Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11

time, the male bird repeats the operation. So
religion continues to yield the finest and
choicest civil and social blessings to those
who annoy and wrong her. Nay, more, she
gives them many of thu implements and
powers with which they assaii her, helping
them to their culture, standards of criticism,
moral artillery, the whole enginery of
truth-so far ss they have truth-wi.h which,
not satisfied with chatting her defects, they
fall upon her. She furnishes them, in I'M
conscious exuberaoce, with the power and
means of attack when they try to worry her
life out of her. According TO ancient Greek
story, the infant Hercules was carried by
Mercury to Olympus and put to the breast of
Juno without her knowing who the child
was. He was 20 noulished by the divine
food that he drew godIike strength from il,
which he subsequently, used to thwart the
wishes OF the goddess who had hursed him
while she was asleep. And there is another
who has said, :" have nousished and brought
up children, and they have rebelled against
me-" This appropriation Of divine gifts-the
beauties and exc llsaciss Of iipened intel
lect and cultured humanity, drawn from the
bosom of religion, and which she, sleeping and
waking, freely offers to al, only to uss the
euickened powers aud Gud-like yigor thus
derived in attacks on the generous, unthiIk-
ing foster. mother-is enc of the strange facts
Oh our 5EI1GSS llits LlooC Suilsy
of it in an unenviable attitude before the
discirnment and conscience of mankind. 1t
is the act snd purpose of psrricide without
the effect, for Christianity is immortal and un-
conquerable, and goes on scattering her bless
ipes, in sublime pity ard sorrow for the in
gratitude and weakness, among all who will
receive them.
Thus all men, friends and foes, show the
influence of this brooding. quickening pres
ence. It surrounds our civilization it pene-
trates it it sways it it colors it; it makes
it radiant Imagine it Withdraw Imagine
our religion, with all its Influence and effects,
Enthusiastically eliminated from law,
government. literature, business, the homes
of the land, the manners, characters, hopes,
inspirations of the people Imagine this
change visible one, like the change OF color
on the face of nature. and instantly the land
would turn dark. The light would become
sepulchral in the markets and counting
rooms, where hitherto meu have been able to
see evidence of conf 'eucs between man and
man in The Courts, where relative justice has
been dscerned in politics, where the people
have lad CLEANS of the righteous way. even If
they have not followed it; in the public schools
and colleges, where an ethical fame has con-
tinued to flicker; in the family, where the
| torch of virtue has buraed on the domestic
..ilt.sr; Ia hospit,,. and ut the bedside OF the
dying, where the hope of heaven has lighted
up the future in letters, whsrs 70 briiliancy
of thought or expression Eas ever oeen
able to atone for the absence OF clear,
| moral radiance; in comnerce, art, thrift,
where personal worth has graced achieve
ment with its highest honor and beauty; or
even in the howell and The cell. where the
spark of hope has rarely ever quite failed.
Everywhere the peculiar light OF our civil.
cation would go out. and in the place OF 1t
would appear the sombre, uninspiring, re-
pulsive, despaifing hue IF pagan civiliza-
ton. We should be in a new world. Our
sun would be set, aud sickly earthly meteor
would reiga.