Year: 1872

lt is the province OF government to grapple IN
with the most abstruse and difficult theories of III
political science; these as they arise for adop- h!
ton or rejection, affect not only the whole but dc
every member OF the whole society. If not V;
with vexatiOus cares, and humilia n
ted by adventitlOuS evils she is prepared to o.
enact and enforce that which shall be made Il
manifest as pertaining to the highest good. il
No question of vitalizng interest arise for IL
which she is not prepared and though never, )
as we believe with Buckle, the protector of d
reform measures, or in the vanguard of civil +
zatiOn she is nevertheless, If happy in the v
exercise of her Constitutional powers ready to t
nurture the creations OF bold and able thinkers t
who discern abuse, denOunce it, and point out c
how it is to remcded. But while leading t


minds cast upon the broad surface of society !


thought that may revOlutionize national and
individual sentiment the bold and advanced
| thinker may and does sometimes produce


thought and sentiment both unhealthy and


perncIous; and government is brought 10y ne
| cesslty to choose between the true and the un


true, the good and the bad These all affect


the individual in society and largely determine


the quantum of happiness we each enjoy.


There is at this day the growing determination


to lntertwne into the warp and wOOf Of civil |


life, the dangerous and growing sentiment of |


communism. Labor and Capital are at war


with each other; dangerous cOmbin ltOns, |


capable of sustaining those connected with |


them, are holding the lash over the managers


OF our industrial Interests. Strikes in factories
and mines trades clubs in cities aud States, are
, marshaling their forces to stand with arms be
, fore the door of civil authority and demand an
acquiescence in their measures. The great
& problem is before the country as to what is the


true relation of capital to labor, and every in


dividual is affected by the decision that shall
v be rendered. That decision must come The
n drawing room OF the social club is built every
h where by the road that leads to political power,
s and watchers are only waiting for the signal to
: be given that shall switch off from the course,
R the train that stops not to receive them. As


this great question comes before US, agitatcd
J. by Labor Reform congresses pressed upon the
st attention of government by labor reform poll
IF ticans and committees we have a serious
,e question before US, as to its effects our indl
r vidual lives if in the decision which must in
d time be made, our eyes shall behold things
Sc unequal and unjust D, for the government
I'd to be in state of such tranquility and pros
III pery that it shall be able to meet this issue il


a manner that shall be prOmotive of the high
of est good.


v. Let me advance to my second thought, viz :
he H. Our social and family prosperity IS mtl
!: : mdtely cOnRectci ,cih the happiness ard ooel
ey fire Of our 9OrerRmcnt. 1t is not needful tina
lin should even on this OCCASION show you hoy
es. highly favored we are as Il people, in the SUI
Till roundings that greet US from the place OF ou
OF birth, and the advantages of our wholesom
by laws. 1t would be but hackneyed phras


that we have our existence in the brighteS
not age and the best country the world eve
OF saw. | will only detan you here to say, thu
lld all our family advantages all our social priv
as eges that distinguish us from other nation
my and peoples of the earth arise from the cha
es acter Of that mild and wholesome gOvernmer
md under which we are permitted to live. Herr
the as in other land, the chains have been struC
has from the limbs of ignorance, and the pathws
the to general knowledge has been entered. Her
is has been broken down and trodden under II


to foot OF an indignant pOpuace, the long love
hat philosophy, that it is unwise and inadvlsab
ted to cnducate the masses. Here government pr


vides as it does nowhere else for the education
ken the whole people, and by the creation OF take
ght and the donation of public lands, and the di
the semination of educational statistics chaIeng
tab the whole people to ascend the heights
,ivil literature and holds before them the crown
'ith knowledge Here every subject is born pC
few slble ruler of the nation, and clan and cas-
r of are forever abolished from throne and seat
the justice. Here as our remains shall mould
SIM in the mother Earth, it Is possible tn
the our children may contribute to the u
pen building of the grandest empire of all t
lrds earth, and lay the foundation for untold pr,
ern- perity and glory. But there is also anott
tsh side to this picture. The government now
also easy and equable that no one scarcely fe
tlcal himself governed, may become through wea
y, a ness, inefficient and tyrannical but a lit
and remove from the virtue of good governmC
Oint may lead our children and household to seek
ntly asylum in country more congenial and un,
tlOn laws mere in accordance with the demar
lied of civilization. HearthstoneS may beco
our iesOlated, and the cemeteries that contain
out sleeping dust may become the iOrsaken a
ulti- desecrated spot where our chlldrens dear
show treasures lie. Only make our government


wise, less able, less benevolent, less pattern
es of and our families and friends are involved


the the evils that have fastened themselves W
es in her. o., brothers, for our companions
Il by brethren's sakes let US now say peace be wi
rsal. in thy walls and security within thy palaC
3, re- Dismissing this thought for the want of til
Colo let me proceed to observe in the third pla
lted, that


rma- Ill. Orr religious prosperity Is intimd
rit of connected Dih the tceittre Of our qOrerIlI,
cles- In an earlier part of this discourse we M
pre- the assertion that the Christian Church is


the soul OF the civil power, and wish III connect
llted with that assertion to make anOther,-that
$ our power and vitality OF the church is mater


and owing to the character Of the civil governm
civil in which it is resident. Never i'll the wOr
is de- history has Christianity made such wonde
n the achievements as since the formation of
,ower grand Republic that is now approaching
istian Centennial Anniversary. Journalism and
IS the pocrisy both find but little room for existe
oul Of among US, because the genius of the gov
o law ment is manifest in affording protection to
moral relgonists, special favor to none. A hund
es in years ago, Christians were made in this ID


For then in its Colonial state, by oaths Of all
civil ance, objurgation, and abhorrency, and by
In he scribing to the articles of associations Te'
them ers of our public schools were subjected to


same tests, and citizenship, and church o
ds on were alike obtained, on these conditions.
ted in the risk of tediousness, | will recite for
count. one of the ordeals through which person
essing called to pass, in order that he might
to the teacher among the people, or an officer in
rst- church. 1t is called the test and is as folio
rsonal |, -, do declare that do believe that Il
18th il is no transubstantiation in the Sacramer
,erity, the Lords Supper, or in the elemcnts OF b
igious and wine, at or after the conservation the


by any person whatsoever. The 'tendenc
nately such q system was not to increase picty br