Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1823-05-24

50 tndny WOTuS, exp S''Se 'ho. SChouiS'
Those, however, yho will review the ar
ticle, will find it 90 explicit for any sub
terfuge whate'er'
We may, 'owever, have mistaken the
intention OF those gentlemen SO far as
this, tat they might not have intended
to dnounce all preachers who should
inprfere with the question of slavery.
they may have intended, and it would
seem from the remarks contained in
their last paper, that those of the Metho-
dist denomination, alone, were the pecu-
liar objects of their aversion. From
their known connection with, and the eff
ficient supper, they receive from dis
tinguished preacher, the head of their
party, it would seem that they have no
very strong aversion to the interference
Of preachers, provided they would only
take the right side, and advocate slavery.
The attempt that has been made in their
paper, to fix an odious charge upon a
Methodist preacher, and The failure to
designate him, or exhibit proof of the
fact, though earnestly and emphatically
called for, together with their having
singled QUIT that denomination of chris
tans for illibsral maledictions, in their
last paper, seems to betray spirit OF
political and religious persecution, al
most sufficient to justify a suspicion thai,
its prompter behind the curtain may be
the head of some rival sect.
| Had the proof heretofore exhibited to
establish the ruth of our assertion, been
insufficient in the opinion of those edi-
tors, they would hardly have hazarded
me additional confirmation Of their enter
tanning those obnoxious sentiments,
which their last paper contains. Say
they:
| "The States of Louisiana, Tennessee, Ken
lucky, North and South Carolina, have prohibit
ed ministers of the gospel, from holding Seats in
their respective legislatures, and some of them
have excluded ministers, also, from being elect
ed to the Office of Governor, or Lieutenant
Governor. Lest however, it might be urged
that these are southern and Western States,
| and do not understand the principles of Re-
publicanism, well as the Eastern, we quote
the following from the Constitution, of the
State Of New York, which being the slang
of the day a Free State, [see how the cloven
foot appears we suppose good authority.
".f'ticie, XXXIX. And whereas the minis
tiers ofthe gospel are by their profession, dedi-
| Gated to the service of God and the care of
| souls, and ought not to be diverted from the
great duties of their function therefore no
minister of the gospel, or priest of any de-
| nomination whatsoever, shall at any time here
after under any pretence or description what
ever, be eligible to, or capable of holding,
| any civil OF military Office OF place within this
state''
"If the enlightened and powerful State of
New York, deemed it necessary to adopt
provision in her Constitution of GENERAL
| EXCLUSION from office. in regard to min =
| ,sters OF the gospel on the ground of their
| being dedicated to the service of God and the
care of souls, we hope NAV, euen NTH The
permission Of tie Editor The Spectator, be per-
mitted to enter our protest against METHO-
DIST ministry prostituiing, the altar of their
God to political cabals, and particularly so
when we have the authority Of one of them.
that they intend to be noisy in this way.
Again they say:
"We now dismiss the subj ect. perfectly
! content to leave the question to the people,
and it is for them, who have the CORRECT
ING POWER within themselves, to say,
whether they will tolerate course, which
tor ourselves, We are constrained to say is, in
our opinion, altogether unjustifable. II these
NOISY GENTLEMEN are about to proclaim
war against the people, we suppose it must
even be So"
Can any one read the above remarks
withou. being convinced that it was, and
is, the object Of those editors, to mark out
for prescription, and persecution too, at
least the ministers of the NJ ethodist So
ciety. If otherwise, why thus specially
name them, and endeavor to exhibitthem
as objects of odium and adherence
Why, in this land of religious federation,
plainly intimate to the people that they
possess the correcting ho7uer" with
in themselves, and make it a question
whether those ministers ought to be tole-
rated in ga COURSE" sacredly secured
to them by the the fundamental princi.
Piles of rational liberty, and all free con-
situations! In vain may those editors al
4.