The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1873-07-19
EXTRACT FROM SPEECH OF HON. 8.
=. cox.


extract:
The election last year, II exceptional,
was providential. 1t is hard to contend
against the highest powers. Gen. Will
son once said that his party Of Christian
statesmen was ssplanted on the rock Of
ages, and had all the lneasureless moral
influences of the universe to sustain
them" OF course. A party so immac-
ulately ordained makes no mistake. 1t
ever indulges In spirit truly celestial.
In this superhuman goodness lies the
electoral enigma of last year. Ifa coro-
nor may be allowed the cheerful duty
OF sitting Oh his own corpse, rs one of
last falls victim, would melodize a
momentary "miserere.' The last year
was not year Of grace. 1t should he
known as a,,nus n,i,u6iiis, for
THREE GREAT DISASTERS,
the horse distemper, the Boston fire
and the Presidential election. They
were what Mrs. Malaprop would call
aispensations Of an t,nscrupulous Prov
idcnce. May explain the last dispen-
sation in the light Of the other two,
since these other two have each had an
exegess from the Puritan clergy: The
mercifnl aspect Of calamity was the
theme. 1t was written in fire, and
illustrated in tho tex, "Shal1 there be
evil in the city, and the Lord have not
done it?" The good man in Boston
improved it to deter other cities from
too much Boston assurance and Hart
ford insurance. The cleft OF the rock
was narrow and dark, but, he said, it
was covered by the Lords hand! The
fire ticnd was u friend in disguise.
Like the election and other calamities,
it was not proportioned to the moral
deserts ofthose who suffered. TO build
tirc-proof vaults and pay for policies
were presumptions an distasteful to
God; therefore he made the magnificent
Mansarti q match to light up city for
IL warning and reduce it to ashes for an
ensample.
\ Cincinnati minister preached upon
the "Epizoot' with similar improve
ment. His text was: "Behold the
hand of tho Lord is upon the horses"
Because men were III alliance with
brnits; because, suppose, some men
were more attcchcd to n horse race than
to the human race, and ran inordinately
the quadruped with thcAdministratton,
1t was diVinely ordered that when one
suffered the other must. These gospel
ers sunintentionally drew the sad lesson
ofthe eeiection-~tt,nt tho most deserving
suffered most, aud tho worst least.
Jove once hurled Il thudorbolt at II Soph-
list. IT struck and consumed temple
and left the bad man unscnthcd. To
tho tmphifosophicaI mind there may he
lessons i'll this triplex calamity of last
year. Such Il one fears to justify the
ways Of God to men. Hehasno learned
that "beneath n frowning Providence
he hides smiling face What French
man was it who said that "Irony was
the foundation ofthe divine character?''
If he be right, whata solemn vein of
sarcastic disapproval of the Adminls-
tration is to be found in last years roc
pOpn'i, ror Dci!
irony is sort Of ridicule, which
seems to approve in order to cxpose-
the wrong. l am not sure but the
French cynic was right in describ ing
this terrible manifestation of tho Deity.
Even the Latin motto, that the father
chcrishes when he chnstiscs, and
strengthens us when he wrestles us, has
counterpart in Biblical lore. There is
IL divine fOrbcarancc which waits for
repentance. When the repentance fails,
forbcaruucc fails and 10! tho terrible
wrath of the Father! / would rather
believe in the Talmuh, or the Book Of
! Mormon, or that this world were with
ont Il plan, than accept last years YER
dict as tn" serious appreciation of the
! good power which rules men and ma
tions. If it is not irony, it is mean
inglcss.
J DIR GREAT Rt'LEE AND HEFOHMEH.
Tho first election Of the President was
considered by him and others ~ a re-
ward for his military services. The last
ono was held to he the vindication OF
! his personal character and his policy rs