The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-09-27
Extract from Sermon Delivered in New
orleans. Sept. Goth, 1874, by Rev. DIR.
Thos. r. Markham, Pastor of the Lafay
cite PRESBYTERIAN Church.

scripture, history and experience, we can say,
ssOur help Is in the name OF the Lord, who made
Heaven and earth" And brethren, the events
and results of the past week, so ourdenlng TO our
minds and hearts, that tout OF the abundance"
Of my own must speak to you to-day.
Again and again has the question been put to
me, How can you feel thankful and hopeful!
and 1t has been reported to me that some have
said, .'surely God has forgotten U.s." Let me in
answer say, why feel thus, and why l beheye
God has not forgotten lis, and how think his
hand has been yer US for good.
l. Gods hand ,ras seen ~ OUi Sudden ana com
plete success III OcerttrO,ring grrc0nS ana OPP
press.ue usurl.t'ion. In one short hour govern
ment, boastful OF It's power, and sustained by
standing army equipped and drilled, ana LED by
famous captain, lay psostrate Its host scattered
by the swift onset OF our citizen solaleiy, ana ls
head fugitive projected by granite walls that
have become his house Of refuge. Well may we
exclaim with David: elf it had not been the
Lord who was on our side. when men rose up
against us, then they had swallowed US up quick.
b essed be the Lord, who hath not given us
prey to their teeth"
2. COOS hand appeared IN our sad,'relOus for
tearance. In our hour Of triumph, our oppres-
sors AID spoilers, for two days in our power and
at mercy, were not only spared, but protected,
not one act OF violence staining our victory.
Such control, such holding vengeance IN abey-
ance is not human. Has hist Try parallel OF
like restraint and moderation i'll a revolution SO
instantaneous and complete? At such time,
men. reckless Oh tnc IuuuFe, are WOub W pay III
blood expressions ills" God held our hands,
restraining the remainder Of our wrath. He
lmbued the wisdom and courage of our counsel
ers, leaders and people with the spirit Of modera
zion, thus making that midday meeting and
evening conflict memorable through all time.
5. That memorable Monday cindicated the quail
dy Of oar patience, proving it wise and rong !;
the patience Of men and not the cringing OF era
vens. Had we risen thus, two years ago, at the
inception of this usurpation, men might have
.1,n ~ hnSf aud mr. lx.nE and
wait the law Have we not sought, appealed and
waited? Waited Our patience has been long
and great. We tried them all-the courts, (State
and Federal, the President, the Legislatures, the
Congress-. the country. All were deaf. When,
them our last resource the ballot was about to be
denied us, and our last right, the right to bear
arms, about to be taken from us, then, and not
until then, we arose in our might, asserting
mans birthright, the right Of revolution. That
day showed that ours had been the waiting of
men, and not the submission OF affects.
4. The argument from our assumed 'dcqules-
ceuce" ras that ddy silenced. That plausible and
speccious plea urged against disturbing the ex-
listing order Of things" Who rose? The young :?
calmer people of all classes, ages and avocations
united, moving as one man against oppression.
In their assembly, in the conflict in the . aid nd
comfort, and the after approval (as words, let
tiers and kilograms testify they were as one.
Said a man Of family and substance, whose years
are turning towards life's decline, "Why did I
and men like me, whose business, interest and
intolerable oppression When such men
habits call for peace, take up arms? Because Of
barred their bosoms to the shock of battle, and
men with gray hairs brought back their scars Of
honor from the field Oh which our best and
bravest offered up their lives, it was then and
there shown that this movement embodied the
Oh iracter, integrity and substance OF our COM
munity.
5. lie broke that dag the back bone Of oar OPP
preston, which, though again upheld by an ex-
traneOus force, can never be what it has been.
One week ago that arrogant and dominating des-
potism had scOrned the thought of conference or
concession to-day it asks the one and offers the
other. The broken and beaten ranks of its de-
feated cohorts can never regain or reconstruct it's
lost power. A power to which none, now, render
obedience or respect.
6. We SO bafied and disappointed those who
vain resistance to Federal authority. Instead, we
yielded prompt obedience to its demands. Its
ssarmy and navy sent "to stay disorder" were
handed back a peaceful city. with law, order and
quiet ruling in it's streets.
z. Our case Is no,c before the country, getting is
long denied hearing. All parties, even those con-
demning our sharp effective remedy, denounc-
ing as both q usurpatiOn and oppression the
thing that we have overthrown. And it can not
be that all sense Of right and justice is dead
that our protest will be needed and that, written
as it was in blood, it may stir the country, wa
kening men from sleep to see their danger and
arOusing them IN time to check our fearful drift
ing toward despotic rule. If this our second
coercion, should thus issue in the lands IT newal,
ending in it's redemption and the restoration of
constitutional liberty and law, the blood Of our
noble and brave dead ,ohich ,cds not shed IN cain,
like that of the martyrs, will prove the seed Of
freedom, truth and right.
3. We asserted our manhood, and that is much.
To-day am proud Of my people and my State
proud that am LOuisianan. Said an ex-Fed-
eral offic r, Major W. G. Robins, but three years
and half a resident Of our city, who fell fighting
phia, and won't here" Said true man, a vet
eran in war, 81 feel the better for it, And so do
|. The taunt, the jeer, the scott can never more
be flung in the face of a brave, patient, longsuf
iering people. For myself, feel, to-day, like an
other being. A great burden has been lifted.
We breathe freer air. Again we are men.
8. The first act Of our asserted freedom ,rds TO
gre God thanks. From this take courage and
hope. He "went forth with our armies, teaching
our hands to war and our fingers to fight making
our men of might to find their hands, and giving
to our enemies coward hearts and trembling
knees.' As we gathered last Wednesday in our
sanctuaries, in obedience to our Governors in
augural request to nder thanks, said devout
yesterday we enjoyed it, to-day we give thanks
for it" Through weary years we had prayed and
waited, hope deferred to our sickening hearts,
and when at length, our day Of freedom dawned,
a brief, bright day.. to live embalDed and en-
shrined within our hearts while memory lasts
with tears of Joy we went to Him who gave it,
a ',al ns upon our souls and all that is within US
to bless1 His holy name
Those three eventful days made up our record.
Come what may, that record is written, craven
with an iron pen, and cannot be etfaced. line
pact, at least, Is secure
For such reasons, brethren, am l thankful,
hopeful and encouraged; assured as to Him, in
whom we live, move and have our beng" who
" made known his ways unto Moses, and his acts
unto the children of Israel" that, though
{" clouds and darkness are around about him,
righteousness and judgment are the habitation
of his throne"
A NeIth Carolina correspondent of the
Cleveland Herald, who, as the editor says, is
colored man OF intelligence and influence,
writes very sensibly about mixed schools in
the South He says that if the Civil Rights
Bill should be passed by Congress next win
ter, the clause relating to schools should be
stricken out He thinks that the establish
ment Of mixed schools, besides changing an
established system Of education in the South