The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-02-17
L oI Inc dlAdtulti Ili-
American Morals.

NOW VI tuc tuluRS We HdNC
spoken, this is the sum: We have such
a high priest, who is set on the right
hand of the throne of the majesty in
the heavens; minister of the sanctu-
airy which the Lord pitched, not man.
Heb. viii, L.
Doctor Goode has written his third
article on American morals, and his
last. These have been published in
the Telegram, the editor of which
calls the author zone of the ripest
| scholars and ablest writer's in the NJ
+. Church." fact that had hitherto
been unknown, and for which the
world is under everlasting obligations
to the discerning editor But the
editor was extremely eloquent in his
eulogy, and very kind, for, says he
''they (the articles) were not written
in the hope of reaching down to the
comprehension or with a view to meet
ing the appreciation, of local scrib-
blers whose puny popguns are turned
against every sentiment that comes
from a plain above their moral anc
intellectual level. Hence the Doctor
has not vouchsafed any replies to then
flatulent discharges"
As We are one of those scribblers
who turned his puny popgun upon the
great, blank cartridge howitzer of the
Doctors, and happen to be on plain
-, l.. L
our weapon once more and pop the
great question of American Morals. >
The very first utterance of the ripe
scholar is an error. "All moral duties
have for their basis pre-existing NOR
al truths, says he. That is, all of our
moral obligations rest on moral truth
previously asserted. What do they
rest on? Moral truth sill further
pre-existing. And that? On moral
truth further back This is like the
old theory of the foundation of the
world. 1t was taught that the earth
stood on an elephants back. What
did the elephant stand on? On big
stone. What was the big stone on?
On another big stone. What was it
on? Another stone, and so on with
out end or bottom.
But if all moral obligations have
for their basis moral truths before ut
tered, how did Adam know the differ
encc between moral duty and immor-
al actions? If this proposition be
true we have our first man in chaos.
The moral realm was like the heavens
and the earth, without form and
void, if there is any possibility of any
existing thing being void. No one
before Adam had uttered any moral
truths. No ripe scholars and able
writer's of the NJ. E. Church" had
given utterance to grand moral truths
for his guidance. Neither were there
any local scribblers in those days be-
fore there were any days, to shoot off
wicked and puny popguns that would
certainly demoralize the world in its
dawn
What could Adam do? How could
he love God? How love his wife?
How be kind to animal creation? How
be sober and Industrious? How be
true to himself, which is a moral OBJ
legation? How cultivate and develop
any of his faculties, physical, moral
and intellectual, in the absence of any
pre-existipg moral truth? Truly you
now have him in pickle. What are
you going to do with him? He had
no Old Testament; no New Tesla
ment; no revelation handed down to
him from pre- and ever existing truth.
Hobbies taught that all moral duties
had for their basis the laws of magis-
trates; for instance, all our moral OBJ
legations to-day rest on the iniunctions
and laws of our mayor and city eoun-
Gil As there We're no mayors or city
councils before Adam, the moral du-
ties binding on him did not have them
for their basis: and as no moral truth
could exist or be asserted before its
principal, man. society, and the world,
existed, all moral duties do not have
Tor their basis pre-existing moral
truths. Morality of man was not I'M
til man was made. immortality began
the moment that man abused or
wrongly used. his God-giv powers
and faculties. 1t was Gains moral
obligation as son, a brother and
equal partner in creations gifts. to
love Abel. Adam and Eve. This
moral obligation did not have for its
basis any pre-existing moral truth.
put rested on man S constitution and
ais relation to external objects. When
ae murdered Abel it was not from an
IMMORAL obligation founded on an
'ther prc-existing immoral deed, but
rom misuse Of his self-esteem and
iestructiyeness; faculties good. and |
wisely given him.
American morals do not have for |
heir basis pre-existing moral truths, |
or the moral truths of the thirteenth