believed, leading to the issuing of the order. The fact, also, was mentioned in at least one religious journal in a Metropolitan city, that while commanding the army in Tennessee, General Rosecrans never disturbed a Catholic Church, while Protestant Churches were freely taken for military purposes. Let us do justice to the patriot-soldier. Let us honor the man, if honor is his due, who took the demoralized army of General Buell, and led it in triumph over the terrific fields of Stone River and Murfreesboro', and finally planted it in Chattanooga. We claim, personally, as strong an adherence to the Protestant faith as any of our brethren of the religious press, and yet we honor the brave, whether commanding an army or standing in the ranks, who perils his life to put down this rebellion, and save the national flag from disgrace, without inquiring of what religious faith he may be. As to the reports from Tennessee, about the distinction which General Rosecrans made between the Churches, we know nothing, one way or the other. But certain things which were noticed in the secular prints, just after the issuing of the order of which complaint was made, occurred in the Department of Missouri, and which we searched diligently for in the religious papers, but searched in vain. It was stated that General Rosecrans had reprimanded or suspended two Catholic priests in Missouri for their disloyalty, and that he had, for the same reason, forbidden the circulation within his Department of the well-known Roman Catholic journal, the Metropolitan Record. This is quite enough to relieve him of all suspicion that he was impelled by any sectarian considerations in giving an order which has called forth the strictures of religious journals and Church courts. Let all men be honored according to their merit, of DOOM OF TRAITORS.-SELF-CONDEMNATION. 273 whatever religion or nation, whether Jew or Gentile, Greek, Barbarian, or Scythian, bond or free, who will help us to save the nation by putting down the most godless rebellion the sun ever shone upon.* DOOM OF TRAITORS.-SELF-CONDEMNATION. We close this chapter by an extract from Dr. Thornwell's Fast-Day Discourse, preached in Columbia, South Carolina, Nov. 21, 1860, upon the National Crisis then impending. It will be another good lesson for disloyalists. We commend it to their serious consideration. If it is. "preaching politics;" if it presents before "traitors" an awful doom, and pronounces their " damnation ;" if it seals the destiny of him who penned it, and of multitudes of his co-laborers in the South; if it embraces those in the loyal States, who, though they have not taken up arms against the Government, are doing every thing they dare do to aid those who are in arms and in rebellion; all we have to * After this chapter was written, and the stereotyping was nearly completed, the Biblical Repertory for July came to hand (received July 30), in which we are glad to find one for whom we entertain so profound a respect as Dr. Hodge uttering himself so decidedly, and sustaining the propriety of General Rosecrans's order. On reviewing the proceedings of the General Assembly in the case of Dr. McPheeters, and referring to the reasons for non-attendance in the St. Louis Presbytery, resulting from that order, he says: "To us it seems that these unfortunate scruples are founded in error. There was no just ground of complaint against General Rosecrans's order. There was nothing therein inconsistent with the independence of the Church or true allegiance to Christ. Suppose the small-pox had been prevalent in that region, and the authorities of the city had issued an order that no one should attend any public meeting, ecclesiastical or secular, who did not produce evidence that he had been vaccinated. Would this be an interference with the liberty of the Church? Not at all-because the object sought (viz., the public health) was a lawful object; and because the thing demanded (vaccination) was something the authorities had a right to demand. So in General Rosecrans's order, the object sought, the public safety, was a legitimate object; and the thing demanded, allegiance to the Government, was admitted to be obligatory. In our view, therefore, the order in question presented no lawful or reasonable objection to a free attendance on the Presbytery." And more than this, too: "the thing demanded, allegiance to the Government," was "obligatory," whether "admitted to be" or not. say is, that it comes from South Carolina, and from one of the ablest divines in any branch of the Church. Though the original application was different with the preacher from that now given it, the truth it contains applies none the less pointedly to all who are disloyal to the General Government. In reference to our position as a nation before the rebellion occurred, to our power and destiny among the nations of the earth and upon the welfare of