The Sun.
London, England, 1839-01-07 00:00:00

REV. MR. STEPHENS.

MANCHESTER, SUNDAY EVENING.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
I went to Ashton-under-Line, this morning, to hear the
Rev. Mr. Stephens preach, which he is in the habit of
doing every Sunday, to the several congregations attending
his chapels at Dukinfield, Staleybridge, and Charlestown.
He appears to be in high estimation here with the poorer
classes generally ; and I have heard, in the course of the
day, many anecdotes of his benevolent and charitable feel.
in.'s towards the indigent of all sects and parties. Some of
the perions who work in the factories, however, who'have
been dismissed from their employment, in consequence of
having listened to and followed the indignant and rather over-
zealous denunciations of Mr. Stephens against their task-
masters, complain that he has done more harm than good,
by enlisting the weak in a crusade against the powerful—
arraying the servant against the master, and there may be
some truth in this. There are few persons whose name
has been more generally in the mouths of men of all
parties in this district, for good or for ill, during the
last ten days, than that of the Reverend Gentleman.
I perceive a letter from a Manchester Correspondent in
yesterday's paper, in which it is asserted that is my com-
munication published in The Sun of Wednesday. I stated
that in consequence of the proceedings going on againA
Mr. Stephens, the town is in a state of alarming excite-
meat." If your Correspondent had taken the trouble to
read my letter in the first instance, he would have saved
himself the trouble of addressing you upon the subject, for
I nzade no such statement. From information which I
received, and letters which were read to me from the
Secretaries and Delegates of various Unions in the sur-
rounding districts," had no hesitation in believing that the
Members of these Unions, comprising the great bulk of the
Working Classes, were in a state of extreme excitement.
I had also good grounds for believing that most of these
men were in possession of arms, and that a hint from their
Delegates and leaders would be enough to bring them in a
body into Manchester on Thursday last. Under these
circumstances, I think I was fully justified in stating
my apprehensions that there was some probability of
a breach of the public peace, and but for the good
sense of some of the " movement party" here, I
repeat that very serious consequences might have resulted.
One of the local Journals of yesterday has also ho-
noured me with some remarks, but the peculiar position in
which that Paper stands with respect to the prosecution
_ instituted against Mr. Stephens, render the comments of
the Editor not worth my notice.
Since the copy of the warrant under which Mr. Stephens
was arrested has been furnished to his solicitor, which was
done on Thursday evening, shortly after the proceedings
had terminated, by Goddard, the Bow-street officer, Tho-
mas Cleworth, publican of Leigh, whose name appeared
upon the back of the warrant as the informant, attended
the Radical meeting at the Town-hall in Bolton on Friday
night. He was, on being recognised, immediately sur-
rounded by a large body of persons, who, notwithstanding
his protestations that he had nothing to do with the matter
were about to give him some very rough treatment, but the
Working Men's Comaiittee took him under their protection
to the house of Mr. Findlay Frazer, Crown Tavern, where
he st.qed, that if his name was attached to the warrant on
which Mr. Stephens had been arrested, it was without his
knowledge, ant that it could not possibly be in consequence
of anything which-he had said to any magis:rate, or magis-
trate's clerk. At the request of several members of the
Working Men's Association, he agreed to insert the follow-
ing advertisement, which appeared in the Bolton Free
Press :

" ARREST OF MR. STEPHENS.—It having been AS-
sertcd in Leigh and other towns, that the warrant against
the Rev. J. IL Stephens had been issued.on an information,
given by me, 1, Thomas Cleatorth, hereby declare that I
have never given a single wore of information to any Ma-
gistrate on this subject : and further, I ()Gra REWARD
of TW 0 POUNDS sterling to any person who shall give
such information to we as will lead to a discovery of the
person who has originated this calumny against me.
(Signed) '6 THOMAS CLEWORTH.
" Alexander Thomson, Chairman of the Meeting."
This appears to be one of the most extraordinary cir-
cumstances connected with " these must extraordinary pro-
e,ael:ngs" as they have been termed by Mr. Stephens.
Placards and hand-bills containing the above statement
were widely distributed in the course of Saturday.
But to return to the business of today. Mr. Stephens's
residence is at Dukinfield, a retired hamlet within lel' a
mile of Ashton. It is a small cottage-like house, situate
on the side of a hill, and commanding an extensive pro -
pect over the adjacent country.
The Chapel at Charlestown is a large square building,
totally devoid of ornament, and capable of containing
about 1,000 persons. The afternoon service commenced
at two o'clock and the hymn would appear to have been
selected as _appropriate to the occasion.
When Newt out of Egypt came,
And left the proud oppressor's land."
The Rev. Mr. Stephens entered the chapel after time
prayer and hymns had concluded, and the building at this
time was crowded in every_ part. The great hulk of his
congregation appeared to be composed of the labouring and
industrious classes ; their demeanour was extremely correct
and respectful, and there was a tincture of cnthto-i.,-.sm in
the way in which they followed the Rev. Lecturer through-
out his discourse, giving vent occasionally to ejaculations
in a subdued tone of voice.
Mr. Stephens having ascended the pulpit, addressed his
hearers as follows :
" Well, my brethren, right well have you begun the
worship of another year, by baring your breasts to the eye
that racketh the hearts and trieth the reins of the children
of men, by raising your minds unawed, save by his pre-
sence, and unimpressed, save by his power, in elevating
your souls with all the thousand feelings instinct
of him who gave them being, and with head and
heart •howed with obedient and childlike cheerful
homage you have this afternoon in songs of praise, and with
breathings of prayer unfeigned, dedicated yourselves agAitr
and afresh unto God, and to his service. .1 hope, I trust,
I know that this your homage and dutiful worship is sin-
cere. I know that you, many of you at least—most of you,
I believe, and all of you, I hope—l. know that you are, my
brethren, as those who, having been raised unto life from
the dead, are resolved—more than ever resolved, to give up
your bodies and your spirits unto Him and to his service.
If there be any amongst you that bath hitherto withheld
his heart from God, and bath stubbornly kept his mind shut
up against the incoming light of Heaven—that bath barred
his breast against the soft persuasive approaches of heaven-
ly wisdom and heavenly goodness and heavenly power, the
great God of all our mernies ; let me beg of that man here
to-day, in the house of God, at this hour, whilst yet in
the way of his Maker and Redeemer and Sanctifier,
to come and reason together with that Lord who has said,
" Let your. sins be as scarlet, and they shall be made white
as snow-1.-t them be red as crimson, and they shall be as
wool." Put away the evil of your doings—cease from
doing evil ; learn to do well. Let the wicked man for-
sake his ways, and the unrighteous man forsake his thoughts.
Let him turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon
him. Let him seek his God, and he will undoubtedly
pardon him. You know I have always told you—that I
have always shown you—that your feast business, until it be
done, is, each one for himself to mike his peace with Gqd—
each one for himself to pray " Create within me a clear
I heart—renew within me a right spirit." What boots it