The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-06
A Fitting Service.

It was fitting that the survivors of the
Greedy expedition and their rescuers
should celebrate that event by assembling
in body in the house of God, on last
Sunday, in st. Johns, and there rendering
devout and fervent thanks to the Supreme
Ruler of the universe for his mercies thus
signally vouchsafed to them. Puny man,
in the hour of danger, feels his own insig-
nifcance, and looks beyond and above hui
man agencies for help, and hardened indeed
is the wretch who, the danger past, feels
not the throbbings of gratitude at happy
release from threatened calamity. Then
he feels, if never before, like rendering
constant, earnest thanksgiving to him, the
ruler of nations and individuals-of fol-
lowing in his footsteps, obeying his COM
mands. Such men would not find pleasure
in an assemblage of politicians gathered
together on Sunday to devise ways and
means to advance the interests of their
political favorite-would not be at home
in an American congress, illegally legis-
lating on Sunday for tbs good of the
country-not at ease on Sunday excur-
sion, nor INDUCING in any or all the forms
of Sunday desecration-no rest, peace,
comfort in these devices of evil, this
defiance of the Almighty; their hearts
they would live in purer atmosphere,
above the lswless mob who would make
earth bedlam, man galley-slave, and
life living hell. The American Sunday
is one of the most precious legacies be-
queathed to US by the founders of the
republic, but the Sunday of half century
since is not the Sunday of to-day. Silently,
stealthily have the principles of the infidel
masses of Europe, who have here found &
shelter and home, been instilled into the
social and political life of the nation, till
now, like lurking poison in the human
frame, they have spread, and would bring
down the body polite to the plane of the
low desires and aims of men who fail to
understand the very foundation principles
of American freedom-a liberty regulated
by law, for the greatest good to the great
est number, and hence Christian nation,
whose foundation principles are those of
the Bible, summary comprehended in
the moral law. For those principles our
fathers fought, and we, their children,
will be recreant to our high trust If we
fail to preserve them in all their integrity
and strength. The Christian men Of
America must unite as wall of adamant
against all encroachments on the Chris.
tian Sunday-against all attempts to
abrogate laws to preserve its peace and
quiet-against all attempts to make it a
mere secular holiday. Louisiana has no
Sunday laws, and already efforts are
being made by members of the proposed
New Orleans Exposition to defy the
Christian sentiment of the nation by
keeping this exhibition of the wealth of
the country open on every day of the
week. II successful, we trust that such a
wanton disregard-such trampling under
foot of divine law-shall be fttingly re-
buked by our Christian manufacturers
and merchants, who have invested their
means to develop and advance the mate
rial interests of the country, and not in
hollow, trifling pageantry, which has
helped to make New Orleans syren of
pleasure, devoid of that active strength,
that sturdy vigor, that aggressive push,
that decent regard for morality and re-
| ligion, which have more or less charac.
terizsd every other metropolitan city of
the American republic. Retributive JUS
tice-" God rules and judges individuals,
communities, and nations according to
| their deeds.-Obseruer.