Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1871-12-01

just, to the Unite perceptions OF man, ap-
pear The awards Of prosperity aud ADVERSE
ty, the former aften attending the vicious.
the latter, the virtuous, they must see
how fallacious is their reasoning on this
point. I have read several accounts Of
persons dying at their prayers. No rea-
sonable person would deny that their
deaths were occasioned by some acute
disease, which, just at those moments,
reached fatal crisis, and this might have
happened precisely at that instant. no
matter what had been their occupation /;
and yet, if death had overtaken them en-
gagged in sinful act, the superstitious
would have at once laid it to the account
of retribution. | have likewise read of
several pious clergymen who died in their
pulpits. This was not retribution. but
was likened to the glorious departure Of
other devout characters who have expired
amidst the raptures of devotion. But l
have never heard of a criminal who died
while engaged in. one of his wicked acts.
Such things may have happened. but if
there were such thing as retribution
surely they would occur oftcner, as doubt
less thousands of atrocious Williams die in
their beds without ever being overtaken
by legal or retributive justice here. But
in regard to the. matter under considera.-
tion-the fires in Chicago and the North
west-many will doubtless believe them
judgments. But upon whom? Why,
upon those. it will be answered, who
brought sorrow to the South Aud who
we're they? Those who voted and bore
arms against her and burnt and plumber
ed her towns and villages. 1.-THE suffer-
ings that have befallcn those desolate
places in the North, had been confined to
this class alone, just ground would have
been afforded for a belief in retribution
but, since large numbers ofinnocent men
women and 'children-children unborn
during the war trials Of the South-were
involved in these dreadful calamities, how
can this be called retribution, which means
Divine justice. It is the custom of the
Northern people, in palliation Of their in
human treatment OF the South, to claim
that they were the chosen Instruments Of
God to punish that guilty people for che
crime Of slavery and other national and
moral ofences, seeming to forget that
while they were affecting shareholders and
secessionists they we're scourging at the
same time an infinitely larger number who
were neither the one nor the other. Let
US not indirectly support their self-right-
eous and false theory Of retributiye justice
to the South, by claiming that they in
turn have been the special, indiscriminate
objects Of Divine Vengeance. If God had
intended to single out any particular por-
ton of the Northern people. as deserving
a requital of pd nishment. it seems to me
that his avenging hand would have fallen
upon Boston instead Of Chicago. and upon
the whole .iof New England instead of
Wisconsin aud Michigan, that fanatical
region being undoubtedly the most corrupt
and guilty spot in America. Many other
thoughts occur to me in connection with
this subject. but their, expression would
lead me far beyond my first intention,
which was merely to call Attention to
Essay 4s3, of the Spectator. This paper
was written by Addison, whose virtues
and abilities as a man and whose excel
lence as writer need no commentator.
The article is on the question We have
been considering and is as follows:
Nee deus intysit, nisi dignus uindice modas
Inciderit. ...-
(HoRAcR.-Ars Poet. .. 1911.
Never pr resume to make god appear
But for business worthy Of god.
y...4 [RoscoMMoN.
We cannot be guilty of greater act Of IN