The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1872-05-16

must bring ihc integrity Of God IN qucs-
sion But 10 him there Il smother state,
8 iruition for al hopes aud a relief for al
woes Now 70 nations and other pop
ular bodies this other world does not sp-
ply. Their life Is bogus and ended IN this
and when thcir sun seis and the darkness
comes Il Is forever Here then their full
circle must be completed, the two ends,
deeds and deserts, must meet. Here
must be their Judgment day and every
thing done must receive either It's reward
orits penalty. 1t il hence that nations,
when they are true to the law of
their being, faithful 60 the great course
which God has appoiAied them, their pro-
gress Is as resistless s. the mighty rivers
If they are true to the moral and material
interests which God has committed
TO their care, through every pass and cir
eumstanoe Of their career, they have the
substantial evidence Of their faithful
stewardship. While, on the other hand,
If they are false 10 these trusts, If their
power is used 10 violate the principles or
dained Of old for the regulation Of human
affairs, II they are even timid to walk
those strong paths TO high accomplish
ments which the voice Of opportunity,
which is the voice Of God has hidden them
press with determination, then must they
feel in disaster or disorganization and
ruin the penalty Of their mistaken or per-
verse course. need not refer you to
history, though every page Is point Of
proof We have had enacted within our
own view two of the most gigantic trag-
edies which the world has known, and
they are none other than solemn yet fear
ful vouchers to the principle indicated.
The struggle with tho South and the car
mage of France, the tremblings of which
in their subsidence have scarcely ceased
in the universal heart, were the stern
calls OF an ayenging hand to answer to
the crimes, on the one hand, of slavery
and, on the other, of moral disoluteness.
know, brethren, that il is very disa-
greeable to be obliged to listen to the Sc
we're exposure Of public sins. The man
who seeks favor, plays upon the good
viii, CLOSES the faults of those whom he
wonld conciliate, strains fact to accom-
modate the foolish freak of some favorite
and round the sharp corners of a truth un-
Ill it will roll like lie. Verify he has
his reward. He has multitude of friends,
but such friends-yes he has his reward
But he who cares more for truth than for
falsehood, wheteyer advantage the latter
may promise must speak his convictions
which, if be be close observer, will be
wholesome, even if severe. 1t is quite
proper that | should speak of individual
sins some of which have been specialized
by the proclamation which convenes Us TO
day But to my mind the day is moro
appropriately devoted TO the considera-
ton of those forms Of sin which have been
committed through the perversion Of our
citizenship. These more directly and per-
sistently bear on our well being as ma
tion and our attention is not often called
to them as we have the others more inn
mediately in view in our ordinary wor-
ship. To-day, therefore, / can indicate
but single class Of wrongs, and from
these one alone must be selected, since in
the opinion of the speaker ii is most
subtle and yet most threatening of the
evils which affect us as nation.
Because this form of wrong is subtle
and in order that may be understood,
am compelled to illustrate. My boy
hood home was on the banks of the Mis-
sisquoi. This stream how much-soever
loved had peculiar power to carry a
dread to our household. Our friends, you
know, are often to be feared more than
our enemies. That friendly SO low
ingly encirclng the farm for nearly the
entire year, would have its periodic
moods Of savage enjoyment to rend and
deyour, The beauty and worth of the
farm lay in the intervale meadow, the bot
tom land of the river--the product, in
ofits shifting current. This portion
ac., victim land, Toll we never SO
vas the "mbankmeut the torrent Of
lard at safe !, N the m1nenso drifts
he spring floods ~, ton.
i ice would laugh at evei
yer-leap or undermine ever "aitlef,
nd sweep away il-aflorded sectio.. . o.
be heart Of the homestead. Thus, yea /
fter year, we toiled and were compelled
watch the wasting work, while gradu-
lily from the opposite shore appeared, as
to mock US, corresponding formation
+ stone, sand and drif-wood, where only !
le nettle, the wild vine and the willow !
'ould grow. As the meadow wasted, TO {
ut a skeleton strip, this desolate bar ran
Ut and up in disgusting proportions. This
.ork Of the water course produced an i'm {
ression on one member Of that household !
least which the imagination. often I
-ooding in unhappy mood, was not slow I
catch and form Into an impersonatod G
ate Of terrific shape and malignant spirit. .
Public sentiment bears in its activities u
the marked features Of this mountain 0
ream. We cannot, If we would, ignore o
hat Is beginning 70 be Of such signif-
nee. There was time when the CON- a
unities were 30 isolated that their in-
lence was not strong, ike river d. !
ded into thousand rills In the mean Y Y
ne by means Of the press they have 4 4
en- united and they now form vast Z Z
fcr. II has become 10 be the power that = =
les. The organic aud the statutory laws =
ia children. II makes the presidents Z