The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-08-28
.I.inraIn Counlr.
rHg PULPIT oN RnooNsrRUorIoN.

The ROAEAl YIN hnOONloII
For the first time in our life we listened
yesterday, 30 a sermon purely and exclusively
of political character It Was at the Pear
Street Universalist Church, by Rev. Willard
Spaulding Of Salem, Mass. Mr.. Spaulding
took text from Palms, Pray for the peace
of Jerusalem" &c But for this fact, in con-
nection with the time and the place, weshould
never have mistrusted the discourse was I'M
tended for a sermon Indeed, the speaker
said in the outset that he proposed to tax to
his hearers on the duty Of the Government
towards the late seeded States; and faithfully
and fully did he redeem this pledge, reminding
one, by his sharp points and his close reason
ing, of some of Ward Bsecher's most pungent
discourses on political topics. F wN
Mr.. Spaulding takes the extreme ground
occupied by Mr.. Suninef; denies that States by
rebellion can 60 out Of the Union, bu5insists
they may commit suicide, and that this il
precisely what the seeded States have done,
and that, as civil organizations, they are simp
ly dead and utterly powerless, and that the
duty of the President was TO bury them.
There is nothing Of the States left but thf
land and the people; they have lost etery
right of States, for by perfidy comes the for
fixture and loss of every right and privilege
conceded to good faith. The speaker would
have the National Government, through Con-
gress and other appropriate tribunals, exert
the control over those late States that by right
of conquest it may with perfect legitimacy ex-
ert This control, he insists, is supreme.
He would not erect them into even Terri
toriai Governments till the Federal Constitu-
ton can be so changed as TO forever secure the
nation against the reasonable possibility Of
another civil war; The right of suffrage should
be guaranteed to every loyal man not tainted
with crime or smitten with imbecility; popu-
lar, universal education should be provided
for in the Federal Constitution, as in New
ENGLAND it is in the State Constitutions The
landed aristocracy should be destroyed, the
large estates being divided up for the benefit
of the poor, both black and white. The loya1
blacks should be organized into military bodies
and be empowered by their votes and tlieif
firelocks to protect their own inalienable
rights.
The speaker said it was burning shame to
force the loyal blacks to the front in war and
to the rear in peace; to force the heroic Rob
ert Small back to the plantation and allow the
Keitts and the Rhetts to control the ballot box
and fix his destiny. a7
He was severe on Northern Democratic
Conventions for resolving against negro suf-
frage, and Republican Conventions for hesitat
ing to come out sduare-edged in favor of it,
The shoddy needed to be taken out of both.
When this is done the press will be free, the
pulpit will be emancipated, the preacher viii
be able to pray for Gods poor without danger
to. his living 50 IL E-A~&
But we have no room for further remarks.
Suffice it to say there was no drowsiness dur
ing the delivery Of that discourse. Its honesty
and fidelity no one could doubt The taste or
Judgment which suggests such a discourse, for
such an occasion, may be questioned We
confess we seriously question it; not from any
hostility to the subject matter of the DISCOURSE
for, with few exceptions, it was, to our judg-
ment, sound, sensible and exactly right Our
doubts would be founded simply on the aft
ness Of things" and the proprieties of the oc-
casion.
In the City Hall, before Union State Con-
vention, or other loyal political assembly, it
would be ranked as number one among the
speeches upon the issue of the hour. Some Of
its doctrines would not be accepted by large
portion of the Union men of the country, but
it would, if published, be regarded as a noble
contribution to the loyal cause; not because
ofits exact soundness in all respects, but for
its general soundness, its elevated tone, and
the simple, hearty and unquestioned honesty
of the heart and head from which it proceed
ed. Ae
We confess while listening to it, our sympa-
thies were deeply excited for few persons
whom we knew to be present. We didn't dare
look them in the face We couldn't do so.
We knew they must be upon the rack. The
copper in their heads must have been heated
nearly to the fusion point. They must have
felt decidedly uncomfortable. But the bed was
one of their own making up, andmalxing vir-
tue OF necessity, like true gentlemen they con-
Guided to "grin and bear it.'aa 4rot NJ,