The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-07-15

vine periections afforded which the uni
verse contains.
Since God is thus the author OF all gov
ernment since the whole universal sys
tenn of government, in the realms oimat
ter. life, mind and spirit is sustained
upon his shoulders; since il is imposslbO
for any creature or thing TO fly his luris
dietion or elude the operation OF Ill
laws il is surely fitting ant
necessary that He should occupy plae'
in human governments. Standlngat th'
head of all government as the universe
sovereign, His appropriate place II
human government is also at the head
This position He. therefore, claims as o
primal and irreyersable right. He does
not approach kings and rulers asking
mere alliance with them, the exercise o
mere co ordinate authority but Ht
claims the position OF lord paramount
the king supreme. He demands that all
human authority shall be held as sub
ordinate to His. He insists on His right
TO prescribe the fundamental laws, the
great basllar principles, on which every
structure OF human government shall be
reared. And this right He enforces by
the high sanctions Of penalty and reward
the reward of assured perpetuity and
blessedness TO all who concede it, and the
penalty OF retribution aud destruction to
all who reject it. blessed is the nation
whose God ia the Lord" "Happy is the
people that il in such case, yea, happy
is the people whose God is the Lord. "
But "the nation and kingdom that will
not serve Thee shall perish, yea those ma
tions shall be utterly wasted" There
fore, God appeals TO all who execute the
functions of government, saying "Be
wise now therefore, o We kings, be in
structed, We judges OF the earth. Serve
the Lord with fear, rejoice before Him
with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be
angry, and We peri-h from the way when
His anger is kindled but little" Hav-
ing shown that God, by original and
necessary right, "a the author OF all law,
as thesource Of the whole conception and
fact OF government, is entitled to su-
Dreme leadership in all human govern
ment. the point of most urgent inquiry,
for US, now, becomes this: How shall
this doctrine be given effect and be made
practical in our national life? How shall
we enthrone God az supreme ruler in this
nation This is immensely the creates
question before the American people.
First of all His supremacy must be
recognized in the fundamental law, the
Constitution OF the nation. The Consti-
tuition is the foundation OF the national
structure OF government, the heart OF the
national body polite. To recognize Him
here is to acknowledge Him as the sup
port and liie-prnriple OF the national
government, to ignore Hum here is equiv
alent to a declaration Of the nations in
dependence OF Hin. It is, therefore, cause
OF unboundcd rejoicing and hope that in
AuNl linuiDiNul !ftldld lAOu vi july tAIls
177G, the reyolutionaryfa fathers distinctly
ackno yedged God by appealing to Him
for the rectitude OF their intentions, and
invoking the favor OF His providence
upon their struggle for Independence
And the essential principles Of that best
political utterance OF all the ages, were
afterwards carried forward and embod
led in the constitution OF the United
States, While il is greatly to be lament
ed that the name OF God does not occur
in the constitution, yet the vital prin-
ciples OF Gods moral kingdom are there.
That great instrument is, in fact, but
wise and beneficient provision for giving
effect to the divine principles OF justice,
truth, benevolence, virtue, and liberty
God Is in the constitution as the author
of its most fundamental PRINCIPLES. 1t
ought, however, to be energeticalv and
declared, IRON every pulpit
and rostrum. and by the whole patriotic
press OF the country, that the omission OF
Gods name from the national coastitu-
ton is more than blemish, 1t il funda-
mental defect. And the christian senti-
ment Of this country should hasten to
crystalize itself into a sixteenth amend
ment which shall directly recognize God
by verbal mention, and thus declare the
nations sense OF dependence on, and OBJ
legation to. and trust in him.
But it should be thoroughly we'll under.
stood that the mere recognition of God
in the fundamental law is not sufficient
God may be fully enough recognized in
the constitution, and yet be ignored in
the working OF it. econstitution is an
instrument in human hands, and may be
perverted and misused. Whether the
constitution shall be means OF giving
effect to principles of righteousness, or
become the instrument and shield OF inia.
uity, depends upon the disposition and
character OF those who are primarily re
sponsble for its administration. The es
sential question therefore just here occur
ing is this: Upon whom in this nation
does this responsibility fall? Who are
our responsible rulers? Not the pres-
dent Of the United States, nor the heads
OF cabinet port iolios; nor the governors
OF the commonwealth; nor the judges of
the supreme courts OF the republic or
states. These are but the executive SER
wants of the real rulers OF the land