Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1894-06-20
God In History.

The unreconstructed Confederate
minister who delivered the grafton at
Richmond on Memorial Day asked the
world to believe that the civil war, in
volving the preservation of the Union
and the destruction of slavery, was
fought and determined in a strictly
material way and w%ithoutany spiritual
significance. II am not one of those"
he declares, "who, clinging to the old
superstition that the will of heaven is
revealed in the immediate results of
trial by combat fancy that right
must always be on the side of might,
and speak of ~Appomattox as a judg-
ment of God" This is equivalent to
saying, of course, that God was neutral
and indifferent during that stupendous
struggle; that there was nothing in it
but a test of physical strength, and
that the Supreme Ruler of the uni
verse did not care which side whipped.
The majority of intelligent and con-
scientious people will hardly indorse
such q view. 1t is impossible to be-
lieve that the Father whose relations
to mankind are 81 important, whose
wisdom is infinite and whose loving
kindness is all embracing, did not take
any interest in a conclusion that shook
a continent, and did not have any
opinion upon the vital issue that it rep
resented. Still more difficult is it to
suppose that he would have permitted
the Confederates to be defeated if he
had been in sympathy with their senti-
ments and purposes. And so, from
any point of view consistent with faith
in the existence of God, the Richmond
orators theory is unreasonable, not to
say blasphemous, also.
1t will not do to claim that God was
an agnostic on the slavery question,
much less a believer in that rnonstrous
inquiry. The rational and reverent
mind can not contemplate the extirpa-
ton of such a great wrong without See
ing in it the element of divine venge,
ance; and the fact becomes all the
clearer as time passes and the war is
viewed in perspective and with all mi
nor features historically adjusted to
their proper proportions. Lincoln saw
it at the time, and splendidly set it
forth in his second inaugural, that in
comparable message which was like a
revelation of holy writ. III God Wills
he declared, that the mighty scourge
of war continue until all the wealth
piled by the bondman's $50 years of
unrequited toll shall be sunk, and un.
til every drop of blood drawn by the
lash shall be paid by another drawn
by the sword-as was said 5000 years
ago, SO it must now be said, the judg.
ments of the Lord are true and right.
eous altogether This profound re,
cognition of the presence of religious
causes and influences was not simply
an expression of what the Richmond
orator scornfully call an "old supersti
ton" 1t was the statement of a sol
emn and manifest truth, the definition
of the practical and tremendous mean
ing of the conflict; and it is not in the
power of any defender or apologist Of
the lost cause to put aside the aspect Of
the matter that is thus presented fol-
our moral as well as intellectual in
struction.
When the great poet who immortal
lied himself by writing the Iliad founC
the hands of the gods in all the crit
cal events of the story, he specified
fact that was to be repeated with in
creasing emphasis through ~succeedin,
centuries and under varying condi
tions. 1t was not even then q mer,
superstition, but a sense of the exis
tence of an overruling spiritual force
which is to us a personal Providence
The development of civilization ha
not been a process of chance and &C
cident, nor yet of exclusively human
origin and regulation. A theory o
that sort is refuted by consecutive ant
consistent proofs that we are bound t.
accept. In no other way can we ade
quately and satisfactorily account TO
the momentous events by which tn
world has been steadily pushed for
ward. Such testimony is particular,
} evident in the annals of our own be
loved and highly favored country
Franklin was at his best as a philoso
pher when he made his memorabl
speech in favor of opening with praye
| the session of the Convention tina
framed the Constitution. Il hav
= lived, sir, a long time he said, IAN
, the longer | live the more convincin
proofs | see of the truth that God gov
E ems in the affairs of men; and if
= sparrow can not fall without his notice
is it possible that an empire can rs
without his aid ?" We dare not nov
deny that he was right; we can not a
ford to disregard the confirmation
facts that have since come to pass
There is nothing more certain than tina
there is q God in history the same as i
heaven; and that except"the Lord bull
!. the house, they labor in vain who bull
it. "-Exchange.
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