the human race, and to the guilt or destroying the hopes of mankind in this nation by rebellion, the eloquent divine thus says: The day of small States is passed, and as the federative principle is the only one which can guarantee freedom to extensive territories, the federal principle must constitute the hope of the human race. It was the glory of this country to have first applied it to the formation of an effective Government, and, had we been faithful to our trust, a destiny was before us which it has never been the lot of any people to inherit. It was ours to redeem this continent, to spread freedom, civilization, and religion, through the whole length of the land. Geographically placed between Europe and Asia, we were, in some sense, the representatives of the human race. The fortunes of the world were in our hand. We were a city set upon a hill, whose light was intended to shine upon every people and upon every land. To forego this destiny, to forfeit this inheritance, and that through bad faith, is an enormity of treason equalled only by the treachery of a Judas, who betrayed his Master with a kiss. Favored as we have been, we can expect to perish by no common death. The judgment lingers not, and the damnation slumbers not, of the reprobates and traitors, who, for the wages of unrighteousness, have sapped the pillars and undermined the foundations of the stateliest temple of liberty the world ever beheld. Rebellion against God, and treason to man, are combined in the perfidy. The innocent may be spared, as Lot was delivered from the destruction of Sodom; but the guilty must perish with an aggravated doom. We trust that for decency's sake nothing may be said, henceforth, about what Northern men may think should be done with "traitors," when Dr. Thornwell dooms those DOOM OF TRAITORS. -SELF-CONDEMNATION. 275 whom he regards as such to something a little more disagreeable than such a shower of fire and brimstone as came down upon the cities of the plain. We of course understand what is couched under the glowing phrase, that "it was ours to redeem this continent, to spread freedom, civilization, and religion, through the whole length of the land." We have shown this in a previous chapter, when speaking of the Slavery Propagandists among whom Dr. Thornwell was a High Priest; that to "redeem" the continent was to convert it into slave territory; that "freedom" means the relation of master and slave, the slave to come from Africa if he could be obtained; the master to be a white man if "rich," or to be a slave if poor;" that the "civilization" was to be universally of this type; and that the "religion" was to be that which should sanction all this as "divine," and any thing preached in opposition was to be "infidelity" and proof of "apostasy." Patriotism and treason are also understood. To be a "patriot" was to give heart and soul, tongue, pen, purse, and ballot for such a 66 destiny" to one's country; and to be a "traitor" was to oppose such a destiny, or, if living at the South, to hesitate and falter about aiding to bring it about. And then so glorious to us and so philanthropic to mankind was such a destiny, and so correspondingly deep was the guilt of all who were reprobates and traitors" to it, that their “judgment lingers not" and their “damnation slumbers not," but is rapidly approaching in the form of a shower-bath like that which came upon Sodom! 66 Well, gentlemen, all we have to say, is, that when the actual trial and doom of " traitors" shall come, we hope you will stand up to it like men, and let justice take its course. CHAPTER VIII. SOUTHERN PROVIDENCE IN THE REBELLION. THE doctrine of a Divine Providence in the affairs of men is a tenet of both natural and revealed theology. It has been the common belief of all nations and all times. It has been taught by the priests of every sect in religion, received by the sages of every school in philosophy, and sung by the poets of every age of the world. The bard of Avon has but expressed the sober judgment of mankind when uttering a sentiment which we may take in its utmost latitude of application, There's a divinity that shapes our ends, GOD'S PROVIDENCE EXTENDS TO NATIONS. This providence has been conceded to extend to nations as truly as to individual men. Without the light of Scripture, this has been an accepted truth; in that light, we read it on every page. It is concerned in the birth of nations, in their progress, and in their downfall. It attends them in peace and in war, gives them their rulers, awards their prosperity and glory, and brings them to honor or ruin. In the rise of nations, in their career, in their permanent endurance or in their passing away to give place to others, an unceasing round through all the cycles of time,-God is but accomplishing His eternal purposes, in the execution of which "He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth." |