Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-12-01
POLITICAL ABOLITION NO. " OF THE
JUNIUS TRACTS.

the most part, too, in mailer. Being of 10 pages
each, their cost at the publishers Greeley 81
McE.Ir aih, Tribune office, New York city, is on
ly $40 thousand copies.
The one last published is on Political abolition;
aud while in various points many of the Wings
of Vermont will disagree with The author, and
rank him perhaps behind them in the cause of
human rights, yet there are many excellent things
also, and wthal seasonable.
On account of copyright our quotations from
this pamphlet must be limited We coniiae our
selves to extracts from the portion in which the
author discusses the Manifesto or resolutions ofthe
late National Abolition Convention, holden at
Buffalo, which resolutions we have heretofore
published
Charch and State.
There is not n more religious people in the
world, than we Of the United States yet no people
have been more scrupuous, by their State papers,
by practised legislation, aud by general feeling,
in separating religion from participation in the
authorities of State. They give full scope to the
moral influence OF religion, but jenously deny to 1t
political potDer. Ifttere be any ono principle more
firmly settled in The public mind Of This country or
better established By universal CONSENT and ,oh fired
purpose thar another, or all others. IRE think ii IS,
that religion shall mol usurp authority in The affairs
Of Government.
Political .4bohtioa religious Increment
| Look at this Buffalo Manifesto. is it not a re-
| ligious document? "The moral laws Of the
Creator are paramount to all human laws !" " we
ought to obey God rather than man !" "consiGer-
! ing that, AboIitionists, the strength Of our
cause lies in its righteousness, and our hope
for it in our conformity to the laws Of Cod"
we owe it 10 the Sovereign Ruler Of the Uni
verse, as n proof Of our allegiance to Him." &c,
" TO regard and to treat the third clause of the
! fourth Article of the Constitution of the United
States" &c. as utterly null and roid," &c. Is
not religion the rule the sanction, The everything
involving responsibility in this transaction? Nor
is it declaration OF principles 10 suffer, but of
principles 10 act not of submission, but of dg-
sreSSion not for the use of moral means alone,
but to take hold on political potoer they are a
political party, and were at that moment assem-
bed 10 nominate President and Vice President
OF the United States
Men, making the highest religious pretensons,
have taken lead, and are at the hehd of the move
ment; numerous religious papers employed
10 advocate il; large corps of religious mis-.
sonaries are in the field to preach it; numerous
churches and pup:s chiefly devoted to it,
and are thence called Abolition Churches; its
most religious champion, Mr. Gerritt Smith, has
publicly announced, that he will go forth, and
preach the doctrine in Christian pulpits, on the
the high and holy sanction relied upon to enforce
the doctrine. Nearly all the political Aboitoniss,
and with scarcely an exception, oil the abolition
preachers, lecturers, and missionaries, relig-
ious men. Its, indeed, proper religious enter
prise. In this statement we have disclosed great,
important, momentouS, fact.
But IRE must obey God rather Man man"
So says the Buffalo Manifesto, having assumed
the thing to be proved, vz that God commands
il. 1t is obvious there is answer to this reason,
or no reasoning with such persons, if they think
they lave such authority. Ii they could prove
their mission by miracles, it would be sufficient
but as this is only their opinion, sentiment of
their own, the conscience of those who think
otherwise, is at least good as theirs and worthy
of as much respect. Other Christians and the
great aority think, that God has not comtnan-
lied this that, in the days OF the Apostles, when
the state of political society grea, deal worse
than it is now, and slavery far worse and more
tensiye ms history atests, not only was submission
to "the powers that be-" enjoyed on all Christ.
ians. even to martyrdom, but "seryants" (siaves)
were commanded 10 obey their masters IN all
hlngs;" that st. Paul sent back Onesmus, a flu =
gitlve slave, 10 his MASTER Philemon, TO be treated
according 10 his will thereby recognising Phile-
mons authority in the case that the Apostles not
only had special authority by immediate revela-
lion from God in regard 10 the matters referred
to when they said ave ought to obey God
rather than man." but that they did not say this
MS reason for disobeying existing regulations Of
society that both Christ and his Apostles were
most scrupuous observers of all such regulations,
and could always defend themselves ON that
ground that the duty ofsuch submission to such
authorizes is paramount TO mans individual right
to arraign the law; that obedience to civil society
results from Divine command that political So
cety, as It exists ut any time, in any place. is SHE
ordinance of God," requiring our submission; that
Gods government, or Christs kingdom is moral,
IN distinction from The political edifices OF man
and that the design of Christianity is TO avail itself
of the order of political society, without being res
ponsbe for its defects to set all Mings right, By
making all hearts good. Hence, as they think, the
scrupuous care and frequent injunctions of Christ
and his Apostles mol TO disturb society," its peace
and order are necessary 10 accomplish the aims
oil Christianity.
"A Deduction.
If the above thoughts are corrective believe
they are-t will follow that no man can, with
propriey or good reason, invoke Divine authority
to justify use of political power in upse,tng po-
litical society, reforming the State. lfa Chris
tan employs political power to attain what he
thinks desirable in the State he does il mem.
Der of the political common wealth, and not as
being on a mission from God, armed with Dl-
vine command, imperative on himself, aud
which he may proclaim as imperative on all 9TH
ers. No Christian, in our view, is authorized to
invoke such Divine sanction for such an ACT.
1t is, five mistake not, identical with the princi.
pie, which we, as American citizens and Anleri-
can freemen, in our organization ofpolilical soci-
ETY., have very distinctly aud very emphalically
repudiated viz; the authority of religion in the
Stale aud oper il. And YET, as all will see this is
precisely the sanction OF the Buffalo Manifesto,
and precisely the principle on which that docu-
ment is founded. The American people have
soomnly resolved and declared, against the usur-
patton Of authority in the Stale by religion. And
yet, here is, sprung upon us By surprise, by the
cd object of overrunning aud revoutonzing the
State, and the first step taken has been TO plant It's
foot Oh The Supreme law Of the land, proclaimlng
part of il, 4" 10 this nation and 10 the world, Gs
utterly null aad uoid"-" absolutely roid"
The actual junction ofreligiOn and political POt0er
They have organized as party on the platform
of this religioso political creed they have NOM
mated a President and Vice President OF the