Year: 1861

The fact is we have suffered a fire to be
built in our midst, whose sparks have been
scattered far and wide; and now when the
smoke of the conhagration comes back TO
blind our eyes, and the neat of it begins to
scorch our industrial and, commercial inter-
ests, it will not do for us to say that the ut
terances of that society are the rawlings OF a
fanatical and insignificant few6 for the men
who compose it are honored in our midst
with titles and Offices.


It's President is Chief Justice of the
State OF New Jersey. The ministers who
have thrown over its doings the sanction OF
our holy .eligion are quoted and magnlflcd
all over the land as the representative men
of the age: and the man who stood up IN Its
dcliberation in the year 1852 and exhausted
the vocabulary of abuse upon the compro-
mise measures and the great statesmen who
| framed them is now judge in our courts
and the guardian of our lives and cur pro-
perty.


1t VIII doubtless be said that misreprescn-
tation and abuse have not been confined, IN
the progress of this unhappy contest to the
abolitionists of the North the demagogues
and self-seeking men at the South have been
violent and abusive, and that newspapers
professedly in the interests Of the South,
with a spirit which can be characterized as
little less than diabolical, have circulated
every scandal in the most aggravated and
irritating form. But suppose all this to be
eranted-what then ? Can Christian men
Justify or palliatc the wrath and evil speak
! ing which are at their own doors by point
ing to the retaliation which it has provoked
from their neighbors?


fl were preaching to-day to Southern
audience. it would be my duty, and | trust


God would give me grace to perform 1t, to
tell them of their sins in this matter; and
especially would it be my privilege as min


ister of the Gospel Of peace-a privilege


from which no false views of manhood should


prevent me-to exhort and beseech them as


brethren. [ would assure them that there


are multitudes here. who still cherish the


memory of the battle fields and council
chambers where our fathers cemented this


Union of States, and who still stand by the
compact of the Constitution to the utmost
extremity.


[ would tell the thousands Of Christian


ministers among whom are some OF the
] brightest ornaments of the American pulpit,


and the tens of thousands of Christian men
and women, towards whom, while the love
4 efs sGh~iiet h-.e haar znavar can


grow cold. that if they will only be patieni
4 and hope to the end, all wrongs may yet be
i righted. Therefore, would bescech them


not to put great gulf between us and cut


off the very opportunity for reconciliation


upon an honorable basis, by a revolution


whose end no human eye can see. But
then am not preaching at the South.
stand here at one of the main fountain heads


of the abuse we have complained of.


I stand here to rebuke this sin, and ex.
hort the guilty parties to repent and forsake
it. 1t is magnanimous and Christ-like fol
those from whom the first proyocation came


to make the first concessions.


The legislative cnactments which arc il


open and acknowledged violation of the
{ Constitution, and whose chief design is te
f put stigma upon slaveholding, must anc
) will be repealed Truth and justice vii


ultimately prevail, and Gods blessing ane
the blessings of generations yet unborn vii
| rest upon that party, in this unhappy con
f test, who first stand forth to utter the Ian
guage Of cancellation and proffer the olive
branch of peace. The great fear is that the
f rctraction will come too late; but sooner o.
later it will come Aboltionsm ought K
and one day will change the mode of it,


warfare and adopt q new vocabulary.
; believe in the liberty of the press and il
freedom Of speech but do not believe tha
any man has a right before God, or in tn.
: eye Of civilized law, to speak and publisl
: what he pleases without regard to the con
: sequences. With the conscientious convic
s tons Of our fellow-citizens neither we no
f the law has any right to interfere but th'
f law ought to protect all men from the utter
ance< of libellous words, whose only effect i
2 to create division and strife


f trust and pray, and call upon you It
[ unite with me in the supplication, that Coz
5 would give abolitionists repentance and
| better mind so that in time to come the
S may at least propagat their principles il
: decent and respectful language.


2 ABoLIT1oNIsM LEADS IN MULTIrUDEs OF CASES
AND by LOGICAL PROCESS, TO UTTER IN
: FIDELITY.


On this point [ would not be misunder
stood. [ do not say that abolitionism is in
fidelity. Ispeak only of the. tendencies 0


the system as indicated in it's avowed prin
ciples, and demonstrated in its practica
fruits.


1t does not try slavery by the Bible, but
as one Of its leading advocates have recent
ly declared, it tries the Bible by its princi
pies Of freedom. 1t insists that the word O
God must be made to support certain hu
man opinions or forfeit all claims upon ou
faith. That l may not be suspected of ex


aggeration on this point, let me quote from
the recent work of Mr.. Barnes, passage
which may well arrest the attention Of al


thinking men


: '',There are great principles in our nature al
God has made us, which can never be set aside
, by any authority of a professed revelation.