The New York Herald Newspaper, April 9, 1857, Page 1

WHOLP NO. 17526. W YORK HERALD. MORNING EDITION—THURSDAY, APRIL 9, 1857. INCITEMENT TO REVOLUTION. ‘Religious Onslaught en the Gevermment and Supreme Coart of the Unked States. Rev. Dr. Cheever’s Fourth and Last Sermon on the Dred Scott Decision. SHALL WE HAVE CIVIL WAR? he, &0., Ro. ‘The Rev. Dr. Cheever preached last Sabbath even- img in his church in Union square his fourth and Inet sermon against what he denominates the “ ini- quitous” ¢ecision of the Supreme Court of the Uni- ted States in the Dred Scott case, The regular fre- quenters of that church must be highly gratified at the conclusion of this course of sermons, if for no other reason than that they may henceforward hope ‘to be able to obtain ingress to and seats in their pews, a matter of rather diflicult attainment on the evenings in which Chief Justice Taney and his associates came in for the denanciations of the reverend gentleman. His audiences have been going on increasing in numbers from the opening to the close of the course; and really if the sermons bad not thus been discontinued, it ~ would have been necessary for the preacher to have moved over the way to Irving place, and secured dhe Academy of Music as the theatre of his elo- quence. That necessity, however, has been obviated by the preacher administering the final blow—the coup de grace to the unfortunate judges who pro* voked his resentment. Henceforth, we are to have | no more of the maledictions and fulminations | against unjust judges, except, perhaps, by way of parenthesis or ride kicks in future discourses on morality, theology or religion, in the Church of the Paritans. The text from which Dr. Cheever preached last Sanday evening was one which he had been chal- Jenged to take up and handle. It was that famous text from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans, which has been in all ages, within the Christian era, resorted to to enforce obedience to authority :—'‘ The powers that be are ordained of God.” He accepted the challenge ard handled the matter with great skill, as is shown in the following report of his sermon ;— DEFINITION OF GOVERNMENT. The great truth bere taught is this, that human government is of civine origin and sanction. From the context we also learn the object for which it is ordained—the ground and duty of obvdience—the suty of disobedience, and when, and on what ground—the rule for the goverament, as for inci- vidnale—the responsibility of the D evhgpernh to the people and to God, as well as of the people to the government and to God—and the restrictions and obligations upon its different branches. We shall consider every one of these points in succes- sion, and we shall then apply the whole train of in- struction to our own form vernment, with the manner of God's institution of it for us, and our re- sponsibilities to God for its right administration. The first truth is this, that human govern- ment is of Divine origin and sanc‘ion. ‘The very obligation to form such a government is God; the constitution of tie human mind is created with such a prefigaration of government, and receesity of taking it on, and it does inevitably take it on, and grows with it, and is developed un der it as the soul assumes its fleshly dress and grows with that, and is developed under tiat. The po vers that be are therefore as truly ordained of God as the facuities of the human mind are ordained of God. But uojust powers are no more ordained of God than unjust passions, The powers of and for injustice ond oppression axe no more ordained of God than the passion of drunkenness or avarice or } murder is ordained, or the faculty of standing on one’s bead instead of walking. Second—Govern- ment being thus ordained of God, its necessary over- ruling authorities, whatever would they be cast in, of King, Emperor, President, Governor, monarchy er republic, are clothed wit his authority, for the same purpose for which he has appointe 1 the ordi- nance; and that purpose is the good of mankind. | Governments and their authorities are ordained of | God as his instruments of justice, for his objects of | love; because this world is a world of probation un- | der bis government, and without these instramental | authorities under him there could be no application of the remedial powers of his word, grace and pro- vidence to bring men to repentance. The powers that be are God's providential screws, pressures, God's enclosures, fixtures, and penfolds, for keeping his creatures within reach and under the power of moral ogencies. They are themselves agencies to hold the enbjects ef his moral government for Se pecpene of redemption, under the convergency of divine truth and grace. The institution of government is of infinite mercy, and its purpose that of restraint | from evil and the discipline o' id. Good not evil, | holiness not sin, justice not injus ice, are the only things it sanctions and sustains. 