The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-07-24


/ GENTLEMEN: This day is not hon.
ored as it was, nor as it should be
i Questions of public liberty do not stil
the popular conscience nor engage the
general intelligence. The grievances
of the Declaration grieve no more
Its patriotism falls on sodden ears
j Fifteen years ago this day Caleb Cush,
ing addressed this Society. He glori-
fed the Democracy, then known as
| & Cnioa-savers," s'Pfo- o-slavery," and
what not, as the party of progress, OF
administration, of patriotism, and
conciliation. OF course, since then
some virtue has gone out from US
i The election last year, if exceptional
was providential. 1t is hard 10 con.
/ tend against the higher powers. Gen
! eral Wilson once said that his party
/ of Christian statesmen ''were planted
! on the rock of ages, and had all the
measureless moral Influences of the
universe to sustain them" OF course,
a party SO imnadeulately ordained
makes no mistakes. 1t ever indulges
spirit truly celestial. In this super
/ human goodness lies the solution OF
the electoral enigma of last year.
! If coroner may be allowed the
cheerful duty of sitting on his own
corpse, as one of the last falls victims
| would melodize momentary "mise-
rere." The last year was not a year
of grace. 1t should be known as
G7lnHs naisGbiIiS, for three great disas-
ters, the horse distemper, the Boston
fire, and the Presidential election.
They were what Mrs. Malaprop
would call dispensations of an unscru-
pulous providence. May / explain
the last dIspensation in the light of
the other two? since these last two
have each had an eXegesis from the
Puritan clergy. The merciful aspect
of calamity was the theme. It was
written in fire and illustrated in the
text, Shall there be evil in the city,
and the Lord have not done it ?" The
good man in Boston improved it
to deter other cities of too much Bos.
ton assurance and Hartford Insurance.
The cleft in the rock was narrow and
dark. but, he said, it was covered
by the Lords hand! The fire fiend
was friend in disguise. Like the
election and other calamities, it was
not proportioned to the moral deserts
of those who suffered. To build fire.
proof vaults and pay for policies were
presumptions distasteful to God,
therefore he made the magnificent
Mansard a match to light up city for
a warning and reduce it to ashes for
an example.
A Cincinnati minister preached up
on the ''epizoetn with similar improve
ment. His text was: "Behold, the
hand of the Lord is upon the horses"
Because men were in alliance with
brutes; because, suppose, some men
were more attached to a race horse
than to the human race, and ran inor-
dinately the quadruped with the Ad-
ministration, it was diYinely ordered
that when one suffered the other must
These gospellers unintentionallyd drew
the sad letter of the election-that the
most deserving suffered most and the
worst least. JoVe once hurled
at Sophist. 1t struck
and consumed a temple and left the
bad man unscathed. To the unphllo-
sophical mind there may be no lesson
in this triplex calamity of last year.
Such a one fears to justifuy the ways
of God to men. He has not learned
that "beneath frowning Providence,
he hides shining fate" What French
man was it who said that " Irony was /
the foundation of the divine charac-
ter" If he be right what solemn
vein of sarcastic disapprovaI of the |
is to be found in last |
years goa pOpMlG U0c Del? Irony is |
sort of ridicule, which seems to ap- |
prove in order to expose the wrong. !
am not sure but what the French I
cynic was right in describing this ter !
rible manifestation of the deity. |
Even the Latin motto, that the father |
cherishes where he chastises, and /
us when he wrestles with I
US, has its counterpart in Biblical lore |
There is divine forbearance which |
waits for repentance. When the re-
pentance fails, forbearance fails; and |
10! the terrible wrath of the father! |
[ would rather believe in the Talmud |
or the Book of Mormon. or that this
world were without plan than ac-
cept last years verdict as the serious
of the good power that
rules men and nations. If it is not
irony it is meaningless. The first
election of the President was consid-
cred by him and his friends as a re-
ward for his military services. The
ast one was held to be the Yindication
IF his personal character and his poll
~ as ruler and reformer. AS to his
personal character / have no remark.
Dur foreign ministers first ironically
Interpreted the election Full of the
5anto Domingo treaty and the Geneva
they laid down their
crowns, even before the Inauguration
made it decorous; and that apostle of
;ivil service, the accomplished Curtis
ceiling that there was no more for
lim to do, laid iis reformatory chap
ct at the altar of success. But we
lave some who complain. Was there
ver a Providence, however we'll
meant, which did not awake complaint.
building groans for work navi-
-ation begs for bOunties; commerce
ries aloud for gains. Who does not
he brown-isted rough, the shirt-steeyed Cid,
he backwoods Charlemagne of Empires new.
row profane in marts and mines at
he East and the West, while the
armers meet in oranges, indignant at ,
eviathan monopolies, and stamp their !,
cells on gouty toes of mOneyed dig
titles. The children of toll will not !
ee how beautiful it is to contribute
" plough, loom and anvil to the an !
elic statesmen of this heayen-fa favor
II period. Ihey even go so lar as 10 r
eproach an unselfish Congress for !;
aising its pay, and the patriotic Pres ,
dent tor doubling his salary! They
all it vulgar grab, and will not see +
hat luxury of high living exalteth a +
alton. But did not Rome have her !
hoddy displays, superficial fashions, ,
corporations, grinding +
axation, and personal greed ; and was q
OF Rome exalted-before she fell.
Are not all equal before the law, .
ow and if Legislatures are bad in !.
and New York.. then .
7hy not allow them to be bought in =
-ansas, cajoled in Arkansas, and kid 9
apped in Louisiana Was there ever I
0 unreasoning people? When we :
ave repose in the South, they call it !,
ecay and death; when it is action 8
ley call it fraud and force. They ask
NJ neace. We'll, is not the Admins