The Portland daily press., 1879-12-23
THE VOICE OF THE PULPIT.
Emphatic Utterances Of Rev. Mr.. Ham
iltcn of Lewiston and OJher Clergy
men.

Rev. j. B. Hamilton, The able pastor of the
the Hammond Street M. E. church in Lewis
ton made the general topic, the outrage Of the
Governor and Council, the subject of his dis
course Sunday evening. The following are
the main points Of the discourse:
The believers in popular government have
good reason to be alarmed. Unless the pres
emit drift is rebuked and checked the begin
ming of the end is near at hand. Our expert
ment has been viewed with suspicion and Jeal-
GUS enmity by nearly every nation OF the globe.
Its speedy end in overwhelming I uln has been
predicted again and again. For half genera
ton we have been hoping against hope. We
have seen the ship of State rocked and driven
by the fierce gales of war. Although scuttied
and dismanted by traitorous hands, thanks to
kind Providence and loyal hearts, she escap-
ed shipwreck, and finally weathered the storm.
We drifted so near the white teeth OF the hun
cry reefs the echo of the breakers still fingers
in our ears. The fury of the tempest had
scarce spent its power ere we round ourselves
confronted by mutiny and insubordlnatlon.
The wreckers W no had planned our destruc-
ton were forgiven, although impenitent, and
admitted to confidential and responsible posi-
ton. By threats and brides they " on to their
support almost enough to give them control OF
the helm. Disappointed at their failure they
are now engaged in plotting further deviltry,
with fair prospects of success in the near tu-
ture.
When the first shot was fire upon our flag
floating over Fort Sumter, the loyal heart OF
the nation burned with indignation and
wrath The insult was resented, the crime
heavily punished
We ESCAPED as by the skin of our teeth from
indescribable disaster. The shadow which
now darkens the horizon is blacker and more
nortentous than that from which we have just
emerged A bitter and Inscriptions PARTISAN
ship has evoked delirum of recklessneSs
which has benumbed our conscience and
clouded our reason.
When British aggression and tyranny drove
orr fathers into rebellion the pulpit numbered
its reclamation, fired patriotic zeal, and nerved
to indomitable perseverance and unfaltering
endurance, the defenders of liberty. When
traitorous hands assailed our national life the
loyal pulpit with united voice denounced the
crime, and by burning words famed the ma
| TONS zeal into white heat, before which the
battalions and battlementS of rebellion melted
Ike the early frost before the rising SUM- Shall
its voice be silent now? Shall fraud, dishones-
| ty and crime be permitted to impudently and
audaciously impern our national, state aud
municipal institutions by undermining their
| foundations. and the pulpit have no word OF
rebuke? Let polygamy and idolatry rest
awhile and let us focus the light of divine
truth upon the plage-spot of the hour. Adam
don Babylon, Jerusalem and Salt Lake and
encamp around Augusta. The walls of wrong
and wckedness which have been erected at
the Capital of the state by weak and spiteful
men will crumDle into dust if the law-abding
people of the Commonwealth but give one
ringing shout.
| Let me state a few propositions I venture to
| say no one will dispute:
| /. There is no doubt in any intelligent
mind what the people of Maine meant by their
| ballots at the last election. Whatever may
| have been their errors of Judgment whatever
| may have been the influences brought to bear
| upon them to control their action, one thing IS
| beyond the shadow of doubt. They intended
| to place the state under Republican admins
tration throughout
2. This intention has been thwarted, this
| action has been reversed by handful of self
| constituted guardians OF the voters OF the
| state. No reason is alleged for this startling
revolution other than few trivial, technical
| errors found in the record of the peoples &C.
| ton.
8. These technical errors are found only
] upon the side of the majority and are just