3d. Here we find the ground and ay te obedience. The object for which government ls ordaiued is the virtue and hap piness of mankind. This benevolent object is the reason given of (od for sanctioning it . . wa “He iat z 3Re ge i 2 3 1 } i z | E = i E 2 2 &, 3 i F 3 5 FS i é ag: GH cH : : j t A F z E : H z ih | y H rg F 3 3 raat este 33 Be Fl i ee 1h i : i i HHH a ? ii i ett Hi [ LH # Py Ful He ht ft i fr Ht Sees had succeeded, would to God. My friends, there is a obedience to state polle; ever and anon, in the case ot any one, Ea ok “ Prepare my way before me ”—a r , terse and comprehensive— Go it b'ind.” it yon will obey government in executing unrighteous de crees under pretence of obedience to God, you mast “go it *—but remember one declaration of our blessed Lord in such a case—that “If the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” UPPER ANP NETHES MILLSTONBS OF SCRIPTURES. Now, put these two things together, Paul's decla- ration inthe 18th chapter of Romans, “Let ever: soul be sabject unto the higher power,” an the same Paul’s declaration in the second chapter of the same epistle, that “God will render unto them who do not obey the truth, but obey unright- eousness indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil.” If the higher powers command evil, and a man obey them in such unrighteousness, upon every such soul there is the sentence of indignation and wrath from the imps Why then, you ma} rhaps ask, were these strict injunctions as to ol nce to the powers laid down, and the exceptions not given, so that this part of divine revelation bas ever served as a quarry of despotism in the hands of tyrants and obedient ministers for the building of the Bastilles of Junlimited, irresponsible, jure divine tyranny? en they would (Sc to Baro the oppressed, and break the very bones of Puritanic insubordina- tion cf cet commanded unrighteousness, they put them between these upp2r and nether millstones of Paul and Peter torn away from God's living temple, and whirled round by unjust judges, for icing into powder every imagivation of ce against tyranny. When they would crush the grapes of a servile theology itself for an intoxicating draught of fu’l license to oppression, they threw them into that wine press. But wisdom ic justified of her children. The exception is given, and is part of the rule, and any conscience, truly tender towards God, delivered from the fear of man, and jealous for God's right- eousness and the supremacy of God’s law, cannot fail to see it. Obedience to the powers that » from conscience toward God, does not permit you to doone single thing forbidden in God’s word, does not permit you to go contrary, in any respect, to the universal law of piety and love. But these injunctions were written especially, in the first cage, to persons in the new and unaccustomed freedom of the Borgel. who had | been commanded in nothing to suffer themselves to be the servants of men, but to feel and realize and carry out their entire independence of all homan au- thority, and their Lo pear only on God. Tne | whole tenor of the Old Testament was to train them | in such treedom. But some among them imagined | that in coming into the kin, and liberty of Christ, they were freed from all subjection to hu- man governments, and especially there been a fect amon £. the Jews teaching such insubordination, walking after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despising government, promising men liberty, but themselves the servants of corruption. And it was necessary, With a strong arm to ch-ck such per- | agyinst Fessuntag, Woh 00 love cus’ wantin | anctber ‘bath Tuidiled the lay overnment nel ge the gove for the never instituted for iteelf, but for ’a love and man’s The government has no ht to seek its own, but government is the the good of its sul servant of God for the people ana the servant of the le for God. In either case it is iteelf under law, and is bound t» obedience and cannot rightfully | exist except under the law of love and for ‘good of the governed. The moment, therefore, the gov- ernment sets out in a career of selfishness, injustice and crvelty, tbat moment its claim to allegiance under God ceases,and it rests no more on con- science and the law of God, but on power usurped by wickedness, sgainst which God himself sets every man in opposition; it is no ae, SN but might fae nape reste Dpon, the fn argh en freed from allegiance in every respect in which iniquity is commanded. | ILLOBTRATIONS OF HIGHER LAW. The rule of goodness and of love, which the gov- | ernment, by its very essence, as 01 ot God, is bound to pursue, extends to all classes equally, and | to the equal rights of all ‘There are certain rights, | powers and duties inwronght in, imposed upon and growing out of the constrsction of society and the nature of man, as God bas framed it, and appointed | governments for it, which, if government violate | and oppose them, much more it it prevent and de- | stroy them, set society itself rightfully against the | government, and torbid men, under the authority | of God, from obeying the government. Such are | the rights, powers and duties of the family relation, | as constituted and ordained of God, before all gov- ernment, higher and more sacred than all, and forming the great object and interest indeed of gov- erpmental protection and care. Now, any govern- ment that breaks down that relation, or destroys its sacredness, or renders its freedom, points and sa- credness impossible, and the fulfilment of its duties and pe Seersigesica impossible, and the attainment of its objects equally impossible, sets itself in open and essential detiance of God and enmity against man. It crosses those sacred lines and landmarks that God has drawn for the very existence and well being of society itself, and comes instantly in conflict with God's power and wrath. From bein; God’s appointed guardian of society for its good, it becomes the thief, robber, villain, murderer, be: trayer. From being the minister of God for good, it beeomes the tool and executioner of Satan for evil