The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-08-14

DOllClS, WHICH produce no revenue TO |
the State, we get one hundred and !
ninety thousand dollars of property, |
which IS taxable, and from which a
revenue IS derived, to say nothing of
the other taxes which a bank is COM
PEELED to pay.
What compensation will the people
OF the country get III return in case
the General Government should ex-
clusiyely issue the currency? Moth
ing save the imaginary amount that
would be derived from the loss. after
all, would come out of the people who
use the notes.
The first article in the August number of the
Atlantic Monthly is entitled Preaching" We
make the following extract from it,
The dangers to religion in our time.
as well as to the moral interests of our
country are very grave; but it is for
the present nearly impossible to inter
est Americans III anything which de-
pends upon the operation of general
and complex influences, or far-reaching
tendencies. Optimism discourages eff
fort for Improvement. 1t is a great
maker Of phrases, and delights in an
nOuncing that truth and right must
triumph in the end" It refuses to
regard anything that may occur in the
meantime as worthy OF serious atten-
ton. Many are anxious, but comfort
themselves with the hope that things
will remain about as they are in our
time, and that those who come after
us may be wise enough to deal with
the increasing difficulties of the next
age. Nothing seems very important
to our people unless it is Of the nature
Of a catastrophe; nothing arouses them
to serious interest but the belief in the
near approach Of terrible crisis.
There is little love OF excellence for
its own sake among us at present, and
we are generally not only indisposed
to earnest, steady devotion to high
ideals but we are almost destitute of
respect, veneration, and enthusiasm for
those who have other times. lived in
high and noble ways. One chief rea-
son why the heart of the age is not
more potently moved by the central
parsonage of the New Testament story
is the fact that men have, to great
extent, lost the power to recognize
greatness and heroism in human char
acter, as they have lost the faculty of
reverence for moral grandeur.
We have reached state Of things,
stage in the evolution Of thought,
when partial change of front ON the
part Of Christianity is necessary to
meet the forms Of error and evil which
! have been developed under the new
conditions of society in modern times.
The enthronement of the masses, and
the extension of mans acquaintance
with the physical universe,-democra-
cy and science,-these have been the
principal agents in the production of q
new environment for religion in mod
ern life. Some considerable changes
in relative emphasis in Christian
teaching are imperatively required by
the conditions that have been devel-
oped in society since the revival OF
learning. That such changes will
some time be made appears to me fol
various reasons, probable. But such
changes are never wrought by Al
mighty power operating directly anG
without human agency. Neither are
they produced by ''the resistless infu-
ence of the laws Of progress" They
have hitherto been brought about
very slowly, as the result of many
small movements and efforts on the
part of religious teachers, and Of 9th.
er persons interested III religion anC
in human welfare
Other-world sanctions have to {
great extent lost their force in Chris.
tan teaching and in the thought botE
Of Christians and Of the people out
side of the church. The influence OF
, what are called the miraculous or SUI
pernatural facts Of Christian history
has also less potency in human
thought than ever before. Neithe1
? the distant past nor the distant future
awes. inspires, or restraints men as here
tofore The church will be obliSed t.
recognize these changes. The chic
line or method of advance is by an in
creased emphasis upon the sanctions
, obligations, and activities belonging t.
: this world and to the moral life Of tn,
= present time. Heaven can wait. |
is not necessary to think much ab0u
2 it while we have strength and time fo
!, labor here. But this world ought t.
be purified, and life here developed
organized, and directed in obedience
to the requirements of order and jus
tice. And for us-for Americans
this world means our own country
We have no real opportunity or rela
! ton with humanity in general. A
l they are usually set forth in the Phra
ses Of sentimentalists, the brotherhood
of mankind are distractions wlthou
: vital meaning or practical value. W.
have most vital relations, we have
boundless opportunity, with the peo
pie of our own country. We neeC
the influence Of the strongest empha
sis that religion can give to our duties
as citizens, as members OF the natlona
family. Religion should translate the
idea of the brotherhood Of man into
the idea and fact Of the fraternity
; Of the people Of our country. Right.
! eousness, Justice, order, patriotism,
| | these are the principles which religion
should henceforth emphasize in this
country. If Christianity should come
to mean this and do this, it would re-
gain its lost vitality and rovereignty
} It would be again light to guide anc
a law to govern mankind.
We admit that Americus Nespuciu:
Rice, the Democratic candidate fol