Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-01-10

: has taken Fortress Monroe, and from tb,
: point is beseiging Washington. Blu
} some of them at least, have learned this
we have triumphed, and that our couI
! try, on account of its baptism IN th
} blood of its enemies, and of its own hoI
ored dead, is a stronger and mighter M
ton than ever. We are a nation now
before the rebellion we were only pre-
pairing to become a nation. From the be
ginning of our struggle-When the beaut
ful nag of our Countrywide symbol G
political liberty, the guarantee of poiit
cal happiness, and now more than eve
the emblem of political strength an,
greatness-when this flag was struck at
and at the command of traitors was low
cred from Sumpters statf-although de
ny that it ever has been trailed in tn
dust-up to the time when 1t was raised
aloit to float as it now does. more splend
idly snd grandly and proudly than ever
over united land-theTe has been a con
slant exhibition of power in the nationa
! government. When the mind is permit
ted to reflect on the difficulties and OBJ
stacles in the way, that could not be gOt
/ around, but that had to be suImounted, il
is amazed at the exhibition of power thus
! given to the world. As our struggle i:
uni Ireeedented in the annals of history,
so also Is our success. But afterall where
lies the power? The government is but
an abstraction-tak away the people and
where's your government? Muskets and
rifles and ball and powder and artillery
and iron clad vessels, and forts and bat
teries are very destructive things when
they are worked by a determined and
brave soldierY-but they are very harm
less If you put no men near them-"if you
will only let them alone"
1t Is still the social element in man
that gives the power to governmental
is because the individuals who make uu
the nation, or the large body of them,
feel that they are benefited as social be-
lngs in maintaining the civil authority,
that gives the strength to the govern
ment.
Had it not been for the loyalty and
patriotism of our masses-and loyalty
and patriotism are but the expression Of
the social Life of man-we would be a
broken, dismembered people to-day. It
makes not the slightest difference what
laws are passed, or how complete the sys-
tenn is for maintaining authority; if the
great body of the people are determined
on opposing them they are not worth the
paper they are written on. The laws Of
the national government were a nullity
throughout the South. not because they
were not just as truly laws for the South as
they were for the North, but because the
people there were opposed to them. The
power of society was exerted in a contra
ry direction. And if the power that re-
sided in society there, had not been
weaker than the power which resided in
the society which was on the side of the
government, the result would
have been the opposite of what it was
And thus it is throughout the world. The
peace OF the world, or the connections of
the world, are traceable to man as a so
cial being; to the power that is eXerted
by society. We may talk of the ambI-
ton of certain men producing this or the !
Other, but these men are pOwerless un-
ess they can work upon this social efe- |
nent in man. The power they exert is |
n influencing this. What results are OBJ |
aimed by them, are the effect of the
power of society. The thoughtful mind |
must see as it reflects on the matter, that |
t is of the utmost consequence, that,
What is thus capable of moving the 1
worlds machinery, needs to be properly /
controlled and wisely directed One can
eadily see that this element which turns
he world about as it chooses, may be
raught with blessings or it may
,e laden with curses. The true principle
therefore,, is to deepen and develop this
ocial feeling that belongs to man. Each
ne should be made to feel that he is not
n isolated being, but that he is q part of
family. His individuality should, in
ONE respects, be lost in the race to which
Ie belongs. He must lee made to feel the
Importance of each individual to the
7hole human family; he must feel the
nhuence that each one exerts on his fel
DIV men. And feeling this, he must ex-
rt himself, not for personal advantage
S if no one was of any consequence
ave himself, nor on the other hand
nth disregard of personal comfort, but
or the good Of man generally, and for
imself as part of the human family,
nd as being more directly interested
han any one else.
In the moral world there are many in
ependent forces, each having its proper
-ork in influencing man as a social being.
It the head of these powers we place the
ospel, which while in one point of view,
has a mission far higher than simply
le social aspect of life, in another point
f view may be regarded as assisting to
evelop and to direct the power which re-
des in society. As the means whereby 3,
ian Is to be delivered from the curse of ]
n. Ordained of God, coming from God, /
rmed with the power of God, it is a !
hing by itself Infinitely of more value ]
} man than anything which this world
IN propose; it is infinitely higher as a {
over, then anything we can conceive {
. is in fact, nothing less than God him !
IF working in the world for our good. 1
IS influence does not depend on man as
social being, on the contrary, the true
appiness of man depends on it. Never {
leless, it does not disregard the power Of I
,ciety, and it therefore seeks to engage c
IAN by means of the social element that
IN us, and leaving out of view the eter-
al reward it has at its disposal, it is the t
'eat instrument whereby a right direc-
on is given to the power of society. 1t }
not wise to try to separate religion in c
5 practical aspect from the social world, I
is an utterly false view of it that at c
mpts such thing. 1t is adapted by '
cd for man, as an active member of soci- y
+, and he intends thatits influence should Y
, felt in society. 1t makes the world I
stter only as it makes society better. L
In the same way must we understand t
le aphorism knowledge is power" 1t y
a power not when locked up in the i
east of any single individual, but when j
is used to move the world. And it is o
power for good only when it has for its t
,ject the benefit OF society by support s
g the principles of eternal truth P
nowledge, directed to the oppression of y
an, to the overthrow of the supports
virtue, to the undermining Of the a
nth of God, is one of the worst enemies C
man. 1t is mans friend only when it a
exerted for mans good both tempo
/ and eternal; when it is directed to
Ie strengthening of the morality of the
Orld; when it labors as a co-workeT with q
od for the establishment and propoga- :,
On of the Christian faith. Nevertheless, n
power is altogether Independent of 4
e purpose it mas to serve. Its power n
e. IL =. "A. Z