against society and God. It sets a coil of anguish, guilt and mirery at the heart of ton thousand honse- holds—a coil “not unwinding for the rain of the present generation merely, but reproducing itself, a8 the mainspring and propagating spriog of the same incessant misery for all future generations. Now I say that this is forbidden | of Ged, and that such a government is outlawed, and by an uprising of the wholehuman race against | it, ought to pe, aut out of existence, as a piracy ind. AN OUTLAWED AND ACCURSED GOVERNMENT. Any government that dare take any clas of its citizens by pretence of color, race, compact, consti- tution, or avy other pretence or reason under hea- ven, and say, “ You, as a race are slaves, not citi- zens, and being such are property, not men, and being euch, cannot have, and shall not be permitted | Fiob; ane, thereicre, Ldeclaro aud edjudge ail bleck per- | sone W be pror, mize adie wretonos, a | law givers over the consti/ution, but judges of | vanity would a constitution be which the judges | could interpret at their | obligatory on the people, t! | brews of old hada written constitution and laws, to have, any of the rights, or to assume any of the responsibilities, sacred and inviolate that inhere in | God's institution of the family, that belong to his creatures as husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, | nicious heresies, by the strongest possible state- ments of the truth as to God's own establishment | and authentication of homan governments, asclothed | with his own Sey: for obedience to just law, | and the fulfilment of all bi ingen For the sake of God, for the sake of the 1, for the sake © of on Christianity as a religionof parity and peace; purity first, aud peace in consequence; a religion of order, of obedience to magistrates; a | religion, the best possible and only permanent support of the state in freedom and pros- erity, such obedience was carefully to be main- | ined, was to be carried even to an extreme | | of passive non-resistance, wherever it could be done with a good conscience towards God. | “Stand fast, therefore in tLe li wherewith Christ bas made us free, and be not entangled again | with the yoke of bondage. For brethren ye have been called nnto liberty; only not a liberty tor an oc casion to the flesh, but by love to serve one anothi For ali the law is fulfilled in one word, even in th Thou sheil love thy neighbor as thyself.” This was their freedom under God and the gospel, a freedom of righteousness and love, and a freedom of obedi- ence to human government and law so far as it fal- filled God's own = law of righteousness and love. Nota freedom of the government to bind and op- | press them, but a freedom for them to sustain the | government and on obligation to obey it for the sake | of liberty and love, and to advance the kingdom of | God, which is richteoust ess and peace end joy inthe | Holy Ghost. These principles constitute the only steadfastness and permanence ot pope y and law. The secnrity both of constitutions and of laws is in the fearlessness and independence of a righteous conscience; it lies in the fear of God, and not in the fear of man. So that one of the noblest martyrs of liberty, Algernon Sidney, rightly declared, {n his discourses on government, insisting on a perfect conformity to the laws of God,“ that it hath been ever hereupon observed, that they who most isely adhere to the laws of God are least solicit con- cerning the commands of men, unless they are well | grounded; and those who most delight in the glo- rious Ly Kh yy God do not only subject themselves to him, but are most regular observers of Se commands of man, according to the will of | DISORFDIENCE A DUTY. The nsurpation of power, for selfish and unrighte- ous objects, for oppression, injustice and cruelty, is 5 4 Hi ural if i | shall ii brothers: sisters, sons and daughters, parents | and children; but your children are not ours, be, | of | po. ange property, the chattels, the merc! others, and ey ey and claim of the family is eeconcary and sul inate to that of the property, | and of the master and owner of the chattles;” any | such government is outlawed and accursed of by the very nature of bis own constitution given to the race, and his own laws for their developement and training. Asay sach government is in essence | a most diabolical tyranny, and exists, so far as | that tyranny goes, only w'defiance of God's law, | and in opposition against him. The laws of such | a government against the rights and social and do- mestic happiness of abjects, are as complete a treason against God, as traly an invasion asur- ation, as the action would be, if a fort command: | g the country were served by pirates, and the guns of the fort instead of being employed against the enemies of the country, were turned {n upon the gatiison for their slaughter. The powers that be are perverted from God's ordinance for man’s good toa malignant and God defying ordinance for man’s evil. “Bat judgment shail retarn unto righteousness and the throne of iniquity shall not have fellowship with thee, which framcth mischief by a law. Yea! surely God will not do so wickealy, neither will the Almighty prevent judgment. 