The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-31

Sermon by the Rev. Wr. Frothin2ham On
"Pcrsonai Observation-Disclosures Suffrage
and Oar City Govcrnment--The Impotence
of Public Opinion.
the Rev. Mr.. Rockingham yesterday delivered o
sermon on Personal Independence.n After alluding
at considerable length to certain portion OF the
Scriptures which pointed to every mans being per.
sonally independent, he expatiated on the various
forms OF government In Europe and the United
States. The political systems OF Europe, he said.
were based on the theory OF human depraylty
according to which every man was considered unfl
to think for himself. king or potenate OF some
kind claimed to have q commission from God
to think and act for other people. Our sys.
tenn recognized no crown, no king no sceptra
Each individual here was q sovereign In
himself. The system made every person
On entire and separate one; that s, each individual
was equal to the other. Neither rank class nor
position drew line In the system between portions
OF the people. The principle OF woman Suffrage was
part OF the system in Its perfected form; yet
woman still denied the right OF representation
In IL. woman was certainly person. She reared
children who one day became "soverelgns;'
SHE PAID TAxES
and had to suffer IN every instance more than man
In all pubic calamites and national sunerings; but
she had no voice In the choice Of the parties VINO
plade the laws by which her property was controlled
Or which concerned her personal liberty
OF personal independence when carried out to ia
ultimate consequences. Personal independence wal
that which made each individual his own Judge OF
what was right 80 long as he followed just convo-
lions. 1t IN cOnsonance with this idea That We
IN TINS country were awys s 70
we were teaching them how to work and become
useful. We were In q like manner making our con-
vics' condition such that they might III the future
do good instead OF following their old paths Of
wickedness. When we saw noble woinan-as
ventlon OF women to abolish the very existence Of
war, we felt that she was speaking IN the name Of
modern society, ior 10 was woman who SUFFERED ing
that filed the warriors graves, and the voice OF
modern society, through woman appeal, cried Gus
that hereafter tho votes Of bleeding hearts should
BIO counted as well as those OF bleeding hands The
idea OF personal Independence was that OF religion
itself The idea or religion exalted the individual,
for did 1t not consider each one as an immortal
soul? The grave Tor the Christian was not his
goal; It was not. his annitilation. The reve-
rend gentleman then proceeded to show how
personal independence made man fearless, staunch
and true under all circumstances. He then went on
course OF his remarks al uded to
OUR CITY GOVERNMENT.
He said that oil the political evils from which the
taxpayng people were suliering could be remedied
by personal Independence that 49, II each individual
every consideration that was wrong. 1t was not
necessary for anything Ike common concert be-
was personally independent the grand result
wouli come gradually, but surely. AS things were
ally Went down to the cattle Of
the City Hall every day and got heeced, and went
lue WAYS rejoicing afterwards, than king their stars
tnat they were not feeced any than they were,
The city could not be saved by what i called public
opinion, for public opinion was vast mass OF nc0.
herent thought and feeling. IL was formed by the
multitude and the multitude never Thought.
The majority were ignorant and uniearned,
and an untaught democracy was monarchy.
People who talked about personal independence
causing anarchy knew not Of what they spoke:
those who pointed to burglars and murderers and
tnleVes and AL bad cha acters as examplars OF the
idea, old so either by ignorance or malignty Bad
characters were not 0 exemplars OF PERSONAL in
dependence; Tor they knew not what law was but
were advocates OF lawles5nesS 1t TOOK years for
man to become personally independent years OF
thought and struggling and often sorrow. 1t often
separated mother from daughter and father from son.
often drew persecution and malignity down upon the
heads Of those who endeavorcd TO advocate IL prac-
tlcallv, but the compensation was beyond all price
precious. Whoever could say, my mind to me Q
Kingdom ls," was q man to be envied. The speaker
then continued to illustrate what after toiling and
struggling to attain personal Independence an ines
timable blessing personal independence really was
to those who attained 1t.