Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-12-09
''We Thank Thee. O God, for Southern
81 oy COnfededePacy!"

Such was the exclamation that assembled up from
thousand pulpits throughout the South, only few
short years ago. Unmeaning, silly and blasphe-
nous as it wss,yett came from those protesting to
be ambessadors of the Mack and Lowry who came
NOT into the world to smite With the sword for Opn-
ions sake, but to mpant the principles Of everlast-
ing peace Whist could have been the object of
these reverend dfvines in thus insulting the Deity
by alluson to His name in connection with the
works of the evil one2 Was It with any hope or
belief-that- Ged -woald be we'll pleased with such
mock, thspk-ofsrings Surely notJ for many Of
them were men of more than ordinary intellect and
to say they believed such silly stuff this would be
to charge them with imbecility and want of COM
mon sense. n To say that they believed that Jeho-
vab's wrath against those who sought their broth
ers blood without a cause would be thus appeased,
would be to charge them with gross ignorance in
regard to the Scriptures many of them were
theOlogians
frI Thor prayers were then prompted by different
motives. They that the people of the South
had embarked in most desperate enterprise. They
felt thst5they bad been Instrumental in bringing
about such state of circumstances They felt that
10 be successful, every available man must be
brought into the field They the apathy exist
ing among . large number of the people of the
South These facts staring them in the face, they
resolved to throw their influence into arousng the
people and firing the Southern heart" Hence
their political prayers Hence their efforts to blend
with their reason kind of religious superstition
that the masses might be impressed with the idea
thai God was on the side-ef the South, and would
fight their battles with the invineible strength Of
His mighty arm. Hence their loud thanks and
praises for victories that were never won and for
Con federacy that never existed saTe in the ephem
eral brain of a few demented soons of defunet
saFistocracy, sometimes known as the "chivalry."
Many poor fellow, whose remains returned to
their mother dust in Confederate soldiers grave,
fellvictms to the receptions and misrepresentation
held forth TO them by these political worshipers
when engaged 'professedly, in addressing Throne
Of Grace. These prayers were not offered with any
expectation that God would answer them, but with
aView to awakening the prejudices, enkindling the
pride, and firing and maddening the sectional ami
mostly that burned in the bosom of the warm
hearted Southerper, They were entirely political
in their nature, and so intended by their au-
thors.ssgos gut,a IS. VfglgzErf ayr FaH.t
And now some OF these men raise a great hue and
cry sbout political churches and political ministers
If q Christian minister in private conversation
should speak Of the late rebellion as wicked and IFS
friends rebels heis immediately charged by them
with being a political minister. They claim that
they being natiye rborn, the sole occupants of
spiritual SOIL and If any one comes from north of
the Ohio river, and essays to q minister in holy
things" hesis an intruder7an nterlopeE apolitcal
parson. These fellows, these pinks of .proPriety,
these jewels Of consistency these elect Of God dele
gated by Himt0 preach the Gospel TO the whole
Soufh! they are very profoundly pious; while all
who difer With them are potico-religious, and un
worthy of the esteem of Christians.