The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-06-26
ooRRuer1oNs OF rnn rraaEs.


Eetract from Sermon delivered IN
Buchtel College Chapel, akron, May
25th, 1873, on " National Duties"
By Rev. G. s. Weaver:
Our country has survived the re-
bellion by the loyalty of her brave
soldiers and generous people; and so
she will survive the assaults of every
open foe but she is all the time ex-
posed to secret enemy which will
not attack her openly, and which will
always endanger her existence. That
enemy is official corruption. This is
the dangerous foe before which the
strongest government may quail
How it is storming the citadals of eY-
cry government, and almost every Or
ganized institution IN our land to-day,
Not only the General Governmen but
the State governments, the municipal
and town governments, the railroad
governments, the corporation goveen-
ments, are being defrauded and farm
ed out to cormorants for a price, and
so instituting fraud and corruption in
the very places of power. : What
fearful record of defalcatiOn, embez-
element, infidelity to trust and down
right robbery of public treasures, the
last five years have madel. 1t is arec-
ord of shame which makes honest
men blush for their kind.
But this official corruption grows
too much out of a lax integfity-an
easy honesty among the people. There
are too many ISJtglocks, and sly Rey-
nards. und artful dodgers, and smooth
intriguers, and bold operators, and
skillful schemers, for either the pri-
vate or public good. They are corr
rupters of the moral sense of the
people. What we want is for the
people to rise up. for reign of hon-
esty. With increasing intelligence we
want increasing probity, honor, per-
sonal pride of character. There is a
righteous pride which every man
should cultivate, pride in unbending
rectitude, in staunch, old-fashioned,
conservative, high-born, aristocratic
honesty, which turns deaf ear to all
the modern shams and subterfuges,
and stands, solid. stern and grand, on
the old rock of Divine integrity. That
is a pride that is manly and Godlike.
1t is pride for the old to rejoice in
and the young to aspire to; pride in
the bone and sinew of character, and
the strength and glory of the country
That old saying, SO full of the
poetry of strong character, and OF
Saxon terseness and moral grandeur,
g An honest man is the noblest work
of God" is the motto for Americans.
It ought to be embIazoned on the old
flag, carved over every school house
door, imprinted in gold on all the
ledgers of the merchants and bankers
put on the title page of every prayer
book, taught with the Lords Prayer
to every child, and so become the
ideal of moral excellence placed be-
fore the American mind. The ideal
of character which it presents is our
only national safety. Republican in
stitutions are safe only in the hands
of honest men, in danger only in the
hands of dishonest men. There 1s a
moral heroism in thorough intelligent
integrity that makes an honest man
almost a god. can take off my hat
to such a man. I can take off my
shoes in his presence, feeling that the
ground where he walks is holy. Oh
Americans, go in for honestly have
that among the people, have that IN
official place, if you have nothing else.
You can only preserve to posterity the
country the soldiers died to save to
you, by the moral force of intelligent
among the people.
Educate people in the learning of
the schools, and give them not the
education of a staunch and brave
and you only make them
skiIlful cheats and successful traitors.
Better not educate at all, than to neg
lect the education of the conscience.
The rock toward which our ship of
state is driving is educated intellect,
by an educated moral
sense. The school or the college that
educates the intellect to the neglect of
the moral sense, is a curse to the
country. History is explicit on this
point. Nations are seldom over
thrown, they usually rot. And the
rot is always in the moral sense. That
rot has begun in our nation. How
long it will be kept from its direful
results in utter destruction, depends
upon the successful application of the
principles of moral philosophy and
christian duty by the schools and
churches of the land. / would say
to all teachers, teach moral philosophy
before everything, with everything,
and after everything else / would
say to all preachers, preach righteous
ness, pray righteousness, in doctrine,
exhortation and worship. would
say to all citizens, give your country
1 righteous character, and yon make.
her the richest possible gift.