Jenks' Portland gazette. Maine advertiser., 1802-12-27

call themfelvesj collected from ieverai
miles round, all feated before gooo
fire, engagedin in diicufing the reiPeet'Vee
merits of the two men Whole names !
heard mentioned. ] foon difcovered
|they feemed to agree that both OF them
were in6dels and on that account ~
their opinion, one of them had been ie
Ileaed by the Preiident TO the cti'e he
now holds for they bad never heard
of his being diIlinguifhcd among his
profelion and the other, for the iams
ieafon, had been preded hard to return
to this country from France. One OF
the company faid, " he thought the
{" Prefdent was TO be applauded tor
:" this, tbs initiation Of Pain to tbis country,
/" more than any thing lie bad done tor
sthe republican party fince he got into
. Office becaufe it was well known that
C Pain is free from any religious ihackles
whatever, and he could now afford
(" the deiRs more fubliantial aid than
g any of his American friends, as theie
had yet iome lcruples hanging on
I" their minds. Tho many might begin
:. to think freely, yet, except Palmer,
8. they did not choofe to come our bold
ly againlt the religion Of the country;
g and be gave many reafons why he
thought Pain, on account Of his bod
.' nefs, would ierve the good caufe bet
g ter than Lincoln tho he was willing
" to admit the latter, with the example
:. Of Pain and patronage Of Jefferlon,
g might do much good in his imali
:" way"
Here the fpeaker was interrupted by
man who proceeded as follows" |
think you have wrong idea Of this
g Lincoln | have read his letters TO
{" the people and guefs he is pretty
8 ily fort of a fellow-Hr hbbed il a
g little about tie Berceau but no mat
ter for that, the people have forgot
it and don't believe he is much sf
" a chliltian, if the truth could be
known he knows how to attack
6 thele long faced, io5er creatures -
g He is f-niible it wont do yet, in New
/" England, to deny ch. iltianiry direaly,
: aud therefore in bis letters, with all
: the appearance of gravity and iolem-
nifty of words, he reviles the clergy,
: and endeavors to make their parilh
8 toners diGiti fed with them, He in
8 finuates they are no better than the
8 prisQs of ancient governments, be.
9. caufe he reeolieets what elfeef the
+" deilts produced in France on this
ground by way of reproach be
" charges the preachers of piety, reli-
|" gion and morality, with being a Polia
seal corps and endeavors to connect
" them with a fasI;sg army. This is
!" to make them odIous. Now we all
sknow this IS one of the principal
8 means deits have made ufe of 10 in
{" jure the chriaian religion for while
g The people are attached 10, and have
81 confidence in their religious teachers,
g il is no eafy thing to change or de
/" troy rhe religion of country. On
% this ground again Linco'n fhews his
- art; he has obleryed how reluctantly
g iome people contribute then, mlie to
g fupport religious intitutions, and
g how ready they are to lay hold Of
g any thing that may ferve them for
g realon to get clear of mlnilterial tax
s es-Hence he has not failed TO ad
$ drefs himfcif, in bis tenth letter, 10
8 this difpofition and intimates verv
6 plainly that if our miniters preach
any thing about politics, or, what is
/" tantamount to il, declare fbe 4rbols
g qUcsd efCod TO qUieked yhlsr5, and to tbs
s people q0ber tkey are a5out 10 make eboice
g Of item, il operates as diholution Of
g the contrad between minifers and
{" people. and the latter are abfolved
g from all obligation TO pay the former.
g 1t is great point gained to dejln, and
{" to rspabiieanijn, for, 70 far as | can
e underaand Pain, they are nearly con-
+" needed, If not the fame thing, to make
/" the people difcontented with their
" preachers. Whenever this ihall be
8 generally accomplished, il will be an
{" eaiy matter, under the modern no
I" tions of eandopr, E5eyaLty ef fsnti01ent,
g asiOsrjal Pbilsnfb,efy and fbs Liberty Of
I" eonjfasnes, to induce the people to hear
g delft, OF even an atheiit- Hence it
9; is neceGary, on all occafions, to hold
g up the natural rigbt Of thinking freely,
and that this right will be good for
nothing if we cannot write and fpeak
g as freely as we think.
son this fubjed the republican papers