Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-06-10
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Philosophers say matter 10 eternal. The
Bible tells us the spirit never dies. The
former may be transformed but never de-
stroycd. The latter may change its place
and mode OF living, but lives on, spirit
still, invincible, all conquering, amid the
wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.
The soul Of John Brown whose body lies
mouldering in the ground is marching
on. That patriot who hurled thunder
bolt at the system of American slavery
caught the spirit of "'76." He lived far
ther along in the progression of ages than
his namesale of puritanic memory. His
flesh and bones were not CO existent with
the mortal bottles of John Adams, Han
cock and Washington. But lie caught a
spark OF that celestial fire cast off from
the torges of liberty worked by the heroes
of the revolution, and forthwith there was
an illumination aud crash more fatal to
JEFF. Davis and his hosts OF shareholders
than shock OF iorked, chain and sheet
lightning all combined in one. The ques-
tion is often asked: Do you think the po-
litical constitution OF the United States
will continued That depends. Certainly.
The declaration of independence and the
constitution OF the United States might
Ubt nave Dttn WOEtn tuc vi
which they were written. The question as
to the value of those instruments would be
finally settled when we had learned who
were the backefs. The sentiment ex pressed
by Patrick Henry when he died, "Give me
liberty or give me DEATH" was spiritual
index. King George III was not very
good psychological scholar. His mind had
been too intently bent on the calibre OF his
guns and the strength of his ships. The
comparative force of body and soul, spirit
and matter had not probably been n part
of his early studies. The first intimation
that Lord Howe, the red coats, and the
British parliament had that spiritual forces
were not subject to military tactics was re,
ceived IN the battle at Breeds and Bunk
er's Hill where they became acquainted
with such men as Putnam, Knox and War
ren. The lesson that soul and spirit are
superior to body and matter is not very
easy. The mother country was somewhat
slow getting along with these new IDEAS
The nations of Europe did not seem to un-
derstand them fully even after the meeting
of Lafayette and Washington with Lord
CORVALLIS at Yorktown. If we mean to
save our country we need to infuse this
spirit into the hearts of the people. Those
strangers who come to our shores attracted
by the richness of our soil and the excel
lencies of our free institutions ought to
know that all these benefits are but the
outer formations or unfoldings of the soul
of liberty. When tins spirit dies out of
the hearts of the masses of the people ii
will not be n very long time before all the
monuments of our national greatness be-
gin to crumbe and fall into ruin-dust to
dust and ashes to ashes. This has been
the invariable fate of nations who have
gone before u.s. Our churches and semin-
aries and colleges, and especially those
colleges of the people or the peoples col
leges, and our common schools ought one
and all to be manned with corps OF teach
ers who are pnritanic enough in their ideas
to teach their pupils that there is God
who rules in the destiny of nations, who
has created all men of one blood, f,ee
and equal, and will surely destroy the ma
ton that enslaves any portion of his peo.
pie. The Bible should be the common and
universal text book Tyrants of every
grade, who seek to enslave the people and
steal what is dearer to them than life hate
the Bible, that book of books, with n bitter
hatred. ANTI CRoAKER