The New York herald., 1876-12-01

tApplausel Discard from your mnd all anxiety. The
country is safe part OF tho road past and tho rest
VIII be gone through with. and therefore call upon
all men TO JOIN with mo IN thanksgiving and praise TO
God tnat while we have harvest and peace that We
have this-that revolution has taken place by which
5000 900 slaves became 1000 600 freedmen, BY which
the whole political economy changed and the day
will speedily come when the children OF the North
and South shall speak together OF the deeds OF their
iaihers forgetting the urore and boodshcd, bat will
Emanuel's land. Never before have stood to exhorS
you 10 thanksgiving so profound as this.
FIFTH AVENUE BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE PRESIDENTIAL ELEcTIoN--sERMoN BY THE
REV. DR. ARMrTAGK
AT the Fifth avenue Baptist church yesterday
morning the Rev. Dr. Armitago preached before large
and attentive congregation. The subject Of his sermon
the Presidential election, taking his text from H.
Samuel K, 12-"Be of good counsel and let US play the
for our people, and for the cities Of our God;n
and !. Chronicles, xii. 32-"Thc Children OF lssachar
which were men that had understanding OF tho times,
know what Israel ought to do.' The times OF which
these passages scvcrally treat said the reverend
speaker, timos OF severe trial In Israel. The
nation was in state OF alarm, making it
ncedul that men of political sagacty should
wake up and look about them. In their
straits the Commonwealth demanded something
more than prowess and skill In the use OF arms While
they needed army 10 enforce the rights Of their
country they just then needed much more-men OF
patriotic brain and heart who could look through
milestone and what the grst of the national mill
was 10 be.
The Thanksgiving Day of the second American CEN
tury finds our Republic in . somewhat similar cond-
ton For hundred years 1t has been our boast that
nation Of freemcn, Of politicians, of states
men, and after overcoming one form Of difficulty after
another in establishing and maintaining democracy
wo mat for tha ma vi n liar
form Of pcrplexity in the selection OF
chief magistrate, arising largely out Of
electoral system Of choosing that officer. The most
sagacous man in the Republic would have pronounced
incredible that could have drfted into our present
embarrassment under that system after escaping all
serious trouble shererom long But there is
nothing which needs the peace ofthe
country much threaten the national life,
sons of Issachar will keep COOL dispassionately
and be by the large and generous incentives
practical common sense, instead of the vague and
circums standards political partsans So far
ground OF III feeling and bad blood much less Of an
archy and revolution, each citizen should approach it
with that fidelity and love OF country which will most
happily guiue us through the emergency.
AN EMERGENCY, NOT A CRISIS
Really IT is but an emergency, and not necessarily
crisis unless choose to make II ono by the surgngs
angry strife. Whichever way the electoral su.-
irages may be cast may make the times critical and
mperil the peace OF the Republic II true patriotism,
sound political philosophy and manly common sense
are laid aside The fact is, that q very important
sense the declarn OF this that President,
al this tme not party question: while In subor-
dirnte sense 1t Is Both the parties cannot win and,
unfortunately the situation oil affairs is so shaped that
tho disappointed party, whichever 1t may be- will
have but TOO much reason for tho claim OF cor
rupi,on and cncanery agans. the other But
no higher ambition than TO convert
difficulty a danger by its icrce aud merry handngs
Have liberties cost us so lightly that we afford
TO leopard then, even, on every serious occasion
that may arsey Is there no other way TO make re-
publican history tnan by dogged strife the sword and
ruplion. lighting wrongs and creating progressy Is
any President worth bloodshed and revolution in the
United States. either personally or oncialyY To be
sure, constitution calls Tor such an oiccr, and
under its provisions We have always had ono, and
likely TO in the future. But II the peace,
unity and progress of The Republic to be
danecrcd on the threshold OF the second century OF
its life by the question as TO who shall servo
the country in that capacity for four short year,,
why, then. the eamc Is not worth tho can
die The Presidential Office in republic is not
oil sufficient consequence to justify such resorts.
ii need be- republic live as we'll without Prcs
dent as with one IS proved by the swiss Conieder
acy, which knows nothing OF such an officer. Our
form OF government calls for TINS iunc,onary, and
const uton points out the way OF obtaining HIM. Let
us follow its provisions SO long they what The
wellbcing OF the nation demands, and when our real
interests call Tor alterations oi that method mako
them accordingly in me constitutional way. But 1t is
worse than ritng-it Is crime-for any man to
sci strife and resistance to the uguratDg OF this
that man under our present form Of governments,
especially for the reason that fraud, ovcrrcach-
ing, bribery any other wrong has been per-
p.trated at the ballot box in securing his
elevation. With US the man is chosen but for four
years, not for life, he may be impeached and
moved Tor proper cause, and he cannot be placed In
his char without submission TO the forms OF law at
least III these forms are invaded there arc other
methods or redress ASIDE from the violence OF popular
tumut and III these forms are not sufficient to pre-
corruption in their present state let the people
iegiiimatcly make them what they should be. These
steps would cover The popurar rights oil The citizen
and all times 70 come, while The present cleo
lion OF either Mr.. Tden or Mr.. Hayes both Of them
AUTO and honorable citizens YOU'D be credit to
tho country. The rca tact IS tnat We have
reached necessity, stress upon our form
exercising the elective franchise which demands
that all 'piay the man." rising above lrinng and
party AIMS, and meeting the occasion on the higher
planes OF responsible citizenship. II We pass the
sirain, as believe We shall under the dctation OF
thai manhood which understands the times, the dis
cipnc will inurc TO that gradual but sale education
oil the pati0n IN seligOvcrnu.cnt which Will bc Of
valuable service to coming generations but to mono OF
them more beneficial than TO our own In truth, the
best method OF expressing profound gratitude for
past liberties is 10 protect them by The light of cx-
Intellgcnuy in the iuture. And with this view IL
may not be OF the way II | should, more cit-
izen than as a minister, call your attention 10 two
three things bearing upon tho exercise Of our elective
franchise. especially In selecting President
THx PRESENT METHOD UNSATISFACTORY
The speaker then considered Inc present methods
OF electing President He bcievcd that tho
Electoral College was necessity. Tho thirteen
colonies claimed to be thirteen sovsrcigntics, and
the question arose whether they would govern
themselves as thirteen separate nations, with
many Presidents, armics, custom houses ana Con.
crosses or whether they should .iorm more perfect
union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility,
provide for the common defence" and promote tho
general weliarc OF the whole country, or let go
pieces in the several parts They wisely decided TO
take the former course, under the provisions OF gen
era constitution for "The United States OF America
Then the further question to how tho federal
government should be constituted, in determining
which an endless number OF plans were suggested,
some OF them appearing very strangely TO Ms at this
late day For example, In the Constitutional Conven
ton OF 1851, Gouverneur Morris made speech, IN
which hc said that The House OF Representatives.,
originating with the people, would be subccs to
precipitancy cnangcao,ty and excess. Therefore,