The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-07-30
The Hand of Providence.


a great evil, out Of which some good may
possibly come, by means which they are un,
able to imagine, by referring it to Provi'
dence. The "hand of Providence IS IL
it." Whilst this is rather n healthy state OF
mind, exhibiting reliance upon the wis
dom Of the Almighty Spirit, it is not alto
gether salutary, since there are certain du'
ties devolved upon US all that require some
thing more active and energetic on our part
than the mere trusting dcvoutly to the all
providing benefcencc of the Supreme Be
ing. Simply illustrated, We shall have nc
corn unless we plant and plow and gather
and garner the fruits of our toll. We can
gather none of those fruits if we leave the
fields exposed to the ravagcs OF beasts. we
shall avoid no danger to ourselves, no peru
to our crops, unless we have the industry
and forecast to provide against them. we
know ordinarily the dangers that beBct us,
and by the exertion Of ordinary effort ana
sacacity we shall protect ourselves.
1t is, therefore, an imperfect discharge
of our duty to society to contemplate evils
that VIC might help at least to avoid, ana
console ourselves with the remark that some
good may come of it." the hand OF Provi-
dence is in it,"
The world is quite venerable, and society
has vast deal of experience. Mr.. jEN-
KISsoS, in the Vicar Of Wakefield, said IN
his day the world was in its dotagc; and II
society, with oil it's knowledge from history
and the experience of ages, does not profit
thereby, we may conclude that society itself
is in its dotage.
1t is, alas, too true that man is in no age
inclined to profit by the experience OF the
past in any matter which runs counter to
his avarice and concupisccnccs.
The disposition is rather to subordinate
the divine will to the approval of his de-
sires, than to subduc those desires In pre-
sence of the unmistakablc offence they give,
and the continual visitation of providential
wrath upon them from the beginning. The
Puritan was cnamored of pretty girl, he
forthwith informed her that God had given
her to him in his dream, and he prosecuted
the fluttering little heart that dreaded him
by the grace of God. And so in great and
small matters, in all time have the OPP
pressor, the sensualist, the avarlclouS and
the coyctous, found some prctcxt, some
apology, for their crimes, ever assuming
disguise, ever wearing the livery OF Heaven
to serve the devil in.
But it is not these deliberate villianies OF
which we mean especially to speak, but OF
the better men whose abiding trust III
Providence, resting upon nature rather
apathetic, prompts them to hope for proyl-
Dental interference to check evils which
they might, in some degree, themselves
help to avoid. Look at African slavery
The better men of the day OF its origin
countenanced, and some encouraged, il on
the ground that it might lead to the Chris
tianization of Africa How far has their
anticipation been realized Everybody can
answer the question. In what respect has
the hand of Providence been manifested !
Only, as far as We can sec, in bringing
upon this country the greatest calamltlcS
that ever hcfel nation.
Once more our good people are seeing far
ahead, with devoutncss which shows their
deep picty, :" the hand Of Providence in
the influx of coolies and other low Chinese
into this country by millions 1t is strange
that they should subordinate their practi-
cal wisdom to vain imagnings of future
Providence when history is full Of the dis
pcnsations bearing directly upon the case
now before them. Indeed, they are them
selves living witnesses of the clearly defined
and executed Judgments of the Divine
authority in similar case.
The "hand of Providence is in it, To
this every man who owns u ship engaged
in the coolic trade will agree--so will every
planter who looks alone to the number of
bales of cotton he can produce, and cares
not what sort of creature he brings into the
bosom of society to increase the number OF
those bales. He wants man of the lowest
type, the most humble, the most industri-
tired, lives on thistles, and does more work
than any other man, who has no ambition,
no desires, no loves, no hates; who, III
short, is as near brute as can be without
brutes violence, and who neither
scratches nor kills. He will lay the fatter-
ing JUNCTION to his soul, and help on the de-
signs of Providence by bringing in great
many of such citizens.
The "hand of Providence" indeed. That
hand finished its work pretty well in tho
beginning. Rarely does it interfere spe
cially; and never for the qualification
of the avarice, vanity, Incidence, an(
extravaganza of society. That han(
prepared the retribution for nationa
crimes in the beginning, and it never
fails to fall when the provocation is given
1t is q less painful occupation to be hoping
good out of patent evil that is in progress
than to bewail the calamities it has brough
upon society but how, in this country, any
man surrounded by the ruins, the ashes
and the walls of desolation heretofore
brought upon us, can put trust in the repe-
ttion of the crime (under circumstances o.
aggravation) that invoked it upon the land
we cannot understand.
New Theory of Earthquakes.
The July number of Blackaoood contain:
highly interesting article upon earth
quakes and their cause, which attributes