, 1873-02-10
OUR NATIONAL MULTIPLICATION
A Pulpit Review Of tho Credit Mo-
bilier Scandal.
Rev. Laird Collier on tho Recent Develop.
ments Of Congressional Cor.
ruption.
The Remedy, n Higher Standard
OF Individual Integrity.

Tho Row. Lnlrl Collior preached to o large
asHemblago, yesterday morning, In Martino's
Hall, corner Of Indiana avenue and Twonty-
second street, tho plaoo Of worship Of tho Church
Of the McnBiah. The sermon wnB aB follows:
OUR NATIONAL MULTIPLICATION.
Thy princes arc ,companions Of thieves; everyone
ovesh gifts, and fol1owoth aftcr rownrds-Isaia 49,
como to the consideration Of this matter Of
Congressional corruption, Of conspicuous namos
Which stand porinred before tho country, with n
personal and patriotic modification which have
no words to Enthusiastically no words to OK
press. have no wish to inorcaao morbid
hunger that foods upon tales Of scandal
or that doprayol temper which finds O
cloak for onos own moral detection In
the exposure OF another'g, or to stimulate self
righteousness, which usually has blatant or hid
don satisfaction, In tho downfall or misfortunoof
ono'a follows, mud which givos occasion for tho
pharisce to say, 1880, i am holier than
thou"
Every American should riBo above partisan af-
flliatious and considerations in the worry words
and tones Of voice brought to tho disous-
sion Of this serious pass into
which tho nation ia brought, and
with moral earnostness of spirit, and discretion
and scdatoncgs of speech, cot to work to mako
plain tho verdict Of tho popular conscience, and
give pledge to one another, rs citizonB OF proud
Nation, thnt tho oBcutcheon so recently soilod by
tic names Of princes who havo "sought gifts,"
"followel aftor rowarls," md "bocamo tho
companions Of thioves," shall bo mado
puro aud unsullied, as of old time.
And lot tho spocdiness, unhositanoy, md COM
plotonoss with which We perform tho duty bo tho
assurance to tho nations of the world that
America has moral Henao, purpose, and execu-
tivencss which concenls no wlckcdness Of thoHo
high In place. but romauds them to spheres
whoro loss harm can be wrought, and their names
to tue csnBuro and judicial punishment they
merit. And.
WHAT MORE FITTING OCCASION
could bo given minister Of Christ to teach and
impross lesson Of religion? Let tho rulozs
hear tho word OF the Lord, md the people give
ear unto the law Of God: "Wash 70, make you
clean; put away tho owl Of your doing"
It is nothing that corruption has characsor-
lied oshor times, aud rulers nnd logls-
lators hnyo been dragged to tho
earth ind mado to wallow in ita miro
by bribery, and peradity, mud pecu!atons; It Ia
nothing TINT luxury las been tho domon which
has oyerborne tue conacionccs Of Senators and
Judges in Greok and Roman times, and that
wlntw We call worl1lincss and what VIC know to
be greed Of gold, haa destroyed tho regulations
and usefulness, and clouded In Shame names
othorwise luminous III the annals OF England !;
Ills
NOTHING IN Ex7ESuAT1ox
or palliation of this incoming tide Of corruption,
and this Bwecping away Of honorable names iuto
history Of infnmy unparalleled i'll barbaTic or
Christian timeH. The good name OF the nation
IL certainly cast down, but we arc not IN despair.
Thn4e jnvoBtiRntiOnH demanded and now f0inr
on are the process OF clearing away the under
br1lah-ltl lB parGing tho dfoss from the Hil-
., vas: True, .,ou ~ h1gh ~. marching marching Of o.
mora laso n'GE tnc IT, naines OF
1oiiowa-tne morn anu ineyitaolo late ot wrong
DONG ms speeanaly an9 oo.lnas osor!akeh the
"rong doors. lno nntlon l,a1 Is no. 1asking IN
ASR ~ aco ~. a
aronsod ana lndgnant, Wllnng 20 nAyo
st;co stco s %oG m ~ ona h ihs rhna
1ustlee bhal4 po oone !lav d9Vorhmons. tnouen e
names naso peon onehraana ~ ~ our hearts they
sla!! oc cuhe 4.oln s, u.tnt ~ Acte4lshnco Hilu
confession, full and public IS tue exposure they
snaal ~ maze tnen "oteny 10 W IlRo1 oacA,
The whole nation Is not morally htupofied md
henumbed. ......
nursed to indifference by vitiatcd and sitting
atmosphere. We hnvo not all be-
come lovers Of pleasure moro thnn God.
| Some whom We supposed woro serving tho Lord
shipping Mammon. And tho God whom they
serve is poworloss to sayo them now in tho timo
| Of their dire need and extremity
Tho dotais Of theeo Congressional inyostiga-
! tions, I must assumo, you are oil familiar
! with. That it was morally wrong and pnrtioa-
! lar]y hur1nful mud diHparaging for Congfossmou
| to buy, nud hold, and receive enormous diyi-
! donas upon Tho Credit Mobilior stocks, that 1t
| was known to DO wrong, and that 1t was an ac-
| cusing socctro in tho cousciencop Of gonatora
and REPRESENTATIVES who bought and handled
them, is clearly shown by the fact Of persistent
eoncanlmenk md thnn comoe tl1e nlifled sin OF
Sv;nss nna ~ tha v;loat and mnst ;reynt,snhlo nj
~ n INV oo,na,ninu ~, III ~ ,vh;ch Wnne'
~ Inoa1J' Gns' io,,rraf ~ cv,~oton " ~ om;,
nently charitable Cartoons Of which you must
| remember, says: tsTloro iB painful feel
| inp that Tho gontlc1nen impIicatod have
| strangely proyaricatcd, II nothing moro.'
It is not loft for uB to determine tho original
| morality and ,yrongfuluess Of tho transaction;-
! the concealmont, tho lying, tho perjury, to