# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 04 02_S127
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

127

In order to prevent a failure of the crops and a famine resulting therefrom, it is expected that someone will present a prisoner of war of one of the two sexes, and there were also always found such as sought an honor in dedicating the booty of their valor to the general welfare. The sacrifice itself was carefully kept in ignorance of the fate awaiting it, was clothed in the finest manner, fed in the best manner, and treated with all tenderness, with the intention of promoting corpulence and of preparing for the gods who were to be propitiated a so much the more acceptable gift. When the unsuspecting victim had been sufficiently fattened by the successful use of these means, a day was appointed for the sacrifice, and the whole people assembled to attend the solemn proceeding.

Imagine to yourselves the great assembly of the Pawnees in honor of the sacrifice, and their wild shouting. In the middle of the great circle a stake is brought, the end of which is sharpened, and then it is driven deep into the earth. Thereupon arise shouting and cries of joy, a sign that all is ready. At some distance stands a band of Pawnees, and at the side of the leader a fair maiden. She is an Itean. They approach. He who led her captive steps proudly into the circle. A cry of joy welcomes him. He takes the maiden by the hand and leads her to the fatal place. Her back is leaned against the stake, ropes are brought, and she is bound to it. Then bundles of wood are gathered and laid round about the victim. Already a torch is seen near by, coming out of the forest. At this moment a young warrior leaps into the circle, rushes to the stake, cuts the ropes which bind the victim to it, springs upon a horse and throws her upon another, drives both at the swiftest gallop, and is soon vanished in the distance. It was Petalesharro, the son of the great chief of the Pawnees, Letalashahou. After he had brought the rescued maiden into the wide plains outside the boundaries of the Pawnee town and had provided her with provisions, he showed her the best way to her people, which was about four hundred miles distant, and left her. She had the good fortune on the next day to meet a band of warriors of her people, by whom she was safely brought home.

In the year 1821 Petalesharro went to Washington on affairs of his people. The ladies there presented him, in a solemn assembly, with a medal in recognition of his noble deed. With the grace which is peculiar to the Indian, he held the token of honor, which he had won in so heroic a manner, before him and answered with reference to it as follows: "This gift brings rest to my heart. I feel myself quiet, like a leaf after the storm and when the wind is still. I have heard you. I am pleased. I love the pale-faces more than ever, and will open my ears wider when they speak. I rejoice that you have heard of my deed. I did not know that my deed was so good. It came from my heart. I was ignorant of its worth. I know now how good it was. You teach it me by giving me this medal."

Such deeds the Rationalists are accustomed to adduce as proofs of the natural goodness, purity, and uncorruptedness of the human heart. We, on the contrary, according to Holy Scripture, with Augustine see in the virtues of the heathen only splendid vices. Such deeds have the appearance of a good work, but nothing more, for they spring from ambition, vanity, and love of fame. The heart of the unregenerate is evil, therefore all its products are also, however much they may glitter outwardly under the hypocritical mask of virtue.

On the other hand, heathenism reveals in human sacrifices its devilish, horrible nature in the truest sense. And yet, it cannot be denied, in this fearful aberration there expresses itself a dim presentiment of human sinfulness, of the wrath of God, and of an atoning sacrifice.

Reader! thou who hast found peace and hast made thy robes white in the blood of the Lamb, and who in believing enjoyment of it dost daily taste the kindness and loving-kindness of thy God, forget not in thy prayer those poor sunken heathen who, without knowing it themselves, sigh for redemption. It is indeed an easy thing for Christ to snatch them from the strong man armed, to lead them out of the pit wherein is no water, and to enlighten them with the Word of eternal life. They also are doubly Christ's own, through creation and through redemption; to them also He has promised salvation; therefore let us do everything that is possible for us to lead those straying sheep into the arms of their eternally faithful Shepherd.

"Der Lichtfreund."

In the last number of this paper a correspondent from our good city of St. Louis is greatly agitated over the fact that the Lutheraner some time ago showed how foolish it is to stumble at the miracle of Balaam's speaking ass. This matter, as well as the circumstance that we Lutherans will not believe that our Republic is, according to our notions, of the devil, brings our dear republican fellow-citizen so beside himself that he, as if seized by a spirit of divination, utters the following oracle: "But the time will surely come for America, alas, when these Lutheran Jesuits, just as well as the Catholic ones, will be driven out of the land, as has happened elsewhere." Since we must now fear that the honorable gentleman correspondent has believed he found in the story of the speaking ass something dishonoring to himself personally, we hereby declare that we have by it not at all intended to offend any of our fellow-citizens personally. But as to the second point, we believe that, although revolution is never made without sin, yet every existing lawful governmental authority and constitution of the state, no matter by what way it has come to its existence, is of God, for the Scripture says: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God."

The gentleman correspondent has indeed signed himself with the letter X; we permit ourselves, however, modestly to doubt that this is the initial letter of his name, and hold rather that he wishes thereby, for our comfort, to give us to understand that he belongs to those who like to make people take an X for a U, so that we have therefore nothing to fear from that unrepublican oracle.

"Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit." Prov. 26:5.

When the Princely-Schönburg court preacher at Hartenstein, Niedner, was once at table with his prince, a pert noble young lady turned to the venerable old man with the words: "Pray tell me, Mr. Court Preacher, do you then really believe, too, that Balaam's ass spoke?" The one asked answered quickly: "No, my young lady, for it is written that it was a she-ass that spoke." The young lady was silent.

To believe rightly and to live well secretly and by oneself, the evil spirit does not assail so hard. But when one will come forth, and spread the same abroad, confess, preach, and praise, also for the good of others, that he cannot bear.

Luther.

Law and Gospel.

The Law, where it is rightly understood, makes despondent, and brings about despair; but if it is not understood, it makes hypocrisy. Likewise the Gospel, where it is not rightly understood, makes secure, rough people; on the other hand, where it is rightly understood and believed, it makes pious, godly people.

Luther.

Church News.

After Dr. Stibolt from Holstein had received a regular call from the German Lutheran congregations at Warsaw, Illinois, and at Keokuk, Iowa, and had passed the prescribed theological candidate's examination, he was publicly and solemnly ordained to his office on the 28th of last month before the local Lutheran congregation in its Trinity Church by the President of the Synod, with the assistance of Pastor Bünger.

Communication of World Affairs.

It is difficult to form a correct picture of the European and, respectively, German conditions, still more difficult to draw a probable conclusion for the near future, since these conditions have fallen within the last months into new confusion and uncertainty. Apparently outward quiet has been restored almost everywhere, but the embitterment of the parties continues; the reactionary, that is, the return into the former con-