Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1866-02-01


in Chicago and declared the war failure
melting men TO withdraw their support frot
, the administration, and even to hurl it fron
= power, still Christians held firmly TO thei
, faith that it was Gods battle, and wou
, end in Northern victory. Thoroughly loys
pulpits denounced alike the rebels at tn
south and their coadjutors at the north
Thoroughly loyal religious newspapers still
counselled faith in the government ofGod
and exposed with mercless sarcasm tina
wayering and doubling which was so dis
eraclng those who ought to have exhibited
good Christian stability And the worlC
will never know, because it is not thorough
ly understood, and because history will no
record IL, how much Of gloom and despond
ency were driven off by the pious popnla
tion of the country who set their faith il
God, and consequently predicted and gave
assurance Of the final triumph. Abraham
Lincoln did not hesitate to say that he ap
preciated the encouragement given him by
the churches of the country, and on many
occasions, when deputations visited him to
convey respect and COUNSEL asked them still
to keep him in remembrance, and support
the cause in which he was engaged. And
on the other hand Mr. Vallandigham, of
| Ohio, declared that the churches and Sab
bath schools of his state did him more injury
than any other influence. which was precise.
/ ly equivalent to saying that churches and
Sabbath schools were efficiently hostile to
treason and all its crimes. D.. ..,. 81. 90.
(e. J Christian influence was great po-
ltical power in the north. In prosecuting
the war every thing depended under God,
stiles and measures Ii men at home voted
that it ought to be stopped, that our armies
ought to be recalled, and that hostilities
were useless, of course the cause must have
sunk. Votes at the north were as
as important as bullets in the field And
hence ministers of the gospel, seeing so
much religion in the political contest, large
ly gave themselves, not to the advancement
of party for party's sake, but to the
strengthening ofthe war, which was also the
patriotic spirit of the country. Ministers
did not hesitate to teach people how to vote.
They did not hesitate to speak in regard to
what party ought to prevail, and to point
out the fagrant sin he committed who cast
his suffrage in such way that It gave " aid
and comfort" to the slave holders. Poll
ticians knew this to be SO, and they encour-
aged such manifestations because they &C.
knowledged the power Of Christian principle
in the community and in the country at
large. any, we may indeed say all, the
political triunphs that were so gloriousy
achieved at the polls, were owing to the in
fuence exerted in favor of the government
by the church of Christ. The church gets
credit for it, perhaps: it may be all attrib-
uted to the wise planning OF chairmen Of
state committees, and the through canvass
ing of the country by eloquent stump ora.
tors. yet silently it will be acknowledged
that religion has been power, and that it
has done a great part in securing national
triumphs.
IT The Christianity of the country
summation-liberty. The advance por-
ton of the church declared, net only by the
action of its courts. but through its ministry
and periodicals, that slavery wasthe "sum
Of all villianies," that it was the cause of
the war, and that liberty must be proclaim
ed through all the land before God would
send US victory and peace Prayers went
up from thousands of pulpits, both public |
and private, for the freedom of the slave.
Ministers preached the enormity of the
crime against humanity and liberty and |
God, showing how God was judging US for !
committing t,and how His judgments would
not cease till the chains were broken, and /
the slaves all set free. Religious papers ad-
vocated the abolition of slavery as duty to /
the slave and as duty to ourselves, as an |
act of respect to God and His Son, and also |
as matter Of policy in relation to our own |
safety. And altogether there went from
the church of God an influence which did |
more than any other to build up sentiment
in opposition to oppression, and in favor of
emancipation. President Lincoln would
not have dared to issue his famous procla-
nation in the facs' of the piety Of the land
But he saw the church asking for it, he |
heard the calls of religion in relation to it, |
and he believed it was the voice Of God, and /
hence he did the grand act which, freed the
slaves, saved the nation, aud immortallzed
his name. .., ..-.- eu
(g) The Christianity of the country did /
much to relieve apl soften the distresses
ocessioned by the war. Ma war. was ever |
to mitigate its necessary severities, and take |
away its inevitable horrors. i0f course.
Christianity cannot refine war, or take,away
those savage features which mako it, in one
sense, one OF the greatest curses That can be-
fall a people. 1t must have its blood, agony
and desoation. And be as humane as We
may, there must be the sanguinary horrors
that fill the land with mourning and woe.
But during eur strife there were agencies at
work, which proceeding from the church
of Christ, and imbued with the spirit Of its /
great Head, were doing much to remove
many imbittering aspects of that which was
in itself SO destructive and circulating.
Chief among all these agencies was the
Christian Commission 1t owed its origin |
to the church. Its whole organization and |
pi ogress were Christian. Its appeals were
made in the name Of Christianity, and Its
work was done for the sake of Christ. 1t |
asked men to give their money because they
were Christians, and felt Christian interest
in the good work of national preservation.
1t trusted for its success to the Spirit of
Christ in his followers throughout the coun,
try. 1t sought to make the impression
every where, both at heme and in the army,
that its work was one Of love inspired by the
teaching of Him who ministered to the
wants OF those He came to save. 1t would
not be proper to try to tell'here what was
done by that great organization. and the
good that was accomplished; the money
that was contributed, and which was ex
pended with an accuracy that Was ss marvel
lous as its munfeent contribution; the food.
clothing, cordials, restoratiyes, simulants,
books, papers, ministrations, and all goods
that wero bestowed on the suffering SOL
diery will never be told or properly reesg-