8) even he that bateth right govern? God striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others; and when he hideth his face who then can behold him? Whether it be done against a nation or againsta man only, that the bypocrite reign not lest the people be ensnared. His eyes are with kings upon the throne, and if they obey and serve him, well, but if they obey not they perish by the sword and die without know- ledge. PEOPLE RELEASED FROM OBLIGATION OF OBR- DIENOK. It is clear from these passages that God abhors | the uvrighteous ruler and unjust laws, and wholly | releases the people from all obligation to obey any commander of iniquity. The very indictment against | Judah is that they kept not the commandments of | the Lord their God, but walked in the statutes of | Israel which they maée. willingly walked after the commandment; therefore I will be unto Ephraim as a moth, and to the house o Judah as rottenness. The princes of Judah were | like them that remove the bound; therefore will I out my wrath upon them like water. For the Ktatutes of ‘Omri are kept and all the works of the ot the ordinance of God, bat of sin and Satan. In | house of Ahab, and ye walk in their counsels, that src e cane, t comment be tao duty. of tan poopie fe I should make thee a desolation and the inhabitants obey; 5am Mg RT 4 Sa i. FFL as as clared purpose and object for | proach y people.” These passag Which God has ordained the powers that be are set pl he though the powers that be are or. aside by them, and they themselves become nothing of God, the unjustdaws are not of but forms of treason God, and as such the very all of men to God requires, for obedi- ence to , the punishment of such weason and the restoration of the that be, as God has or- dained them, Fer be Soumcanamitarnses aan for good, not evil, sword for good, a ot Le ede escmen tiok are ves 3 and who ares sells, cto rocetve to tonmeaares a ‘on, and are bound to be resisted. Con- diso! wy hy it ps LF ~ 2A bey, W goveramen’ rs ness, 221 doen to obey when it orders ee a alten bo laid t thority governmen| conscience t him. If, therefore, men obey God, it obey re a spirit before the face of the oppressor, sovermmant’ uh of ceuselence Seward God, tuey and stands dill, and no bullet, nor spear, nor sword, Rover wi ‘rmit an unrighteous to | nor poison, nor hangman's axe can reach it, nor exist over them they are pot of God to | sw of the divinity that doth hedge a king, permit such a thing. And who does not see that er ee cae cone Se Cet ERE ‘when the conaciences of men are thus fastened to | is as still and so! aa the grave; and yet, even in God and faithful to him, and ty- | its silence the oppressor hears a voice, and his knees ravny are rendered impossible; Ss s me pegeimer, and his heart faints and his joints nsurpat emble. pooseepe ta | the | ot wicked laws — | RESTRICTIONS AMD OBLIGATIONS OF GOVERNMEMT. could find any it to carry their ac- But let us, in the ge HY EE cursed designs. Where a whole people are under | closely the restrictions obligations imposed of | the teaching of God’s word, and the power of an en- | God upon the different branches of the ite | lightened conscience binding them to him, and | The powers that be are ordained of God, but not the making them faithfal, in vain would tyrants rage. porvernen of ane pene. ‘The power of the law: since they must the whole or cut off giver is ordained of God, but it is a of rigs, | all ther , in which case there would be no sab- pepe 9 The powss of the mags 4. ets, | jects left; but, in fact, no tyrant nor tyrannic ed of God, but for good, not evil; go con bly be sustained inst the con- | not un onsness; and the moment it commands | ro is ofa whole peor ra ————- | ag Agar A God's an hori; Satan's, every raed cae and "thereiore ie very existence | friend. of God and man is bound 3 | ceaces, ‘where the cogestence ot a whole people ia against it, and to put on the whole armor faithful to God. But the moment the conse is | for so 3 mot as taken from God and fastened to the government, = incipalities : taken from God’s kee and put into the | ru the darkness of ke of moment every: | wickedness in high pl thing reversed—the xs ‘re bound hand | and to withetand, har and foot in the tyranny. If they | truth, and on the hea |e eerenetlt ta tee ce | fm oe in | awor | their own neck for the 3 | and a terrible they se rn rte riot es ibe a ech own noeord, ia ri vattle field when — of Reaires wasted. . : ‘ae i | of evil. The system so clamped and compacted is | | power of equity and truth, and not of subtlety and oppression. Here fet me call your stuention to the very solemn na‘are of the ‘onth of office as administered to the judges of this country, and especially its God, to ad- minister justice without respect to persons, in con- trast with the recent judgment of the Supreme a whole race, out of to all the rights of human beings:— that the Jastioss of ihe Sayre: before Court, deprivin; their persons, ABa be It ep: ‘ I oaeee et wh er ? persone abd do cqu.! right tot and, taerelore, { solomaly set apart alt bi the A’ricai white race, eitaer s0- cially OF poiitioally, aud as haviag no rigbte which white mee are bound to respect. I wili administer jusica without respect © persoar; and, therefo~e, I deciars iat these porsors have ros anding in @ coart of jastios, no Fight, as Citizens, 10 tuo av minte:ration of jusiloe, never having been intended to be tacluded {a the conetivation for the “3? tof any personal rights or benefls. } awear that! wiildoequsl rijbtto the poor ead to the wi iy be retuced ‘ag an oFJiawry art poe I cr Hgmh ta tte . Taoy are atu! aud the rich whites may buy tt on aera This is exquisitely beautifai justice, refined and perfected toadezree never before known in the world. It outberods Heiod; for that monster never took a whole race by