Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-07-12
TNUlLBER 81.

the holy minister's of God. Their precepts and
Their examples formed the basis of social order,
and protected whatever was worthy in the COM
munity against the fretful insolence of impety,
| or the Lcentlous assaults of crime
The opinion springing from this custom de-
lnands without hesitation, improper and oft
tne, as nnpous, all attempts, to scorn the bigot-
| ~, uspiay the ignorance, or laugh ut the folly
| OF the man who wears the symbols of godliness,
or bears the commission of the Lamb. Men,
therefore, who reverence and respect the gospel,
VINO are moral from habit, and pious from prin-
cipie, have difficult task to perform in abjur-
ing the mingled heresies of priest
we believed these preliminary remarks neces-
ssry to far introduction to that pubic TO whose
candid Judgment we humbly submit our cause.
we are repubiicans-our principles gro drawn
rom the naturairights of man, and are deineated
IN the constitution of our government Many of
us shed our blood in the war of the revolution;
and many ofus have grown up under the conse-
Grated spirit of that contest-such are our prn-
ciples.
we are inhabitants OF the town of Dalton, ard
as such have for many years contributed to TIC
maintenance of the Rev. Mr.. Jennings.
we have withdrawn from his support, AMI for
that We have been censured
That we may vindcate ourselves, in some de-
gree, from the vile calumnies abroad, submit
the following as among the reasons which per-
suaded us to the step we have taken.
We agreed to support Mr. Jennings as minis
ter OF the gospels but he has departed from 't the
high vocation whereunto he was called" In his
zeal to prop the crumblng pillars of party, he
has lost the priest in the politician and forfeited
all professions to our friendship. We have 10
objections to the parsons turning patriot, and
preaching to his humble followers from the
text OF his political creed-but, 4ys % object 70
receiving as gOSpeihis viie dec5dtions of the best
men Of the country; and quietly pocketiner the
base and indecent insults, which his IGNORANCE Oh.
malevolence may offer to the political party Of
which we are members.
In the PULPIT he has said, that IF al e,e,nc
Gratis we're not h0rsehieues all h0rSc-iievss 1pere
democrdts!!p'
Now, candid reader, what think YOU of this
Ii in the vleSt sink Of pollution in the loathsome
mansion of riot and drunkenness, YOU should heal.
areeling, bloated miscreant profane the whole,
republican party by so foul reproach, would not
your pity for the wretch give way to your indig
nation at the charged If so, transfer the scene to
the holy altar, and receive the reproach from The
minister, mingled with the devotions TO that
God, who has commanded his followers to g sbeae
peace 70 all men :"
This, then, is one of the many insults we have
received. But one more shall be selected. On
the day OF National Thanksgiving for the glorious
peace we nave conquered, when repubi cans were
disposed to extend the hand ofiriendsh;p to their
political adversaries; when war, urged upon
us by the common Grimes of Europe, was terIni-
mated IN honor TO the young republics when God
hhnselt had displayed most signally his providers
.aiProtectlon; at such season, so conspicuously
Joyous, so calculated to lift the soul of an Amer-
can to the most sublime emotions, and secure
him a convert to the resistless truths of scrip
turei THIS priest, whom we abjure INDUCED in
strain of Insolent abuse of has government and
countryInen.
Ills malignant insinuations were not more NOR
ttymg to us, than were his positions reelrlless
Ol do not al,
that we were the steady supporters of the rcpub.
lean administration, and that this was well known
to the parson.
He commenced his sermon with sort para
bic, the substance of which was, that America
had begun quarrel with England that she was
m the wrong, that she had relinuuished the OBJ
Jects OF the War-and accepted such terms as ENG
land was pleased to grant her He then assumed
as text, not sentence of the scripture, but
these words, viz: " The OccasioH" which he diyi.
ded INTO number ofponts, and among the posi-.
tons advanced were these--that we had lost in
this unjust war 10000 men-that we had impov-
erlshed our country-that we could not get men
or money-that our government had connived
with Bonaparte-that now we had peace Eng
land and America would join in missions-a!id
thathe felt gloom and sorrow on his mind, to
think that the people would continue the wicked
conductors of the war in Office.
This was the substance of sermon which re,
one word was Esped in commentator Of govern.
ment The pious priest had forgotten the pro-
posal by DIR government Of an armistice and set
tlement within two months after the declara-
ton of war He had forgotten with what alacrity
the President accepted the offer Of the Russian
mediation. Nay, the whole history of heroic ex-
PLOTS, which have raised and ennobled the Ame-
rlcan character, were forgotten; and the great
and good men who have spent the midnight
lamp, in contriying the schemes for our rescue
and our honor, were repaid by this ungrateful
priest with contumelious reproach
A soul that could not be warned by deeds OF
martial glory, deserves the pity Of mankind but
the peoples conduct shed an awful gloom on tie
mind of the Parson. Should that gloom continue
until the renovation of federalism, we fear the
humble followers of the parson will have 4 last
ing cause of sorrow.
But have We not already assigned satisfactory
reasons for our conduct We have received in-
suits from the man whose duty il was 20 aay the
asperites which distract society, We have Borne
them with patience but We could bear them no
longer. We do not retort his conducive lelye
him to reflect at leisure upon the course he has
taken. With our determination we are conscien.
oiously satisfied. LEGION,
Jar 7gs are many
--t:Esl sus-----
Amongst the curious incidents attend
ing or succeeding the return Of Napoleon