New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-23

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The New York Times reports that Rev.
M. Street, pastor Of the North Presby-
te.ian Church in that city, in his sermon
last Sunday evening ON s'The Character Of
Samuel" in quoting the prophets words,
"Have received any bride 70 blind my
eyes," said: sz
BlAaoed ia the nation that has such = ruler.
Bless the people at. whose. head stands
one with skirts free from corruption. VI
all the evils q people have to dread. dis
honor in official persons is the greatest
The virus OF their evil permeates the whole
social fabric. Would to God we, the citi-
zcns OF this great metropolis. could receive
from those who are in authority the same
assurance, and lie able. with sincerity to
reply, 1--WE are witness to your integrity"
Would that our officials could say, 1--WE
have defrauded NO man; we have not
touched the public purse for private uses;
we have never dishonored our trust; we have
not grown rich by tilching your lawful treas
ures; we have devised no schemes FOE your
Impressions; we have built NO mansions, we
have planted Mo vineyards, We have gath
cred no luxuries for Ourselves-Heaven
bear US witness this day."
Would that our meml ers of Legislatures,
our Governors, our congressman, and above
all. our Judges, wh6 ought to be the purest
among the pure-would to God they could
say with Samuel, 'Have we received any
bride to blind our eyes?" and the people
could answer, nay. Shame on q man who is
false to public trust. Shame and con-
. tempt on him who accepts bribe-who
sells his honor for money. Let his name be
kissing and a by-wory. Let the back OF
all decency be turned upon him and be be
held up to the scorn Of I'll generations. As
we read Of the incorruptible purity Of this
just Judge OF Israel it should rouse all our
indignation against the men who fiaunt their
vices in our faces from the highest official
seats; who revel in their ill-gotten gains and
boast Of their wicked intrigues; who use their
power to rob the people, TO dishonor their
city and State, and are ready at any mo
ment to fall upon their knees before classes
whom they despise in their hearts,
and lick their very feet >that they may
win their suffrage to keep them in power
for further cOrruptiOns. 1t is not their own
principle they damage; that is impos-
ible. 1t is the principle of the people. BY
making vice seemingly the road ~ pros
lowering the standard of morality until the
very name, is almost lost, this affects the
whole community in all its relations. Its
poison creeps into the trades and prOfes
sions, the csuntingrOOm and market. 1t
saps the foundations Of our youth and cor
rows the heart of the aged. 1t arOuses sus-
picions, breaks confidence, leads to betrayal,
and engenders animOsities. In the name OF
our children and youth, in the sacred name
Of religion and honor, for the sake OF social
security. we should rise up in strength and
demand of officials and judges purity and
integrity, or hurl them from their places to
the scorn and infamy they.deserve.
When God curses people he does not al
ways send rains and hail to destroy their
crops. He does not always send pestileDce
and wars to waste their numbers, or earth
quakes to swallow up their cities, but cor
rupt rulers-men who put u price upon
their souls as on the head of q slave, and,
worse vet, men who are ready to use their
power with diabOlical cunning to tempt
men to sell themselves: judges who can be
bribed-courts where administration of law
is moekery. When people are brought
under such calamity, it is time for them
to fast, and go to their knees and plead
with God for lnerciful deliverance.
Our greatest social danger is not from any
foreign invasion, not from the OvergrOwth
of great ecclesiastical power, not from the
emigration which is pouring millions among
lis every year. All this we can manage;
but it is from the abandonment of integrity,
the open pollution, the want of conscience,
the readiness to hmfer honor. the intense
hungering after dil IBnest wealth and power
which, embodied. has mounted up to high
places. ard filings out its flag from court
room and capitol, and sounds its brazen
notes for all the people to come bow down
and worship it. Here is the greatest danger
that threatens our liberties, and to avoid
this we must watch, and pray. and work
first pure, then peaceable. We can't have
peace without purity.