the throat to assassinate their personality. And yet there are editors, merchants and ministers to be found, who will affirm this judgment tobe ordained of God! The power of WI judgment acd «ppression is not ordained of God, but is a usurpation; and conscience and Gods word are powers agaiust it. The judges are not cases under the covstitution. Whata mere lying a, and pass laws ough directly contrary to the constitution! There is no such anomaly in the powers that ve, as ordained of God. The He- whieh they were bound to obey; and if any statutes were passed in support of any unrighteousness, the people themeclves were to judge of that unright- eousners. They were not to refer the question of the constitutionality of those unrighteous statutes to the unrighteous jaw givers themselves, wader the convenient plea of a mock modesty and diffidence of their own ability to discern netween good and evil, or evasion of responsibility by asserting that it was not for them to express an opinion in regard to the constitution. They were bound to know the constitution and the laws themselves, and to have a decided opinion of their own as to any unjust law, any law commanding injustice and unrighteousness, which they were bound to know at ouce to be uncon- stitutional and wrong. Any law contrary to God's law was unconstitutional, and so it is with us. It is no more to be tolerated or obeyed by us than the laws of Omriand Abab by the Israelites; it is no more €0a’s oroinance for us, than the idolatrous ordioanzes of the government were for Ephraim acd Judah. The throne of iniquity that frameth mischief by a law has no fellowship with God, and is disrobed cf all antho- rity over men; the mischief commanded is contrar: to God's righteousness, and God disallows and forbids it, excommunicates it among men, and does not per- mit men to et The plea of cons:itutionality assumed in its Lebulf, or the deciaration of consti- tutionality by unjust judges, is no excuse for it, and gives it no authority. There never was an unright- cous law, and never will be, which the framers of it would admit to be unconstitutional; and if the powers themselves tha’ be, and the jadges under them appointed to carry out their views are to be ‘we ultimate determining authority, then there is no possible escape from tyranny, there is no possibility of freedom, there is no remedy against the extreme | the most pertect unalloyed despotism; and to this we are fast driving. It is what one of the statesmen of our Revolution declared, with special reference to the peril from a despotic and irresponsible judiciary | above the constitution, a complete felo de se. A CORMUPT, ABOMINABLE AND REPRODATE JUDICIARY. | _In every justly covstitated government the juii- | ciary is @ itly the sacred shrine of equity and | righteousness, the sheckinah, where the divine jus | tice should be represented, and to which the miad and heart of the nation should be able to tara with | and of one another, to covenant an reverence and confidence. The juiiciary answers to the conscience in the buman constitation as the | Senate does to the understanding; the House of Re presentatives to the feelings, affe 8 and sensitive | part of our nature, an: ive to the will. | ‘These are all organs of the conprebensive, na- | tional, responsible life of the people. A disease | in any of them is dreadful, mut when the | conscience becomes corrupt, and instead of cor- recting the evils in the other organs by the law of righteousness, becomes iself the organ of thoee evils, imposing on the pablic “ command. | meats of men that turn from the truth;” then, as | Paul says to Titus, they become “ abominable and disobedient and to every good work repro ate, their very mind and conscience being defiled.” There may have been disease and coruption in the other organs ot the body politic, which the elective ho- nesty and virtue of the people, appealed to and roosed up, may purge @ 3; but the conssience once gone, all is gone, and nothing remains but perdition. APPLICATION OF PRINCIPLES TO OUR GOVERNMENT. Now we apply these principles to our own form of government, and our own responsibilities to God for its right administration. No small oy of oar duty of obedience to the powers that be lies in our re- | lites is athrism and death. “Ephraim is op- | sponsibility to God to keep those powers from cor- | of the sea, in the stor; pressed and broken in judgment, Wecause they | ruption and dishonesty, to eali them to account at | begged, on a:count of extreme weakness, to be car- | ried a little while upon his shoulders, bat once he | God's law, and prevent them from taking the reins | into their own hands, ard whirling the nation into a gulf of piracy and ‘or God bas here committed the power the » having first | trained them for such a commission, under his word, to habits of self-government, in the knowledge love of civil as well as socialjrighteousness. Atany | rate, if they are not so trained, it is not God's fault, | for God has them the schooling, and if are not for such bility in the charge of , are and constitute, ited of them, » are simply ‘od's powers, and the in- a ens for us, te iod—the Lepiala- com] ,u have appointed , bev roreenindas 6 50 for va: and by far the greater of our business and duties, our fn- | ternal economy, which is our life, the things that | enter direct}, our social, domestic and personal morality oe, we have exclusively en- | trosted to the State governments and to our town governments and town meetings. To the general | government we have committed the responsibility | of our foreign ya care of justice to other States and nations, and varions responsibilities be- tween our own States. To the State and town gov. crmments we have committed the responsibility of justice among ourselves and towards ourselves; our own liberties, our own rights, we have taken from | few the keeping of the general ) and ke them closet under our own inspection cnt nour own power. In our case, Cesar {is the 3 and | unto the of our blessed Lord, “Ren | Cwsar the things that are Cesar’s, anid mnt) God the | ganization are visible, things that are God's,” would be rightly construed “Tender to the the things that are the that are God's.” In that are Oear's, we constitution of our laws under it. Jesar does not de- that are oe province, an ont; we are bonnd towards "8 bim God, 82 ge i y i j | the owner : | vernment are enlar as through their own individuvl consziences to God. |. And it is enly by their ha @ conscience under control of religious obli and groauded in God's word that the ‘State, can be permanent in freedom and 5 THE POLITILS- RELIGIOUS CHARACTER OF OUR COMMONWEALTH. Now glance back over the hi of our country, from the first political com; wri the sabia of Mayflower, through all change and progress, and follow the course God has taken in his providence to establish such a free and just government. He be- ‘an with the people. ‘ore he put them out of the sbip in which he held them over the snow crested waves, through storms and dangers, he led them “Solmenly and mutually, in the presence of (od combine thea- selves together into a civil body politic,” ‘and by vtrtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good, unto which ‘we promise all due submission and obedience.” The carefulness in regard to jee and equity with which this instrument was framed, and the jealousy of reserve ip their conscience toward God, under which they would bind themselves only to such sub- miesion and obedience as were doc ander God, are worthy of ali note and imitation. it was thus that God began in this country his own appointment of the powers that be. He set this grevt and over- shadowing tree, he brought this vine out of Egypt, be caused this government to grow to its presen’ form. It is a thing of growth, as everything of life is. We go back to its roots,and we find them a deep and living network all over the country, on the hills of New England, twined about the rovks, in the heart of the soil, and all along the springs and the water courses. They are ia the cradle, and the nureery, and the village school, and the churcb, and the household, and above all in the family Bible, at the family altar, woven in prayer. The great tap root was of conscience in the word of God. SLAVERY A HIDEOUS @RAFT, So our government bas grown, and the legiti- mate powers of our government are what the roots bear, and not the graits of tyranny. The root was freedom and piety, not slavery and injustice. Sla- very is a hideous, horiible graft; and if all the limbs that have grown out of it were cut off to-day, the parent tree would be stronger and healthier. THE BIBLE, CONSCIENCE AND SELF-GOVERNMENT. Now as we were formed, so must we be snpport ed, by conscience toward God, and habits of se! government grooved in and netted with and bolte to his werd, as the shrouds end ropes that steady the masta of a ship are bolted to the deck, the tim- bers. Without such conscience, such habits and such reverence of God's word, and independence by it, a peoole cannot be free—are not fitted for fres- dom In the great city of Bordeaux, in France, the people on on2 occasion wanted to make some altera- ton iu theirmode of lighting the streets, but they couid not be trusted with power to doit, and they had to send up to the central imperial government at Paris for authority to straighten their own lamp posts. They had not learned how to take care of them- seves, and the government did not mean they shouid, but would keep them in standing stools; and what is worst of all, they did not feel that there was any a apy degradation in this. The deeper was their slavery, tor the government are treating them just as the s!aveholders treat their slaves, pennies them from learning to take care of themselves, and leaving them only capacity and privilege to work and be taxed on account of their masters. Such Spee cannot be free. They have no stamioa. They are like swimmers on bladders—the instaut they are pricked they sink to the bottom. What a contrast, whese the people are enlightened by God's word, und made dependent Od an enlightened con- science only on God. With us the people are responsible, and in the cass of trouble we throw ourrelves back upon God and his word, and the elements of our constitution. WHAT WOULD BE THE EEFECT OF AN OVERTHROW OF THE GOVERNMENT ? Suppore our general government so perverted that a revolution becomes necessury—what then? It takes virtue to make a revolution, but God eon bring it about. Do we cease to have a government because we have a revo'ntion? By no means; but we merely bring back our government to its original | rovernments failed | elements, and if even our State us a thousand governments would spring up, as of old, in our town meee As long as conscien-e, es by the word of God, remains, our life and iberty are indestructible. We are like that singu'ar —- of mineral life, the polype; cut asander its Lody and every separate fragment grows into a perfect whole; cut off the and the boly sup- plies