Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1867-02-19
MISCELLANEOUS.
A Prophecy of, Retribution 8 Gloomy
Reflections.

- o. +.. -r
The venerable Nathan Lord, D. D., for
third of a century President of Dartmouth
College, New Hampshire amid all the polili-
cal infatuation and religious fanaticism that
has surrounded him, and that compelled him
finally to surrender the position he had so
long adored, adheres steadfastly to the princi-
pies and opinions that he cspoused before the
insanity that now preyailes in his section Of
country had become general The Charles
ton Mcrcu,yo of Saturday publishes portion
of private letter written by him last month
to one of his former pupils, extracts from
which we .subjoin:
"I do not justify, in point of Christian
principle or common prudence, themethods by
which you sought redress of the wrongs you
have, for more than generation, received
from the. North But l more blame our~
selves, first, for our denunciation of slavery
itself, in distinction from its abuses, and then
for our 'irrepressible conflict with it, under
taken upon false moral and political grounds,
and carried on, hatefuIly, as it has heen, after
a Mahometan fashion. Were the institution
mGlune IN Sc, and not sometimes conserva-
tive necessity for all the parties, our method
of overcoming it has been, from first to last,
unworthy of Christian people. We have
done tho work. We have given you dread
ful punishment. But, as we have done it in
unrighteousness OWT retribution, some time,
somehow, will come, perhaps to general dis
solution.
r'Yet [ dare not speculate on the furniture.
>: fold my hands, and wait the providence
OF God. But in the general and long run [
see no good before us. Judgment will
come. r4, =.
j; :: y * q*
81 think thus the rather because 1 seem to
sec an approaching catastrophe of all the
nations. The world has grown old in trans>
gression. From East to West the experts
ment of reforming and saving it has been tried
in vain. We are the western most and last ;
and now that Christianized, Anglo-Saxon, re-
publican wisdom has failed, instead of calling
on God for help we are calling upon the nc
gro. We look to a brutiied, shiftless and
licentious people to aid US in the work of
to ourselves, and which I now believe is i'm
possible on earth
The demonstration seems almost complete
that man can neither govern nor be governed.
nor govern himself, and that the last failure
will somehow prove the greatest fall The
volcanic throes of the nation to overturn ar
bitary power will be ultimately successful
Then 'libcrty, equality Paternity, will have
its short day; and when its Babel seems com
pleted, the dream of Garth will vanish. s.
Hore all such prophccying is vain. I find
myself almost alone. l sometimes imagine
that : could do more among your people,
and even among the outcast, suffering and
zperishing negroes, than among the philanthro-
pist who had given them boon which they
know not how to use, and which these boas-
ters never would have given them but to make
them subservient to their faDatical enterprise
or their lust of power. But my day is past.
What can one at threescore and fifteen do
but to rcpose, and prate, and lament"