Year: 1861

Mr.. EDITOR We read in the Scriptures
of ''a foolish man, which built his house
upon the sand: and the rain descended, and
the floods came; and the winds blew, and
beat upon that house, and it fell 4: and great
was the fall of it." And say, even so will
it be unto this Black Republican party =
1t is built upon the sand, and the raia is
descending, and the floods are come, and
the winds are blowing and are beating upon
it, and it will fall, because it is founded up
on principles which cannot stand the test of
practical application.


wish not to encourage divisions amongst
ourselves by discussing party questions. We
should all stand head and shoulders above
party divisions at this day. Therefore.
will not join in the abuse of this or that
party (always excepting the Black Repub-
lican party) for this or that impolitic mea-
sure The troubles are upon US. and care
not how or by whom they may be supposed
to have come, so long as [ am satisfied Of
this one fact, that they have been brought
upon US by defiant demand of constitution
al rights, and manly opposition to aggres-
sion and wrong. Some men are very ex-
pert at figures, and-very gravely and earnest
ly ask what are we to gain by secession and
other measures Of outraged rights. For
myself, I do not understand the rule by
which to make such calculations. [ have
not yet learned how to estimate my rights
in dollars and cents. have never belonged
to any party since the death of the glorious
old Whig party and therefore, I -cahhot
now be suspected of having prejudice IN
favor Of the Democratic party; and without
endorsing all its principles may be allowed
to say that whatever may have been its
faults, it has stood the test of practical
administration for many years of unparallel
ed prosperity and happiness to this country !;
and whatever else it has failed in, it has
always stood firm upon constitutional rights,
and these rights based upon the higher law
of Gods word. repeat, do not want to
name party, only the Black Republican
party. It is against that alone, am war
ing, and I hardly care. at this time. what
other is built up if only that is broken down
and demolished, I shall use my humble ef-
forts to knock the props from under it, even
if, like Sampson, it come tumbling upon my
head. l care not to con over their platform
to ascertain their principles; it is there that
they are hidden and obscured by the subtle
device of cunningly arranged words. l
shall judge them by the acts and speeches
of their leaders, by the spirit Of their rank
and flc,-by the enactments of their legis-
latures, by the pronunciamentoes of their
Governors,-in fine, by their works as well
as their words And these principles may
be briefly summed up in few short senten-
ces. and may be stated as follows :-Univer-
sal equality and freedom, universal liberty
of thought, word and act, universal worship
of human reason, irrespective of its conflict
with Divine Revelation. Without arguing
the merits of these principles. shall rather
state few counter propositions, and expend
what / have to say in support of them, to
wit: The universal acknowledg of the
authority of Gods word. Universal rejec-
ton of human wisdom, where it conflicts
with the Divine word. Universal submis-
sion to Gods authority and the ''ordinan-
ces of man." when III accordance with that
authority.


Sir, we have often in life's weary pilgrim
age to revert back to first principles: We
spin out fine theories, and endeavor to put
them into practical operation. For awhile,
we 60 on finely, presently some unforeseen
contingency arises, and our theories are ex-
ploded We 60 back, and begin again, only
with like result, if our theories are again
high-drawn, chimerical and sophistical. -
Theories of government have perhaps a
wider range of latitude, and greater diver
sity of application than almost any Others
And in order to be practical and operative
it is absolutely necessary that they should
be drawn from some model or standard of
paramount authority and excellence. 1t is
proven, even by the experiment of our own
government that human reason of itself is
wholly insufficient to solve the great problem
of human government. There must be ac-
knowledged power and authority beyond
and above the highest height to which hu-
man wisdom can reach. All nations, chris
tian as well as heather, have been compelled
to recognize this authority. Even the un-
enlightened heathen, acknowledges the au-
thority of Great Spirit. 1t is the great
bond of union-the great balance wheel to
the machinery, causing it to glide on with
smoothness and regularity. If then any
specious and delusive theories, contrary to
the prerogatives of this higher power, are
attempted to be put into operation, the ahor-
tive result proves the folly of the act Even