anotber; turn it inside out, and_not even thea 1s jaw of life suspended, but apeedily ita vital or- gans resume their oe = sng and proceses. We are like Milton's angels, when the mountains were thrown upon them, and it was thought for atime that their enemies had destroyed them; but they were unconquerable, indestructible, and speed'ly as- sumed their celestial shape and power uninjured. But without conscience towards (jod all is weal ruin and chaos, RBLIGION AND POLITIOS NOT SAFELY TO BA SEPA- RATED. The separation of our statesmanship and policy from conscience, and exclusion of religion from po Nevertheless, this ex- ind we sew in the public clusion is proclaimed streets the inscription in flaming letters of the pirty that support slavery, constitution for earth, and the Bible for heaven!” And this insulting de- finence and re ction of God's authority do nos want support even in the religious press and the pulpit. Beyond question a rapid change bas been golag on in our system, under such teaching, favorable universal despotism. Heretofore, the people ha been the sovereign, and have managed ali things; but now the government, from being merely our agent, are coming to be ovr master. They are ra- pidly completing and faste: ing the usurpation; a lew y more, and {t will be accomplished, and Gespotiem firmly in the saddle. Like the old man of Sinbad the Sailor, who got his legs around Sinbad’s neck he made tim his slave; so the government of a free people on pretence of too grest weakness, and the necessity of the consolidation of power, get t» themselves a tyrannic supremacy, and are enthroned upon the shoulders of slaves. ANOTHER SWOOP ON THR JUDORS. indications of this cl break ont in the recent decision i , and espe- cially in the course of «petal pleading and on which it profemes to be ground- ed. judi black men Sept A which we ve mission of the constitution, and as if the constitu. tion itself were some oppresive nations, and they will be to the letter, in our case, if the people of this coun’ t the government to the oppression race their policy, their expediency, if tach oppression, because they themselves are not the su of it they will become themselves of it when it is too late to throw it off. lend themselves as submissive tools for others, on the ground that their own rights ate invaded, what can God do with su sh sel ze “TO THY TENTS, OF ISRAEL!” And here I beseech you to. mark the very point where we come into extreme controversy against God. The very revealed grounds on which Gud has ordained the powers that be show that it is not pos- sible for us to obey those powers when they com- mand us to deprive others of their just rights, with- out incurring wrath of God for such obedience. If, because we are afraid of the powers, we choose to disobey God, bis wrath is pledged against us. The necessity of choosing begins to 38; it is coming to every man’s conscience, wi he will obey God or man—whether for the friendship of the government he will run the risk of God's anger— whether for tbe prosperity of his own business, and the undi-turbed enjoyment of his own liberties and rights, he will agree’ to oppress others—will enter into the gpg of injustice for the sake of gain—will sustain the government in its wicked- ness. Every man ia now commanded to do this, and God will socn show who are the Niue peseions one freemen, and who are the true slaves. They are the greatest slaves under heaven who are willing, for the sake of their own freedom, to make slaves of others. The great, and one might wy. damaing, distinctton between the despotism now advancing fi this country, and any that afllicts any other country under heaven, and between the unjust laws here en- forced and those elsewhere, is just this, that we are not commanded to endure injustice ourselves, but to do injustice to ochers—to take our neighoor by the throat and strangle him; to take our fellow beings and deprive them of their rights,and ‘urn them into merchandise; to take a whole race of men among us, and treat them as having no rights that we are bound to respect. Now, mask you, the essence of des- potism ordinwnily is the infliccion of wrongs by the ernment on all classes of the governed, the reailo- | tion of their privileges, the subjection of all the common people into serfs, or the holding of them under the tyranny of an irresponsible dominion, every citizen and family being made to feel the yoke asa personal subjection, a personal infliction, a de- struction of their own rigbts. But here the tyranny | is that of being held to inflict tyranny upon others, | to help make others slaves, while in all other re- spects we ourselves may be free. Toe government commands us to sustain and carry into effect laws of cruelty and oppression against our neighbors, commands us to do what God forbids us from doing. It does not, as yet. make us slaves ourselves, but commands us to help make slaves of others, to tor- ture and agonize the human sensibilities of a class, whom the \ ice ma have bound down as a sacri- fice to cruelty and power, ordering us to lay the victims on the altar, and having put the knives in our hands, and the iren boots, and the pincers, and the thumbserews, commands us to tear the flesh, to drive the iron, to act as familiars of the government nquisition, and to stand gaard against the victims, in case any of them should escape. The govern- | ment constructs its wheel of torture, and commands | us to help break the wretched consecrated class upon it, and the judge