Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-01-17

ProvideAce Avenging IHinseIE
Before us, in apaper that is acknowledged
In Administration circles as of the purest
"l65alty,r , there is an article in which this
occurs:
"There can, indeed, be no peace until the
grand design Of Providence that underlie
ali human agencies are fully effected. Ii
this design Is not that slavery shall be ex-
tirpated, root and branch, we have lily fol-
lowed the Indications of the Almighty will.
Slavery Is fast perishing from the land, as
much by the hands of its own supporters
as bvTfhose OF It's most bitter enemies.
And Id would appear that Providence Is
meeting out TO the American nation, North
and South, the severest plaques OF war as a
just punishment fol, ever having permitted
the foul aud aecursed thing among them.
So the war must go on until, 10 the Divine
sight, the great end Is attained"
.sProvidenee" and God are used as con-
vertible terms in the above extract. To us
1t seems that great many persons who
talk and write about 'the Almighty wilr'
touching the War as it relates to the ques-
tion of Slavery, have about as crude and
erroneous an idea of the character of the
almighty" as they have touching the
principles on which this Government was
founded. The man who assumes that the |
Almighty" is wreaking upon the ''North |
and the South the severest plaques of War
rs just punishment for ever having per-
mitted the foul and accursed thing [slaveryl
among them,n pays Him the discourtesy
of avowing practically that He is being
as fallible and as short-sighted as any hui
man creature who has neither intelligence
nor capacity above theordinary range. He
must have known that when the foundations
ofthis Government werel laid, by the Fathers
ofthe eRepublic--laid on the rocks of concil-
iation and COMPROMISED institution OF
Slavery was "a foul and accursed thing"
He must have known that it was "a foul |
and accursed thing" when the Patriots of
1776 precipitated themselvesinto Rebellion
At that very time slavery existed in all OF
the colonies hut one. Was He blind 10 this
fact, and did He not know if those Rebels
should succeed in achieving their lndepend-
ence, that when they, established Govern
mefir Tor themselves, they would permit
the respective States to allow the ''accursed
thing'' of Slavery to remain unabolished,
until such time as party should arise and
force its abolition at the mouth Of the can
non, and after such War as never before
had aftiicted any part, of the earth9 Why
did He allow national prosperity to bless
our people? Why did He permit the men
who conducted the State and Federal Gov
ernments to make the United States a first
class power among the nations of the earth?
Why did He suffer our white people, those
to .the ,mannor, born" and those who were
citizens by the grace of adoption, to become
the freest and happiest people on His foot
stool-up to 1S60-if He looked upon Slavery
asa foul and aceursed ithinga" Now, il
this institution is so offensive in His sight
If He looks upon it as "a foul and accursed
thing'-if for its federation He conceives
nothing short OF ''the severest plaques of
War as ADJUST punishment" is it doing vio-
lence to reason to suppose that when the
trainers Of the Constitution of the United
States, were sitting in grave deliberation,
He would have induced that body to have
adopted policy that would haveputslavery
insthe course of speedy extinction by peace
able means? Certainly, He knew some
thing about human nature, for at His COM
mand 1t came into existence, and ever since
we are assured by theologians He has kept
track of 1t. He must, therefore, have
known that slavery would disappear from
the East, North and West, where slaye-la-
Dor would cease to be profitable, and find
lodgment in the South. where it could be
turned to advantage; and He must further
more have known that SO soon as it should
become unproftable in the South, that
there. toos speaceable agencies would work
out its total abolition. 1t is no compliment
to His diyinity-in fact it is totally ignor-
ing Ito pursue line of discussion that
countenances the idea that He was unable
to peaceably accomplish such result, or
that BE would not have done it, ifSlavery
were sfoul and accursed thing in His
sight. II the teachings of CHRIST are not
q fable and we have been taught to be-
lieve that they are Motive are very GER
tain that War, in its mildest and most in
offensive form, Is not a thing the Almighty
looks upon with any degree of satisfaction;
and that therefore, it is not inflicted at His
instance on the q North and the South as
just punishment forever having permitted
slavery among them. 81 (
ar.a e. f.aa ~. ~ q .I