New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-10-01
Treason In the pulp!f.

In the pulpit of Lafayette Presbyterian
Church, at the morning service, Sunday, Sep
TENDER 90, 1874, among other expressions of
the same tenor, Rev. DIR. Markham, the
pastor OF the congregation, said:
My brcthren-I could not come before you
to-day without speaking TO you of the great
burdens which have so peculiarly afflicted us,
as people, during the past week. Those
who know me would not expect it, and would
be disappointed if | were silent; and | think
my brethren know me. \ great grief is now
upon us and is weighing us down, but l am
far from being disheartened--I am hopeful.
| Many things cheer me and | feel like another
being to-day. The first thing which stirs nv
soul is the wonderful success which has at
tended our just and righteous cause. In one
short hour that so-called government which
had oppressed and ground us down, and had
| tyranzed and terrOrized our people and
trampled ruthlessly in the dust under its mer-
cilcss and craven heels the most sacred and
the dearest rights of man; a government
which by its practices had rendered the very
name of liberty a by-wOrd and a reproach,
| fell. In one short hour, say it fell fell as
the tree by the axe of the sturdy woodniap
even as the grain before the reaper. Gods
hand was in it. He is just.
| For two days chaos reigned; but our foes
can point to no single act of outrage upon
order; no semblance of personal violence or
tyranny marrcd our victory; and under the
intense excitement and deepseated and de-
termined feeling which prevailed on that
| glorious day, and in view Of the many wrongs
insultingly heaped upon us from day to day
| by our mercless prosecutors, call it simply
wonderful. Not only did we spare our VIC
ious enemies, but we protected them. Thank
God for the great virtue of fOrbearance lie,
/ Lie lfnfIn
it ever sorrow-stricken people had Just
| cause to forget that virtue, ours was certainly
that people. The quality of our mercy,
however, as might be expected, has been
misrepresented and misinterpreted by our
implacable and wicked foes. But nothing is
past their mendacity.
Had this action been taken BY our out
ragged people two years ago, that which
| we have accomplished in an hour would not
only have found condemnation, but would
have been applauded by the people of the
whole country. We had tried petitions TO
Congress and to the national Executive: had
sent committees of our best citizens to the
national capital had appealed to the peo-
pie at large; had tried suasion, patience,
hoping against hope, forbearance the law;
everything, but to no purpose. We were
doomed TO bite the dust. The hand of our
enemies was against us, drefully determined
to crush out the little spark of life vet left
in us.
A conflict was inevitable. A proud peo.
pie, smarting under continued and increasing
wrongs, were forced to assert their manhood,
which was at stake, the only thing. eycept
their lives, which was left, and their lives
were by no means secure; and to-day no
man can assert that this people acquiesced
IN the government which has been forced
upon us by national bayonets. No man can
say that detestation does not rankle in every
manly heart, and none can call us towards.
Who rose? The rabble? The rash: Heed
less young men? Plunderers The vicious >
| Vindictivc persons? BY no means! The
whole people rose. character, substance,
standing, worth, responsibility, wealth, edll-
cation, commerce, virtue, Christianity.
Brethren, there are many things which
give me hope for the blissful future. rot least
among them being the conviction that
righteous God is with us in our STRUGGLE.
His grace sustains me. We have broken the
back OF oppression, destroyed detested mower
melted in the crucible Of public and yirtuous
adherence their venality, and wiped out of
existence In one short, glorious hour their
power Tor additional mischief, and for every.
thing, in fact, save hatred. The ragged edge
OF that we never can hope to smooth. They
will never rgain assert their corruption and
venality in our midst. My heart. NV friends
takes courage. God is with us because ours
is a holy cause. 0N''
In conclusion, let me say that the asser
tions and very determined expressions of
those among us whom some, forsooth. NAV
term madmen as to the fate awaiting our
corrupt and oppressive rulers, invites NV
sanction and appeal to me for sympathy,
causing my very heart to leap with honest
Joy within my breast. Resistance to ty-
ranny Is obedience to God" "He who would
pc free must himself strike the blow" feel
like new man to-day, and nv Utmost soul ia
lifted up with a confident hope of the dawn
Of yet far brighter future for poor, stricken,
down-trodden Louisiana. vengeance is
mine, saith the Lord" God be praised
Ner Orleans Republican.