Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-03-08


made, il is essentially false. NJ men are
so true to the interests OF moral reform in
every department Of life as Chrls,i,n men;
no associations of men are so loyal tomnral
ity as are Christian churches Tho cha ge
is libel. Yc; the libel contains truth;
and we ullY III lrs tIily humble ourselves
and repent under the meritcd reb1ke
than resent the false accusation I'VE ought
to make the propagation of that libel i'm
possible.
There is another vice, which Christian
men pro ess to hate. They speak Of il with
reserve and in whispers. In the pulpit its
name is seldom heard, so hateful is il both
TO the tongue and to the ear. But car, you
doubt that if Christian men hated licen.
tiousness rs they ought. the outward puri.
ty at least ofour city would be greatly in.
creased?
house of as notorious In lis i'll fame as
though the story OF its crimes were written
on its door-plate. could not long endure
the indignation of Christian community
faithful In the duty of hating evil And
the higher the standing-as society falsely
estimates it-of the patrons ard partners
of the vice, the more intense should be
the Indignation OF Christian men. If vi
cious men attempt to clelhe their vin,3s
in garments Of responsibility, the no-e
earnest on that account should vrtEUus
men be in their determination to expose
and destroy the vice. II Il mlaa links his
rcspectability so vice. let his rcspec.abili,y
perish with his vice.
There is power enough i'll the churches
Of this city, IL it is only inspired by suili.
cient balred Of evil, to compel vice to flee
or to hide itself in very dark hulcs.
The hatred Of evil, If il is intense and
practical, will hardly need other Guidance
than its own instincts auI mofcra,o in.
telligence will furnish.
One obvio7s uetho !, io which il will
resort, is the creation and maHicnancy Of
a popular sentiment tlat will he The ready
champion Of virtue.
There is now a popular sentiment weak
ly favorable TO virtue. Il apPlauds. and
by legislation, which Is lis voice, enjoins
virtue. But popular sentiment is by no
means at present true to the cham pionship
of virtue. 1t does not hold itself always
ready to enter the lists for battle against
vice. Popular sentiment, as il now exists,
is feeble and untrus:worthy ally of yir-
tue. 1t will applaud poem or an Grafton
against vice. But vico embodied in men
of intellectual culture or of wealth or OF
political power effects an easy truce with
popular sentiment.
1t is currently said, that against some
reforms, the need of which all Christian
men at least confess, popular sentiment
presents an insuperabIe barrier. We are
familiar with the assertion, as it applies TO
tho suppression OF in,emperance by the
use of the only legislation that our statute
book exhibits. So many men arc implics-
ted directly or indirectly in what tho law
makes criminal, that. it il said, the en-.
forcement of the law Is virtually impossi.
Bile.
| The same argument we know to our SOW
row, has been used elsewhere in defence
of that other and gro.ser vice, 10 which
have before referred. Men whose intellect
has been cloundod by fogs, that first rose
in their moral nature, have been ready to
transplant in American cities the localized
vices of the old world; they have advoca-
ted the toleralion bv legal charter Of the
most intolerable of ali tho vices. The
argument is the same, with which we
have to deal. Popular sentiment will not
sustain prohibition; therefore give US Ii.
cense;" and they insert the word "strin.
gent !" 10 save tho scheme from utter con-
tempt. OF the valiii,c OF this reasoning
will not now speak.
Only you will not forget, that it has
other applications than that here given it,
But, let me ask, who holds the patent
right for the manufacture of public senti-
mente Is IL the chartered prerogativc of
drunkards and debauchees to create q
sentiment, that shall be higher than the
lawp Far from it. Christian mon in this
land are the makers of popular sentiment.
This city has not so slipped from under
the power of Christian influences that its
popular sentiment can iail 10 follow even
to tho last letter tho rule prescribed by
these churches In relation 20 public and
private morality.
Christian men have more pjwcr than
all Others combined to establish the detini-
tions aud rules Of morality and to pre-
scribe inc customs OF society. L7t Chris
tiah men ha'o evii rs 'hey ought; then we
sno9id nave no heed 70 aiscuss the validity
ol the argument 10 whlch have referred :;
lne premises Wooia % wanting, there
"ouiu oe ho argument irit: CHRISTIAN
Seh''oien' sen Is sovereign mere IN our social
me- IL VIII on'y tSSe Its sce9tre ana
clalm supremacy. CHRISTIAN men can
esIaotisl. socutl customs undef which not
weaItn nor tnient nor political power shall
DC 9e taken as orioes anu passports oi wee.
Inc doors OF polile fellowship can DC OF.
iectualiy closeti 10 meA whose personal
! character Is hotoflously corrupt. let so.
cle'y regulated oy Cnflstlan haired OF evil
enact an Inhexlo'e rue mat nothing shal!
oe accepted rs an equivalent ior a yirtuons
character then vice Will lose much of its
power
10 eXcl9te men OF seandaIoas life IRON
the gatherings ior social entertainment. Is
not lle dic'ale on fhaflsaic spirit; 1t is
oniy Tue law Oh CHRISTIAN integrity. The
SIN ot the fliaflsces was not their outcty
against vice; 1t was tLelf participation in
the wees when they only pretended to
nate; II was lhe STU OF Hypocrisy added 10
tue vice that they condemned.
Christian fidelity in the hatred of evil
will moreover demand tho suppression OF
vice by law. Thore are criminals whom
nothing but law can restrain. Christian
men can have any laws that they desire
against vice Legislation is SO much under