Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-12-11
THANKS GIVING
The Security and Peace of the
Republic.
SERMON nY REV. DIR. HAWKS.

Ct We Adl btAbA0 u NnANA NAAo mn aAA5 -
abstract, all too meagre, of the excellent,
exhaustive discourse preached on Thanks
giving day, 10y Rev. DR.. J. H. Hawks, Of the
Second Presbyterian Church. He took his
text in Isaiah, SD chapter, and the follow
ing verses, taken in the order indicated
Is, l6: lie that walketh rightsouEly and speak
eth u~prightly he that d~espissth the gain OF op-
pressions, that shaketh his hands from holding
briles, that stoppoth his ears from hearing OF
blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; be
shall dwell un high his place of defence shall be
the munitions OF rocks bread shall be given him 4;
his waters shall be sure
VS.. Il: And wisdom and knowledge shall be the
stability OF tiny times, and strength VI salvation.
vs.. q For the Lord is our Judge, the Lord is
our Lawgiver, the Lord is our King; He will
save US.
The preacher remarked that we have to-
day the spectacle of a great nation with one
accord offering TO the Author of their mani
fold blessings, the homage of humble and
grateful hearts. We have cause for thanks
giving and praise in that the fruits of the
earth have not failed that m is
again secure; that pestilence has not wasted
our land; that peace has returned; that
God raised up for this nation in its past four
years of trial such a leader as Abraham
Lincoln; and that He vouchsafed us SO
worthy a successor as Andrew Johnson.
The subject of the discourse was the Sc
curfty aud Peace of the Republic. The
preacher considered what foundations must
underlie a truly great, powerful and happy
Commonwealth. He spoke of but three
things which are necessary to the safety,
prosperity and glory of a State, viz Justice.
Education and Religion. If these, he re
marked, are brought into the life Of the ma
ton, God will bless us. It is upon them, as
conditions, that He promises security and
peace in the texts we nave chosen.
l. Our safety and happiness, in the future.
depend upon the thorough administrator
of Justice. Justice is the idea that under
lies legislation. Without it, we could not
frame laws, or organize and carry on the
State. What, then, does justice demand 2
1t demands hat treason shall be punished.
And this should be lone by the solemn
forms Of law There are two men who by
eminence are traitors, -JefiersOn Davis and
Robert E. Lee. They merit the penalty Of
death by their stupendous crime. We be
lieve that Justice demands the penalty.
AEdluf lu-iitt utlAidhAo Nhdk VIII AOga IL
men shall govern the country. This prop
osition is self-evident. 1t is due the heroic
defenders of the country. Disloyal men
are not needed in the national councils.
Again. Justice demands that equality Of
civil and political rights be secured to all
irrespective Of race or color. If there is one
lesson which God has been teaching us with
the force OF moral demonstration, it is that
lie regards the manhood of the black race
not less than that of the white, and that He
will not suffer us to dishonor it with impu-
nifty. To gain the Divine favor our course
is manifest.
Moreover Justice demands their freedom.
because the faith of the nation is pledged
to give and TO maintain it. Justice to the
interests of the country demands hat this
freedom shall be a real one. The black race,
North or South, is not safe without the
guards and means of self defense involved
in personal freedom. They nave won polit-
ieal rights by military service. The
preacher advocated ably the cause of uni
versal suffrage, but we can not follow him
in this meagre report.
II. The Education of the People.
This is another element of the safety,
prosperity and renown of the Repub-
lie. As the text declares: "And
wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability
VI IL kAlAlC9H aAh Gil vi Wv
The sentiment should be ineulcated and
made effective in every nook and corner of
the land. Education is a necessity 10 a re-
public. 1t is necessary that our Northern
system Of education should be carried out
in all the States, especially in the Southern.
Until educated, that people will be unit to
keep the boon of liberty. For the present
schools for the education of the poor whites
and the colored people must be largely sus-
tanned by the contributions and benevolent
efforts Of Northern people. But this will
prove inadequate. Provision by legisla-
ton must be made, as here, for the
maintenance of a public school system.
This work cannot be left to the Southern
States. Either, therefore, Congress should
insist upon the common school, as a cOndi
ton of restoration TO the Union, or they
should insist on impartial suffrage, so that
they whose desires and interests are most
concerned, may have the power to introduce
it Without education as a fundamental
principle in the national structure, all that
has been gained during the war will be lost.
III. Religion. The third element OF the
national freedom and happiness is religion.
Only a religious people, who know and
obey Gods laws, are fitted to govern them
selves. A vital Christianity, rooted in the
knowledge Of Gods word and made vigor-
Gus and fruitful through the q%uiekening in
auences Of His spirit, is the chief necessity
for a free nation. This is what we need
not that form of Christianity which has
entailed ignorance, bigotry and poverty
upon the people of Italy, Spain, ireland,
Mexico; nor yet that distorted Christianity
which prevailed at the South nor Roman
ism. The true Christian religion must be
inwrought into the foundations of the
national superstructure. Neither justice,
nor education, is so necessary. The latter,
moreover, will not long exist without the
sanctions of religion. If not sanctiied by
the teachings of Christianity, they would
tend to a general want of fallh and virtue.
The Christianity which favors the largest
measure of enlightenment which welcomes
the common school and refuses to gather the
children of the State into schools that give on
ly a churchly training which believes that
true science is alwaysi in sympathy with true
piety which will not tolerate an institu-
ton that makes a mock of Gods ordinances
the marriage and the family-and that
doles out the Bible in such measure and
form as suits mans pride and selfshDess-
is the religion which a free State needs.