Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1866-06-01
Irreverence.

''''''' VIC IA thS sLdlty IdtUcT UTAH
those we meet with in books. Take tho
family. ipr instance. How little respect
have children in these days for parental
authority That position has now not on
ly none OF the patriarchal dignity accorded
to it, under the older civilizations, but it
would even seem to be losing that little re-
spect which it has had in the more recent
past. So it is also in the school. What a
dignity did he of the desk and the rod once
support Outside of our homes the imper-
sonation of unspeakable authority! It is
only necessary to allude to the subject to
suggest the change that has taken place
And things more sacred, the institutions
and offices of religion, have not escaped
the inroads ofprevailing irreverenee. No
doubt these filings VIC often hear, r,perhaps,as
often from the pulpit as any where else.
against the starched and stilted piety Of the
past, II piety that wore long faces, and ar
rayed itself in white neck ties, have some
slight justification. But the reaction is too
sweeping by far, to be healtlfu and safe,-
That children on their way to school SHOULD
range themselves as they once did, on the
roadside. when they saw the clergyman
approaching. to be ready to salute him
with courtesies aud respectful bows, may
have been the dictate of slavish submits
sion to worn out sentiment of q less in
telligent age, but if We, who arc clergymen,
may be permitted to say it, we do not see
the superiority of the conduct of children
of the present day, who do not even stop
their play when the minister approaches,
nor recognize him. And ii ho gets past
them without hearing some opprobriouJ ep-
tibet which has been hurled at him in tic
interval Of leap-frog and marble rolling,
he may count himself fortunate.
Now these are not the small things which
to many they MIGHT appear TO be. It is
not Il small thing that there is such mark
ed and well-nigh universal degeneracy
from principle that lies not only at tho
basis of civil government, but also Of soci-
ETY. and religion. We have seen how the
dcvotees OF modern science have tramped
into the inner court Of the temples Oftruth
with noisy tongues, covered heads and feet,
and have put their sacrligious hands upon
the very ark of God itself, and We canuOt
wonder so much when we sec the spirit
that characterizestlje people everywhere,
even TO the very children of the streets
We believe, indeed, that the terrible civil
war which has ragged in this country for
the last four years, with all the monstrOus
assumptions and claims with respect to
rights, ofthose who recklessly took mp arms
against the government of their fathers, is
but the legitimate result of that spirit Of
irreverence and contempt for authority
which oharacteriZcs the age and nation in
which we live. Let this movement contin-
ne, and the very foundations of things will
he removed aud the primitive chaos como
back again.
There is no mark of prevailing irrever-
ence more noticeable than profanity. It
is most fcarfully prevalent. And the won-
der is that while it is IA sin which would
seem to demand the most criminal thought
lessness of God, one that is especially re-
bukcd in the moral code of Sinai, one that
is even contrahaud in good society, as
yulgarisn, it is yet Il sin for which scarcely
II reason can be assigned, and to which We
look in vain for a temptation adequate to
the crime. Ask the man who is using the
most hideous and ilnpious phrases, how it
came about, and he will be non -plussed a.
the utter basclcssness of the crime. Be
cause it is Il sin so utterly unprovokcd, one
that cannot claim the temptation of ap-
petite or passion, or enjoyment or profit,
its enormity appears the greater. 0 dread
sanctity of God! We tremble when NJ
think of mans accumulated offences
against thee q name, most rcvered.
most beloved. sour Father in Heaven"
how can any creature utter thee save in
the urgency of PRAYER, Or tenderness Of
affection Ilallowed, hallowcd be thy
name, o God
We Call attention to the above cxcell-
ent and timely article, copied from the
san Francisco Pacific. Reverence of
vencration has served to hold the count
less millions Of the Chinese empire to-
gether in a degree of good order, peace
and prosperity, and for length of time
cqnalied by no other nation. The same
sentiment is the salt which preserves Ro-
man CATHOLIC countries from becoming
verse than they are and it is the source
of strength of the Russian empire. Lack
of reverence is the element of weakness
and disintergation of the States, and per
haps OF Canada. The Purtans. while
they did not allow reverence to run into
blind submission to men vet maintained
the most profound respect for the Deity
and holy things. \ revival of such q
spirit is much needed
APPOINTMENTS OF EAST MAINE Con-
FERENCE VI. +. CuUEcu.- BacISport Dis
Presiding Elders. Ii. Bealc.
Buck sport, Eleazer w. Hutchinson.
East Bucksport and Orland, TO be sup
Piled.
North Bucksport, Joseph King.
South and Center Orrins ston VI. ID. Matl
ewS.
0rrington, J. Fletcher.
Scarsport. \. Church.
Belfast, L. l.. Adams,
Castnc, W. +. Jewel.
penubscot and Broohsylle, to be sun
piled.
Surry, Otis Il. Wilson.
Franklin, Sullivan and Gouldsboro,
William Reed.
MiIlhrid@e and Steuben, to be supplied
Cberryiield, to be supplied.
Harrington. lanes \. Moreland.,
Columbia and Addison, B. +. Stinson.
Machias, A. Il. Lunt.
Ellsworth, j. l.. Locke.
East Machias and Cutler, Edward Brack-
cit.
Whiting and Edmonds, B. G. Black.
wood Snpernumerary.
Luhec, West Lpbec and Quoddy Head,
S. :. Gross and G, II. Palmer.
PASSPORT to BE- supplied.
Pembroke, J., l.. lianscom.
Rohbnston, Charlotte and Cooper, to be
supplied.
Wesley and Northtield. to be supplied.
Calais, w. $. Mckellar.
Milltowp and Alexander, b. NJ. Mitch.