The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-09-23
PRESCRIPTION OF THE REV. "ALiI"
COTTON"

PRESCRIPTION OF THE REV
COTTON"
We have been continually struck WIN Inc
,,sms,v f,;volous nature Of the comP'ai"'S :"
Co,rrs.s and elsewhere against the ADMINS
ua,ion to saw nothing of the frequent ''''e"o'0'
and ;nvariabIe exasgeraion ana ex"a'asan''
81 hose complaints. This Administrator
-, .,,,ounded with unexamped d'fhculiies
a.. rs..on Of the factious proceedings In Con
oress has vet been pre-emlnenily successiu' :"
=: a,ea, measures, and It's Administrative
49,. except only when thwarted by Con
gress. and often in spite OF Congress nc
mingled injustice and folly Of these complaints
i wen exemplfed in the following paragraph
From the ~ " Express
uopr PRESCRIPTION IN PHIL ADELPHIA.
w. copv the following from the Philadelphia Eve
ming Chronicle from which it will be seen that the
Public Press elsewhere here is made TO feel the
weight Of Executive oppression.
No. AwrurAN-Irs EpiroR PRoscRIBED-Ihe
desnotism of one man was never more iuiiy exhioi-
ted in Russia or Spain, than It has oceh Dy 'onn
Ter against Mr. Collector Roberts and rev. Waner
Cotton. editor of the North American. nc n s"a'
Ent the case of Mr.. Cotton remains 10 DC ,o'a.-
This gentleman has been editor OF that journal aoou
two wears II las ever been conductea WIN an o
waited courteous and unoffending Poli'icai .one
has occasionally spoken with non .S !, uttered
.oa;nst abuses at Washington and whcn ~ u''cieu
censure. il was felt there, because II was known 70
be the result of deep and unquesuoneu Con.'o.o
of wrong done. 1t has never lauded VT. iyo', ~
Their has il been suppliant to the puddihs scpiue ~
either of the Captains precocoos sous .,;shsJ
l. baan arked. and Its accomplished
editor Chaplain in the Navy, has recently Received
a mandate from Washington, with peremPtory oruo
t,oDs to disconnect himself from tnat PaPo'. ",
Cotton is one of the Oldest and most ianui anu 'ons
tried Chaplans in the service us a.,Au - T,ararv
ment, generous qualities, and fine taste 10 n.c.ay
matters, rendered him positive acquisition 70 ma
Journal Without infringing upon ms oihciai au'io'
he was there greatly extending the sphere " ~
cular usefulness. But he as moi esPouse" 'oi"
Tyler. He has refused to bend the .,
and of course, he must now obey the Dicta'o'' "
@waIk the plank" John Tyler has not YET tue pc"
er to swing up political cuprts at the yard arm.
Mr.. Coiton has retired from the North American
Now let us reflect a little upon this case.
Chaplain in the Navy becomes the editor oil
nar,isan political newspaper. We will not stop
10 inquire whether that newspaper was more OF
less elevated, courteous, and unoffendlng In It's
tone; for that is not natural TO the view we
take of the subiect-though, if II were, we
should differ very much from the Chronicle as
to the facts--it being singular feature OF the
times that the Clay Presses are distinguished 'or
a general coarseness and ferocity OF spirit,
which renders them bad judges of what is eie-
waited, courteous, and unoffendng IN politicai
controversy. But the question we put TO all
candid and conscientious persons is, whether
the business of editor Of partisan newspaper
be compatible with the duties OF Clergyman
in orders? We ask the pensioners OF any
clereyma, in the United States whether they
would like to see their Pastor the editor OF
party newspaper
Is il not obvious that whatever OF his time,
care, thought devotion, is given to the pursuits
of political editor, is taken away from the
time care, thought and devotion OF an appointed
and paid minister of the church? Or, suppose
difference ofopnon upon this point; ana that
there should b.. particular parish which was
willing its Pastor should be, at the same tlme'
the editor of political newspaper; still 1t would
be absurd to say that another parish, which pre-
ferred 10 have its Pastor dedicate himself exclu-
siyely to his pastoral duties, was guilty OF per-
secuion or prescription. Would it be reason
able, ia parish clergyman should open groce-
ry, or engage in the practice OF law, or become
the engineer Of steamboat, and his parish
toner's should intimate TO him their wish
10 have him make his election either to be
clergyman or lawyers clergyman or grocer
CLERGYMAN or a steamboat engineer, and that
they did not consider it compatible with the IN
teresrs of religion and their interests, that while
paid to officiate as their clergyman, he should
at the same time be a practising lawyer, gro
Ger, or an engineer; would it be reasonable IN
such case TO imputc prescription to the parishion-
ers7 And yet his is just the question between
the Secretary Of the Navy representing ana au-
ministcring the interests of the Navy, and the
Rev. Walter Cotton, Chaplain in the Navy, and
editor of the Philadelphia North American
We do not see that the Rev. Mr. Cotton
makes any complaint himself. The wings
should have waited for his "expose," and then
perhaps they would have said nothing on the
subject.