Year: 1861

"SSS''pAOA


The leaders of the atrocious Rebellion
which is shaking our Government TO its foun-
dation are the most wicked and criminal set
of men that have ever disgraced humanity.
The deeds Of brutality they have committed
have no parallel in history, and the effects of
the suffering and misery they have brought
upon the country will be felt even after
century Of peace and prosperity. Utterly
selfish and unprincIped, they have schemed
and worked year after year with untiring zeal
for their own personal aggrandizcment, and
have stopped at the commission Of no crime
that they thought would in the slightest
degree advance their darling projects, or give
additional strength to their infamous cause.
From the inception of the Rebellion to the
present hour the bold, bad men engaged in it
have been plotting the destruction of Nation
that they might crafty their hellish and
inordinatc ambition by obtaining place and
power; and murder, perjury, arson, robbery
and every species Of crime have been resorted
to by them for the accomplishment Of their
nefarious designs Indeed so black, base
and treacherous has been their whole conduct
that We conld scarcely credit the reports of
the enormities they have been guilty of, were
we not living within sight and hearing Of the
demoniac rcvelry. And yet, here in loyal
Cecil, we have ministers Of the Gospel who
are the apologistS of these men, and synlpa-
thise with them in their wicked efforts to
destroy the best Government ON the face Of
the earth, and deprive the toling millions Of
their right to life, liberty and the pursuit Of
happiness.


&c Treason against this Government" says
The Methodist, one of the ablest religious
journals of the country, " is treason against
God and against Humanity;' and viewing it
in this aspect, how can intelligent christian
men and women have fai! in the preaching
of ministers who give all the moral aid and
comfort they can to the traitors who are in
arms fighting against the Flag of their coun-
try? The impiety Of the man who apologscs
for, and upholds Mormonsm and its kindred
denominations, or sympathiscs with, and gives
aid and comfort to murderers, thieves, and
adultcrers, is doubted by no one and to the
minds of plain people there is a striking
similarity between the religion of such a
man, and the religion of him who under the
garb Of a christian minister defends the con-
duct of the Southern rebels, and refuses to
observe the National Fast Day and pray for
the success ofthe Government and tho sup
preston Of the Rebellion.


We speak plainly upon this subject, for we
consider it one of vital Importance, and wish
to impress npon our readers the fact that this
Rebellion is " not mere political hcresy
destitute of moral Character but foul sin, -
and that the aiders and abelters, either directly
or indirectly in it, are equally guilty with the
principal actors, in moral point of view.
The lax notions that obtain among the mon
who inaugurated the Rebellion, appear to
have deeply infected all who are in any way
mixed up with it, and unless the pcrnicious
effects of the influence, example and teaching
of Secession moralsts is counteracted there
is danger Of the community becoming fearfully
corrupted.


1t is the duty of every good citizen in this
pcrlous hour to do what he can to arouse
and fan the fires of patriotism, and if our
spiritual guides and religious teachers refuse
to lend their influence to the sacred cause, it
bchooves the people to cling more dcvotedly
to their Bibles and the religion of their
fathers, and to beware of secession preachers.
and the leaven of these modern Sadducees.


And, in this connection, we know of
no better service we can render to loyal
christians of al! denominations, than to com.
mend to their earnest attention the following
extract from The Methodist of last week,
which is especially applicable to this latitude:


elf readers of the Methodist will turn to
the letters of our correspondents. they will be
appriscd of the extent to which this duty of
supplcaton for those in authority is per.
frmcd--or rather is left unperformed-in
some of our churches in Maryland and V,r-
gina. One OF these communications express
SEES the feeling of thousands Of loyal Border
Methodists upon this subject They are
panied and gr.ved that no prayer is offered
by their pastors for the cause which they
themselves have so much at heart. They
are waiting patiently to oe delivered from
preachers of sccessionist spmpathics. In
other cases, whcre ministers are entirely 10y
al. their timidity limits, if it does not entirely
arrest. the influence which they could exert
lOl tIe support VI tIc COnStllullOu HHu tnc
laws. We hope that wherever our congrcga-
tions in these States are loyal, they will
unite in requesting their pastors to make
public prayer for the safety of the country,
for the upholding of our Government as now
constituted, and for the Divine support of
the President, his counsello,s. and aids, in
the administration Of our national affairs
This will, in not few instances, bring mat
tclS TO n crisis !: but the time of sitting rnust
inevitably come, and it might as well be now
as hereafter"


WHO COMMENCED THE WAR !-Stcphen A.
Douglas said at Chicago on the lst of May:
=. "There has never been time from the
day Washington was inauguraled first Presi-
dent Of the United States, when the rights Of
the Southern States stood firmcr under the
laws of the land than they do now there
never was time when they had not as good
cause for disuuion as they have to-day.


u, 1.-The Slavery question is mere excuse