Year: 1861

made up Let US talk of something else y


We press the subject of disagreement. He
says 81 have heard enough say no more p
We continue our admonitions. AS man OF
peace he goes away, and leaves US to ourselves


Now it is neither polite, nor honorable, nor


right to continue to worry him about that mat


ter. But suppose you and your neighbor are
so connected in business, or by some other ties,


that he cannot get out of your way if he did
it would be with great loss or injury to himself
and family it would be inhuman to treat him
so that he could not do otherwise But sup
pose if he leaves he involves not only himself
but you also, and your family, and an unknown
amount of evil and unhappinesS would be the
result of the separaton,-it would be little
better than madness thus to keep agitating the
forbidden subject.


The several States of this union entered in-
to league, offensive and defensive. They
agreed to act as one body in some respects,
and in other respects as independent Each
State agreed to respect all the claims of the
other as specified in the bond of union. What
that bond promised each state had right to
demand. Now any interference in the matter,
whether by individuals or societies. by way of
deuunciation, or attempted insurrecton with
! force and arms, or by the Federal Executive
in approving an unconstitutional measure, or
in attempting to carry out that measure by
employing the Federal troops is violation of
this compact and just ground of complaint
But here We are met by the plea of "high-
er law" than the Constitution. There is a
great falacy in this plea which many men seem
not to see That higher law What is it {?
We are told it is Natures lar or it is Gods
MaO! But who thus puts himself in Gods
stead to announce law for Him which he has
not seen fit to promugate? Who is this that
thus "Sitteth in the temple of God, showing
himself that he is God 2" 2 ThesS. 2:


God, no doubt has a higher law than any
he has given man to execute upon his fellow
man, for his law extends to ererg thought. But
he has not authorized man to publish or en-
force any law that overbears the written word :;
that law which He has given US in the sacred
scriptures, as exemplfed in the Old and New
Testaments, we are bound to regard and obey.
Whatever evils may escape legislation under
that law-and erlLS will escape all human leg
iSlation-whatever evils may be beyond the
reach of such legislation, we may safely trust
to Him who will rejudge all human Judgments
and has indeed, reserved no small part of leg
isation entirely to himself


AS TO our political obligations, the constitu-
tioG of our country is the standard of ortho-
doxy We are bound by that instrument to
the full extent to which its provisions reach
As to the right or the wrong of adopting
such constitution, and engaging to uphold it,
it is not competent in this connection to in
quire. A solemn promise has been given by
all parties, in the constitution of our country,
orf &C hat h. olo toI
without offending against the union aud har-
mouy of the States.


The Giheonites were doomed race Israel
had as positive orders to make no peace with
them have no communion with them to IT.
feyiy destrov them as they had thus to treat
the rest of tue seven nations of Canaan, all
whole crimes were so enormous that the land
itself was ready to Spue them out! BY an in-
geni0us artfce they obtained the promise of
peace with Israel. The princes of Israel
pledged the nations in a solemn engagement,
to these ambassadors of Gideon. That en-
gagement was binding, even against the ex
press command that had gone before Thus
the people themselves regarded it. Thus the
matter was regarded by all parties until the
time of Saul. In his zeal for Israel, he at
tempted to treat them now as the nation had
been commanded to treat them at the first
But how did God regard the national engage.
ment to spare those whom he had decreed to
utter destruction A heary judgment from
God rebuked this sin of coUenant breaking, and
Ui',dicatsd the authority Of q national engage
nleat.


But the sins of one section Of our land
against another by no means constitute the
whole of our delinquency. To say nothing of
the prevailing vice and unbelief, in all parts of
our country, and among ell classes of our in
habitants, there is the perversion of legal
authority-the abuse of delegated power that
have been carried to most alarming lengths
There is the sympathy for crime, and the
favor that is shown to criminals, making the
name of justice almost a mockery, weakening
all sense of security and impairing all rever-
ence for the laws The prescription, by the
party in power, of ell who differ from them,
trampling in the dust every consideration but
that of self! The absence of patriotism in
those who are intrusted with the interests of
the country. The shamelessness with which
legislation itself is bought and sold


Who can look upon all this without ndig
nation But do not expeud all your indigna-
ton upon your unfathfu and mercenary Off
GERS. The people are the responsible party
1t is with US and our officers of all grades as
it was with Israel and their religious teachers:
"and it shall be like people, like priest !"-
Hos 4 As long as the people wink at
such pecnlation--uphold those who practice it
-stoop to share the spos, they make Office
an occasion and a temptation to official un-
faithfulness, and the sure aim of unprincipled
men, AS matters have seemed to be going
for some years past. we could not reasonably
expect to remain long prosperous or united
people even if no such question of dispute
between the north and south, as now agtates