Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1865-1872, 1867-07-19
old flag waves in victory over its insolent


old flag waves in victory over its insolent
4 foes
"vainiy the prophets Of Baal would rend 1t,
vainly his worshippers pay for its fall;
Thousands have died for it, millions defend il,
Emblem Of justissand mercy to all.
Justice th at reddcns the sky with her terrors,
Mercy that comes with her white. handed train,
Soothing III passions, redee ming all errors,
Sheathiag the sabcr aud br aking the chain,
J borne on the deluge OF old usurpai ons,
Drifted our ark Ger the desolate seas;
This was the rainoon Of hope to the nations,
Torn from the storm cloud and flung to the breeze.
We are reachiug higher plain of an
tional existence We are gaining brilIian
victories not only on the physical battle
field, butou ~ achievements are grand
During all the tiSe of our recent darkness
and trial God was preparing the natior
for victory and advancement. The chic
executive was making rapid progress in
the right direction. The advance steps o.
Mr.. Lincoln may be itly illustrated by an
important event which stands recorded il
ancient history-it is that of the passage
beyond the Pillars of Hercules.
When Coloeus of Samos sailed for Egypt
he was driven by easterly storms to the
Island Of Platea, and from thence, says
Horodotus, mot without divine drec.
ton" through the straits into the ocean.
He had not dreamed Of the discovery oi
an enterance into an unknown world, mol
did he imagine the new views,and enlarged
sphere of ideas to which his accidental ex.
pedition led.
! So with Mr.. Lincoln when he COM
menced his administration amid the mighty
tempest, he did not know that he was 90
be driven, but doubtless not without de-
vine guidance, through the straits into q
wider ,sea-a more extended sphere-into
an unknown world Of new, and more ex-
alted ideas and truth. More correct and
grander views Of government and human
rights were grouped within the scope OF
his vision.
Having assembled above the vapory veil
Of political sect into the richness Of free
and bouudless truth, he stood before his
death, in large place grasping vast
hori zon. The political armament above
him was gemmed with sparkling stars
eternal suns. There was manifest ten
dency in his teachings toward the law Of
christ as the basis Of civil government. In
his last inaugural address. he most clearly
and sublimely recognized the rights Of
God as the rights Of men in civil affairs.
While Lycurgus consulted the oracle at
Delphi, aud Numa the Egeria, for princi.
pies of jurisprudence, Mr.. Lincoln con.
suited the oraclcs of inspiration. Es
pecially during the latter part OF his reign
he seemed to be towering toward God and
truth, aud egarly caught the bright ray
that came to wake fhs nation to nobler
grander life.
1t should ever be remembered that nc
civil power can be permanent that is moi
predicated upon the eternal principles o
justice, freedom aud righteousness.
The history of ancient nations is full
Of proof Of the instability Of governments
not based upon the higher law of God
AS illustrations Of this important truth
would point you to the proud Pharoahs,
those naughty monarchs of Egypt, who
trampled Gods chosen people beneath the
iron heel Of oppression, aud who set N
defiance the rule and power of Jehovah
Where is Egypt their pride to day? Hel
glory has faded like u leaf.
point you to Babylon the capital o
the Babylonian Empirc-thc pride o
Nebuchadnezzar, who said of her in tn,
promp of his pride: "Is not this grea
Babylon, which | have built for the house
of my kingdom by the might of my power
and for the glory Of my majesty That i:
now barren waste over run by Arat
Tribes. The date groves, the vineyards
and the gardens that adorned the land in
the days of Arlxerxes have disappeared
aud nothing of { z glory of those day'
and that land is now to be seen but tn,
rolling waters of the majestic Euphrates.
Babylon, once the strong and the great
"Sets as widow upon the ground
There is no more throne for thee, U daugh
ter of the Chaldeans." A bosom of desc
lation has also swept over Nincvah, the
capital of the Assyrian Empire. Where
are Tyre aud Sidon, and Sodom and Go
morah, and the cities of the plain? Where
Jewish Empire? Why has she passed
away and her glory departed? All these
have been swept away because of their an
tagonism to the throne of God.
Does not the history of the Asyrians
and Chaldeans, the Egyptians, the Car
thagenians, the Grecians and Roman:
prove the fragility of all human govern.
ments not CONFIRMED to the requirement:
Of the divine law. Our hearts should be Gil.
ed with unuttcrable JOY that there is even
now manifest tendency among the ma
tions toward the law OF Christ as q basi:
of civil government
DR.. Trumbull very truly says: "Th(
tendency Of even politics in all the en-
lightened nations flows in the same direc.
tion. Gerovinus in his introduction I,
the history of modern Europe, has by 4
laborious analysis demonstrated this grea
fact. Through many changes and strug
giles an advance toward equal, and conse
quently, universal rights is visible. Hov
strikingly, and beautifully is this developed
on the North American Continent. Th,
longing and dastruggle for these rights i
visible enos b in other lands The end i
universal berty, a recognition of th,
rights of G aud the rights of man
what the llists dream after, but for tn,
want of SO Ichristian principles and th'
sunlight eternal truth, they cannot re
alize equality, freedom, fraternity--thati is
order, unity, universally under Chris
and christianity
The current Of eUeats since The commence
nient Of the present century bears The clear
{ est proof that the nations are oeneraH