Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-09-03
From the New-york Courier & Enouirer.

Church and SIate.-The Richmond Whig has occasionally published articles from this paper, on the growing and perceptble inf1u- ence of religious sectarians, and the conduct of certain societies and others, tending to an alarming union of Church and State. Some of the articles appear in the Whig "6y re- queSt" Has the Whig courage to attack such man as Andrew Jackson, and does he shrink from contest with Priests and Priest crafte Is he daily sounding the alarm to the people, on what he calls the abuses of the administration, and does he shrink from point ing out the real dangers which threaten our institutions, by powerful religious combina- tion! We are not without our apprehen- slons, that the press cannot be as free even as their conductors would themselves desire their interests are in jeopardy, and they bend to the powerful influence, which even now lays it's iron finger upon them.
 In former times, men contributed cheerful ly to the support of the church, according to their means;-the church zvas supported; the people were religious, and the clergy satisfied. But now, we witness an organized system to extract large sums of money from the pock cts of rich and poor individuals, for avowed pious objects. A numerous and increasing clergy are thus supported by heavy contribu- tions and indirect taxation; and the amount of money annually abstracted from the people for such objects, WuuIu pc sumCicnr to pay :r handsome salary to every clergyman through out the Union. Among these abuses, let us take few examples, such as the sum ot S38, 1000, having been expended to erhlore the valley of the Mississippi, previous to es- tablishing Sunday Schools.
 Extract from the i" The Presbyterian" of June 1s 1881, paper published in Philadelp pha under the care and direction of the General Assembly of the Presbuerian Church-" In relation to the great and noble enterprise of establishing Sunday Schools throughout the Valley of the Mississippi-The past year has been chiefly expended in EXPLORING, and other INCIPIENT OPERATIONS, prerequi- site to its FINAL accomplishments! sum of $24,41 12 has been contributed to 0J THIS OB- IJECT!!erG [enploring, and other incipient opera- tionsi1 and in addition, the Society has advanced $14,518 97, ALL of which GJ7IIAS BEEN EX- PENDEDuF1 Confidence in the liberaty ofthe Christian public for FURTHER MEANS [more soneu1 of prosecuting THIS GOOD WORK, [er- ploring Sc1 may be entertained by this excellent Society, without any hazard of disappontment!!!' !!' Now how can religion be supported by au- thorizing number of persons to travel thro' the valley of the Mississippi and expend | SS8, ,0OO in tavern bills and stage hire? But that sum is gone and not school established.
 There is more State and Church in this mat ter as many will admit. But the evil is not confined to raising and expending large sums of money-it probes deeper--it mingles in all our domestic concerns, and is the cause of much unhappiness; it does worse-H seeks to refress shi,it of hatriotiSm-it endeavors to throw vail over those glorious struggles
 which led to the independence of our country.
 In addition to the efforts made in this city to