Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-04-12
DEFERRED ARTICLES.
THE CASE OF MR.. FLETCHER.

nc uoIhgS vi tue F1dFmOnT ASSOcla-
ton of ministers, in regard to one of their
members, found guilty of conduct unbe-
coming the gospel, will be found in
another column. We received the pro-
ceedlngs some weeks since, with a request
from the Association that they might be
published, in the Evangelist. Some
doubts in our own mind, whether the case
required such publication, led to a COR
respondence on the subject, as the result
OF which we have concluded to publish the
document. In the mean time, the New
York Observer has published the paper,
with the following extraordinary state
ment:
Barnabas Phinney, of Westborough,
Mass, Ray Potter, of Pawtucket, r. T.,
and Mr.. Fletcher, were all Jealous advo-
Gates Of the cause of "Moral Reform"
on the new principles introduced by Mr..
Mcdowell. We cannot say that zoe are
surprised, for we could never doubt that
the plan adopted by Mr.. Mcdowell, of ex-
posing this vice by detailed narration and
pictorial exhibition, was directly calcuIa-
ted to corrupt the minds, especially of the
advocates ofthe cause and at the instance
of some of our best and most discreet men.
we teIt bound at the very outset to utter
our solemn warning against the new
measures. Now that the results foretolC
are matter of record, we trust that what
is exceplionable in the new measures will
be abandoned, and that the influence un-
der which the cause of moral purity stead
lily advanced for nearly fifty years, will
be permitted TO resume their ascendancy.'
We will not express any surprise at
such a gross attempt to fasten a strong
presumption Of impur,ty upon the large
body of ministers and Christians, who
felt it their duty to sustain NJ Dowall in
his seIfsacri6clng course of philanthropy.
Nor will we now agitate he question in
regard to the meaomess of the principles on
which the man of God proceeded Let
all that pass. The Observer is sadly out
with regard to its facts, in every particu-
lar. Neither of these men were known
as fellow-laborers with Mr.. MDowalI.
The truth respecting Mr.. Phinney was
stated in our paper of December 8, on Mr..
GoodelPs authority, that he was never
claimed by the friends of moral reform
while he resided in Pawtucket, but was al
ways reckoned among those "prudent'
ministers in regard to morals, who never
carry things too far"
In regard to Ray Potter, we have before
US letter from person of character in
Pawtucket, dated Feb. 8, 1887, which
says:
Ray Potter has been a minister of the
gospel for more than Is years in this vii
lage; and has stood high in the estima-
ton of many, in consequence of his hay
ing taken very active part in almost
every benevolent enterprise that has been
introduced into the village. But in the
case Of moral reform he did not appear to
interest himself much" IS Neither
he nor his victim were members of the
NJ. R. Society in this place"
And as to the latter case, We have the
following notice in the last Advocate of
Moral Reform:
"With regard to Mr.. Fletcher, we
have it from his own lips, since the publi-
cation of this article in the Observer, that
he never even approved Of the efforts
made in the cause Of moral reform; and
his influence, so far as ii went, was all on
the other side. This he stated definitely,
in conversation with the office agent,
adding, likewise, that his opinion on the
subject was greatly changed since his la
mentable fall. From these facts which
can all be proved satisfactorily, it appears
that two of these ministers, and we know
not but the third, belonged to that large
and respectable class who may be termed
borderers'' occupying the middle
ground between the two opposing hosts
/ in this great moral conflict
We do not make this correction because
we admit the principle, that doctrine is
always to be judged by the conduct of its
professors, but because truth requires that
even this seeming disadvantag &c to the
cause Of moral reform should be removed
by an explicit statement of facts. AS to
motives, we leave them to be settled anoth-
er day.
NoTE.-Since the above was in the
printers hand, minister who called al
the office on business, informed US that a
deacon OF the church, at Hanover, Ct,
where MIR. Phinnev was first settled, told
HIM he never heard Mr.. P say anything
IN favor of Moral Reform. and he drew
the Conclusion from his course that he
was opposed to it, Our informant men
toned other facts in relation to the ground
taken by Mr. P. while in Pawtucket, also
at Westborough, all leading to the same
conclusion. 1t is remarkable that the
statement In the Observer should be so
entirely unsupported by the facts.-A Y.
Eran.
ENLIGHTENED LEGIsLATIoN.-The
Legislature of Vermont, at its last session,
passed general law, BY which any mum.