-
toned ut the ballot box what but little while
before the universal conscience Of the nation
would have branded with the stcrncst con-
demna,ion, If not with nfamy. Our party,
right or wrong was the bold battie-cry.
Under its leadership, men stained their hands
with corrupt legislation, and even perJurcd
themselves before God.
Losing sight, also, Of the fact that govern
mcnts arc ordained Of Heaven, we ignored our
relations as nationality to the King OF
kings. In the clat,cr Of our looms, in the
ring of our anvils, in the rattle Of our ma
chincrv, in the chink Of our hard coin as II
was dropped into our Golfers, in the groans Of
our slaves, We were deaf to the voice Of our
God; or hearing, did not heed IT, God IN
history, God in providence, aud God in his
word, said unto us, ".Srek Judgment, rfIicr' Tie
OPPRESSED, loose the bands 9f wic&rd"tss Md0 IA"
hec,y burdens, and break erery yoke." This was
our safety; but we saw it not. We saw not
the spirit that was being nursed in the nation 3
bosom. We would not believe that the sys'rtn
Of African slavery could give birth to and
feed and yitalizc into alarming power, pas
.ions aud lusts and purposes and plans whose
inioui,ous and damning nature stamp them as
having their spring and motor in the very
heart Of hell
TO pE CONTINUED.
=, ,n,sch March Dist lS6l, savannah,