The Portland daily press., 1866-04-14
THE NATIONAL SITUATION
Who is Responsible for it?
A SERMON PREACHED ON FAST DAY,
APRIL 70, 1886, BY REV. e. WALKER, 81
PASTOR OF STATE ST. CHURCH,
PORTLAND. al
~ g LUKE, srH cHAr, e2D vEnsE:
No man having put his hand to the plough, al

looking pack ID nj ior Inc kiIsuom VI oou'
The moral principle involved in this utter
ance is-like all moral principles-of unlimit-
ed application. In small things and in great
alike, it is true that completion is the condition
of reward. Unstable endeavors are not win
ners of shy success. The condition of any
noble achievement is the keeping straight on
to the goal. And in proportion as any moral
enterprise is high and important in its charac-
ter, in that proportion does this law OF perse-
verance as the condition of success, take On
more memorable rigor. The extirpation Of one
evil habit demands great watchfulness and
long-continued self-conurol. But this victory
of virtue over the whole man, Is the unter-
minated struggle of lifetime. To win the
character which commands confidence among
men, is slow endeavor.D To win the holiness
which fits for Heaven is one which admits no
pause, suffers no looking back, and knows no
earthly rest. ,s..5 zsass. 10 .s-t.r+ ,,'f..
Nor does it matter whether we apply this
principle to private and individual concerns,
or to collective and public ones, Itholds with
equal authority In both. High national wei
fare il to be secured only on the condition OF
thorough compliance with the terms to which
that welfare is annexed. The nation which
"put its hand to the plough" and "looks back"
is not fit for the reward. That only wins
which draws the furrow straight through to
the end. .1fy s--- ..,,,-,-.s .ss.ras al
Now the work which, in the providence OF
God, this nation has been undertaking for
some years past, affords an illustration of
putting of the hand to the plough in great
civil and moral enterprise. The long and
costly war which rolled its desolating waves
tweiyemonth eafter twelvemonth over the
fairest portions of our domain, was the result
of an endeavor, first to control and finally to
extirpate a vicious moral principle from pub
Lie affairs. This principle which asserted the
natural right of one race to tyrannize over
another race, OF one man to own property in
another man, was the occasion OF The war; All
the other occasions which are sometimes al
leged-differences of pecuniary interests in
different sections, conflicting views of the linn
its of State rights, dissirnilar habits of educa-
ton and of life-all these, and whatever else
may be assigned a secondary place, resolve
themselves in the last analysis into this all
eofnprehending occasion, the exercise in our
country of the immoral claim Of property in
man. The history of the last forty years is
the history of the assertion by some and the
denial by others Of the Righteousness Of that
claim. The struggle OF the past five years has
been struggle on the one side to maintain it,
on the other side to overthrow it. No amount
of subtlety can, hide the essentially moral
character Of the contest which has been wag-
ing among us. 1t is as moral conflict that
the eyes of the world have been drawn to-
ward it. The thing which has lent to the
strife its deepest interest in the sight
of mankind, has not been the vastness
of the physical energies displayed, or the
breadth Of the material consequences involved.
That which has secured this struggle place
it was a struggle to put an end to the baleful
power of principle at war with morals, with
liberty, with humanity. ..-,,....., ,g...,5s ni
This was the ploughing which the loyal
part of the nation put its hand to; and it was
to see how true the furrow ran, that all the
world looked on. ''1 -
sal6,.s s.ls.t...s p. ..
A year ago to-day it seemed as if that fur
row, under the steady hand Of the govern
ment we then had, was running true to the
goal. The great principle of oppression as the
foundation of society, had just been broken in
the capitulaton of the Southern army on the
9Th of April. The President of the peoples
choice had visited and returned from s1nould-
ering Richmond. Last evening, twelve
month since, he made his last public address,
in which he congratulated the people who
gathered before the steps Of that White House
which has since heard the echoes of so differ
ent words, on the substantial success which
had crowned their efforts; on the unity of
purpose which animated all departments of
the government, and on the prospect of
speedy and lasting peace in the interest of lib
erty and justice to all. A year ago tomorrow,
as If to confirm this fair augury of accomplish
ed success, General Grant issued his order
to stop euiistments, to curtail expenditures
and to remove military restrictions on trade
and commerce.
The prospect seemed suspicious. Of course
no one, either in public or in private station
supposed anxiety and even difficulty were over
The REIMBURSEMENT of society under the altered
condition of affairs in the Southern States
every one foresaw was work of delicacy
and of wisdom. But the people believed thai
certain great beacon-lights had been lifted in
to the sky during the progress of the war
which cast an unmistakable radiance on tn
main direction to be pursued. The maintain
ance of the freedom so solemnly guaranteed
by the nation, in its hour of extremity, to tn
lately enslaved, by securing to them, beyont
lt the possibility of deprivation, the enjoymen
of civil rights, was one finger point OF tina
road. The Interpretation of those who hat
plugged the nation into this whirlpool ofblood
from ever being able to do it again was another
The meeting ont to the leading conspnator
that punishment which would serve lin tn
words Mr.. Andrew johnson had used i'm &C
cepting the nomination to the Vice Presj
dency) to make treason odious" and sboy
tito be the greatest OF crimes" was a third.
These three Things secured, the people be
lieved the way to safe and ultimately to
harmonious restoration of the Union wa
open. The people were not vindictive; bl
they wanted to be secure. They did not thir
for blood or desire to triumph over pro
trate foe. But they did think that the saci
fees they had sustained and the suferin;
they. had endured, were deserving of son
substantial guarantees against their being
in vain. Was 1t unreasonable that men " no
crippled sons were hating on crutches arouI
4
> ground among the dead Of Salisbury az
Belle Isle, should think SO? 4f.9
And the loyal masses oil the North were e
couraged in the belief that all necessary qua
antees of safety ip the restoration of all pal
of the country to the Union would be secure