The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1833-09-25
CLOSE OF THE AVERY Ex-
CITEMENT--
TRIUMPH OF PUBLIC VIRTUE.

The cnrtain is about falling over the
last scene. Of the Avery drama. The
Reverend gentleman has at last volunta-
rily abandoned the scene of his remark
able lsbors in religion, in love, in in
irigue, in hypocrisy, in adultery, and
most probably in murder. lie is on his
woy TO the west. The eomnipotent
voice Of public opinion in Rhode-Island
has conquered the conquerer of Sarah
Maria Cornell. The moral feelings of
free people have burst forth indignant
at the audacious attempt to confound all
right aud wrong-to efface the lines
which ought forever to seperate high
handed crime from virtuous conduct
hypocrisy from true religion. The in
dependent people. and the independent
newspaper press of Rhode Island have
acted with spirit, freedom, and proper
sense of their deep responsibilities to
themselves, to public virtue-to the
faithful administration Of the laws and
above all, to proper sense of the sa-
; cred duty they owe to pure and undcfil-
cd religion, and its great and dread au-
thor. They have laid the friends Of
virtue. morality. religion, and law, in all
the other states, under eternal obliga.
tious for the firmness and csnstancy
they have shewn in resisting the almost
imperial mandate Of a body Of indis-
Greet men, who under the mantle of
powes, attempted to impose Avery upon
the people as teacher of that pure re.
ligi2n which was taught on the Mount OF
Olives-two Of the great axioms OF
which are ''thou shalt not commit adul-
terry" "thou shall not kill"
Those persons and prints who took
fearlessIy the side Of public virtue and
pure religion, we're charged at one time
with agitating the subject for tho mise
rable purpose of elevating one party or
depressing another. As soon as this
slandcr was destroyed, was annihilated,
their trump card-the trump card Of all
hypocrites-was formidably played
forth to the world-snd it was solcmnly
averred that those who believe Avery
guilty. unit for the pulpit, or agitated
the subject, were inidels in disgnise,
seekingto to disgrace all religion through
the persons OF its professors.
Ii there is any one mode Of tactics
more detestable than another, and tina.
more deserves the united reprobation OF
the public, it is this daring attempt to
throw shackles over the liberty Of the
press--to prevent public inquiry into
public acts-by attributing bad motives
10 honest acis-by crying out "infidel'
''infidel J" when all reason or argument
is exhausted. Every ones religion is
his private property-an affair between
himself aud his Mnker---aad the man ar
men who would dare to invade that su-
cred privacy, or libel it's purity, or as
perse its motives, or slander its purpo.
ses. 10 worse than highway yman-he is
Parson Avery in his heart and inten-
tions.
lfa secret system ofcorruption should
be resor,ed To for the plishment
Of these purposes-if agents to collect
funds 100000 have been collected) J
should be sent into other ssatcs, is the
honest and independent press to 60 to
sleep and say "all 10 we'll -
The whole Of this attempt 10 force A.
very upon The Christian world as a tea
cher of its pure doctrines, is n daring
outrage Of misguided men, not only up
on the whole body Of respectable meth
odists throughout the Union, but upon
Rhode Island, upon New England, up.
on the nation. We are persuaded tha,
the Me,hodists, who, as society, can
compare with any in purity Of morals
piety, and religion-ip discernment and
public virtue, will solemnly aud publicly
rebukc the conduct Of the New England
Conference, and plaue the criminality OF
the attempt upon tho guilty individuals
mot upon the innocent aud unoffend-
ing.