Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-03-09
The Piety of The Ohio Stake Jour-
nnu


We like The Ohio State Journal. Its edi-
torlis pious, and believes firmly in prayer;
he knows the value of prayer; he is fully
persuaded that it will be effective for good.
He holds it to have been the 'bounden duty
on the part of such as read the Bible and
believe its precepts" top pray 'for blessing
upon the President OF the United States" at
the time he was ''renewing his fidelity to
the Government Of the country;" and he
wants to know: iaa V.a ge.saeszo -ts
"What spectacle would be more sublime
than great people, strong in the con-
sciousness of power, and confident in the
plenUitude of their resources, prostratlng
themselves before the majesty of heaven
and earth, and realizing that In dis pres
ence their strength is but weakness, and
their wisdom but folly, and supplicating
that guidance and support without winch
nothing is strong. nothing is holy"
1t appears that some editor INDUCED in
sort of "a sneer" at the idea of holding a
universal prayer meeting for President
LINCoLN's special benefit. We do not
know what editor did this thing; but we
are glad that The State Journal has indulged
I'M befitting Indignation over the circum-
stance. 1t would have afforded us infinite
pleasure to have beheld the editor when the
"blnsh'' was on him as he contemplated
that ''sneer." 1t is very strange that any
editor should "here in this blessed State of
Ohio, and in favored portion of the State"
too, think of ''sneering" at any effort to call
down into the heart of President LINCOLN
the feelings Of humanity and disposition
to stop the carnival of blood that is now in
full progress. Any editor who sneered at
efforts contemplating such an object should
have considerable amount of indignation
bestowed upon him. Prayers should GER
tainly be offered up ''to bring him to re-
pentanee and better mind" rz
We are, however, at loss to comprehend
the propriety of our excellent and pious
neighbor administering a rebuke on the
"Clergyman who led the services at the
Inauguration Prayer Meeting; and who,
in CLOSING the exercises took occasion to
animadvert upon an inauguration Bali
that was to come off at Washington, some
time in the week succeeding the Inaugura-
tion, which ball he assumed to be intrin-
sicaIly sinful" The Clergyman un-
doubtedly, devotes his time to study of
the Scriptures with view of ascertaininG
the will ofthe Lord, to the end that he may
communicate it to those whom he has been
commissioned to senlighten with reference
to it. He, therefore, should have something
like a pretty correct view as to what is
sinful and as to what is not sinful; but the
editor of The Ohio State Journal gives us to
understand that "there is great diversity
of opinion as to the propriety of persons
dancing on such OCCASIONS" and that, there
fore, dinasmuch as no one has right to
decide that matter for one another, the only
equitable and sensible aoay is to let each one de-
eide IL for himself" - los aa!
Now, we have no hesitation in saying,
that had this Clergyman spoken in the vein
of enthusiastic eulogy of President LIN
coin; extolled him for his emancipation
proclamation and for his avowed determi-
nation To insist upon the total abolition of
Slavery as condition to Peace, the editor
ofrThe Ohio State Journal would have been
struck with profound admiration for him.
1t would not have occurred to him that
''there is great diversity of opinion as to
the ,propriety OF persons" holding negroes
in slavery. This is matter that zone has
arightto to decide for another" and that it is
neither Equitable" nor sensible" to ''let
each one decide for himself" That is The
Ohio State Journals doctrine. The editor
understands that the fund raised by the ball
was to be devoted to the relief of sick and
wounded soldiers It's charitable object
sanctifed it.
From the manner in which the editor of
The State Journal discusses the matter it is
somewhat difficult to determine which
would prove the more acceptable to the
Lord, an Inauguration Prayer Meeting or
an Inauguration Ball. At least, it is not
proper for a Clergyman. to oexpress an opin-
ion in regard to it, yet it would look some- |
what novel to see mammoth Inauguration
Prayer Meeting and mammoth Inagura-
tion Ball held at the same time, in the same
block, for the purpose Of propttiattng the favor
Of the, Lordi 1t is hard to tell which ''spec-
taele'' would be the ''more sublimeo b
WEare at loss to know whether it was
the manner of delivery or the matter
of Vice. President JoHNsoNs Inaugural
speech that met with somuch disfavor from
the eAdministrationists at Washington. If