sanctities the custom of such cruelty a8 a moral axiom, and a law of God, of na- tore, and the constitution. Thus the rnment gives us all over to be the instruments of inhuman- ity and oppression; it makes us the mere tools, servants, executioners, of its cruel policy; a nation of Lhangmen, a people of the officials of a slave-oera- cy, a nation of slave-drivers; and it has a body of chaplains, jndges and editors, subservient to its will, and ready to declare, in the name of religion, that obedience to the powers that be, m these edicts, is obedience to God. It is a refinement and perfection of deapotiam, such as the world never saw. But | no people can leng submit to such infinitely | base and degraded a position, witnout at length | loving all self respect, end becoming in every point the slaves they are wiliing, against concience and the command of God, to make others. It is a subtle poison of despotism, entering into our very cireu- jation, our life blood—a despotism sustained by the sacrifice of conscience, not by the patience of en- resisting suffering; for at precent we seem to suffer | nothing, if we are selfish enough to consent to be | the instruments in torturing others; but by a willing complicity with crime, by agre sing to injure others, | to defraud others of their rights. It is aa when ' noe robbers murder by consent,” and make it the test of brotherhood and condition of partici- ting in the power and spoils, that every one en- ering the asecciation should first rob, and if need | be, murder bis man. This is our humiliation. It is not a despotism under which we can have the con- solation of knowing that we can suffer patienly, and have our very sufferin, epted of God. On the contrary, our submission iteclf is sin; our submis- sion is Complicity wath crime; our submmissum is an act of robbery and eruelty upon others. As thieves, when they fave caught an honest man, take him forth and watch him to see if be can rob, and if he will not rob others they will torture hin, so they administer their tests and their oaths. They make us swear to execute a pirate’s laws, and he that will not do it ia marked tor proscription and roin. He that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. The condition of our porticipation in the sove- reignty is that we agree to make tt and maintain it 4 sovereiznty of oppression and of crime. NO SvOM DEAPOTIeM ON RanTHT. Now I say thet under the whole heavens there ia no such wickedness as this. [con go into sustris and live there, and undergo with a calm and quiet con- science every one of the oppressions endared there, till I have run the whole gauntlet, and never a non, them all encounter one that is so horribie ax that of | being required by law to render myself up an in- | strument and an executioner of systematic torture upon others. I should not be required in Austria to whip, chain, imbrute others, but merely to endare myself, in common with oth: +, the galling yoke 1m- posed on all. And I might ..ar that yoke, and yet not feel that every moment ia bearing it I was sin- ning against Godand man. | might bear that yoke and yet stand up beneath it, erect, proud, 5 a man, with my conscience unstained befure God. Bat when the very essence of the despotiem upon me is that | yield myself to crash out the very | life in others, that heart's blood of ye man lewear to enslave , that | swear to trample upon others as nothing but property—that I swear to treat others, or help treat otoers, or compel them to be #0 treated, as having no rights that any white is boand to reapect—then, every ii that T submit. to that ee case in which 1 €o not reject it, denounce it, dec! its wickedness, ‘acd refuse all eubmiasion to it. all icipation with it, | am a traitor to God and to ‘hy fellow beings. hm moe ae ran fan age of Sept veal anid gracious , him. Who could have does he e belong, guardian of our rights and privileges? Does the con- stitution belong to the government and the judges, | 9vity or do constitution, government and judges belong | to the people? In fine, our government is under- going & most vital, most disastrous, most terrible Change, and the more terrible, for being so stealthy, #0 unperceived, a change from republican freedom and simplicity to consolidated governmental weight and tyranny, from the (EGC! of the government, to the lordship of overnment as the owner of the people. fe chan; is as ure as death, not only the di of almost begins to appear. The jniebed the Of consolidation and senttalisation, the incresse of patrona; while the | ing to be the too! | make and keep slaves it throws ua @ 1 betray and renounce my own dignity, nobleness, manliness, seli-respect, conscience. sign, as it were, a ccmpact with Satan in my own heart's blood. I make —< the veriest slave ia erouch- others. The ing slavery national, makes the holders of — Ugg By we refuse > Tevouring whale, and we are all ‘ bride and Tones comes to usa mere pilots to decoy the fish into his jaws. We are ernment on the scent of conscience, justice, mercy, benevolencs, piety, hu- manity,at the command of a government asurped bya sve driving oligarchy; beyond this in meanness and madness, the slavering obedience and adulation of y reli men and newspapers, claiming tha’ such pact of couscience humanity is an act of re- ligious worship, a sacred oblation of the most loyal phty.and the purest and most table offering | Sa ie oe, igary tothe goermmeny a |, our ly to ae to God who it and the laws for it, zd . BS itt g 83 i a : TH : uit i i 5 : I