New-York daily tribune., 1844-07-03
The Observer and Moral Reform.


9Th i before me. In it | fad an editorial headed
'.The Fail or Ministers" which for o.erweening
self-compacency and utter recklessness for The
moral rights and the character OF tiiose differing
from the writer ia their views aud measures exce!s
4nv thing | ever read. The robe of mock piety
which they have enGeavored TO throw around il, but
adds To its loathsomeness. | was somewhat PR
pared for such an article in the Observer from its
caur-. in reference 10 Taylor and Judd lis evident
huckling their fall and effJrt TO make tii-oo-
s,cal capital out of those melancholy apostaries.
made me suspect that the hearts OF It's conductors
we're filled with the narrowest religious preJudices
the most stupid bigotry and grorene sectarisn SCI
ii-hness. But | confess, after reading The present
article had not anticipated that they would have
taken at onca fell leap 10 the lowest Depths oi
oarrisan rn-anness. These wise, orthodox editors.
after sitting down and concentrating upon this sub
lect their capacious, powerful well-baianced minds,
wa shed OF aH uitraism, have come 10 the sage
c!uson that the apostacies of proiessed Ministers Of
The Gospel '.who have stolen The livery OF Heaven
10 serve the Devil in" cannot b accounted for on
the ground Of innate Gepr;ivtv-the temptations o
rhe world, the flesh and The Devil. They must first
embrace. some unorIhodox dogma, some inex?e-
tlient mensure Of doing good, for without a false
.hcory there is no doing evil. Sureya Daniel has
come 10 Judgment, HeDceforth ali we have 10 do
10 secure the purity Of the Church and the Of
Love, j. 10 marshal them underline lead of Inc New
York Observer, where none of the blishtiDg winds
OF ulIraism can blow upon them. corruptlng their
morals and dissipating their virtue and especially
the winds of :! Modern Periectionisrn" taias Ohcr-
iinj and M0rai Reformi-those poisonous blasts so
surcharged with moral masma. Where no mod,rR
measures shall be introduced disturb The peace ul
harmony Of virtues order, but every one shall tread
in the Steps their fathers trod, believing al! the
liscourses of wisdom belong 10 the past-wha, has
- oil nf Enn l
our fathers delved aud for their sons left nothing
10 be done. Wonderful recipe! let us have il WIT
ten, published in all the prints, and placarded in
all The places of public resort. Surely i! becomes
US 10 be in haste. Such wisdoTn the product ot 80
well balanced minds, free from the couuprlunS
of uitruism. unlimited with heresy, should not
remain unused. | repent il, let s0 10 1rork IN
good earnest The worlds virtue de- pends upon il
There is prophecy in the piece well WORTHY Of
notice. They tell us:
1t will be found upon examination TINT by greater
rced peculiar cs. and that the upostate
have been men of pecnliar class OF minds"
"Mark {" IL will be found" &c.-not rha, il
has been found; not thar the examination has been
made; but these far-seeing editors, by sort Of in
ner sight clairvovunce perceive all that Is i'll
AN unex piored field well before as after the ex-
animation. When read this first was reminded
Of the prince in Old Prompier. Z" totd yOu o.
Besides, This Hypothetical mode oI stating thing
Il
Had they said, :" 1t has been found" &c. it would
have been lie direct for it never has been tUnnd
ihat wickcduess Of any sor. has been confined 10
any pecnlinr class OF minds, that the same crime
perpe,raied by different individuals committed
under what these editors term peculiar class OF
temptations. The truth is, that The whole history
ofcrine shows that the motives Inducing man 10 The
commission of the same act have been as varied as
The individuals vino have performed them.
But the statement, rs IL now stands, will have the
ferce upon all the bgo;ed piejudiced reai, r.
of the Observer, be they less more, OF direct
assertion. Crafty, partisan writer's understand Ills
well, and by this sort Of egerdenain manage 10
make the desired impression, and ostensibly save
their character for truth But our chvalrous edi-
tors, The ink le tier pen. seem 10 have ie!i The
outrage they were committing upon truth and com
mon sense. The better feelings of their nature re-
cooled as they looked AT The product Of their own
bigotry. " II has always been regarded" say they,
as an odious position, but we have been compelled
by overpowerns ficts and the clear deductions OF
reason to assume ind maintain H..
Messrs Editors, let us have the facts-the facts
w. repeat ii, eice ns tke facts, and Me ci.0r de-
ducfions OF reason to0. Go buck five, ten fifteen,
n thousand wears il YOU please: yea, search all
Antiquity. Prove, il you can, that ministerial apOs
,nc.s have been confined In a peculiar class o
minds and that they were led 10 their crimes Nv u
peculiar class of temptations; that they have been
men as u class peculiarly ultra in their views and
fund of Innovations. But are told Il litle far
ther on, that Z" 1t has been suggested it would be
for the good OF the Chhrch 20 prepare sketch Of
The aposiacics OF the last fifteen wears show
iug the influences that may be supposed 10 have
been at work in drawing the miserable victims 10
their melancholy fate" A capital idea For one
go in for the book and though il NAV seem some
what oilicious, will suggest the plan of getting
il up.
Let the first pages contain a clear and accurate
description OF the "pecniiar class If minds most
liable 10 apoStatiZe Let tins be followed by vivid
aud erlplic dellnea,ion of the "pecuiiar class al
temptations" by which those minds are SedHced.
This part Of the work we would assign 10 The Rev.
Gr. Prime. The attention Inc has already bestowed
upon the subject, the 0rerp0Uering facts y which
H.. has collected and arranged the clear deductions
OF reason which he has already made in reference
il render him learned IN these matters, aud pec,-
lmrlv quality MIN for The responsibilities oi the
undertaking. do no, think we could commit this
part OF the work 10 aber hands. Then let the ex-
animation take place. Let the annals Of apss,acy
OF the last fifteen years their proposit,on) be
overhaued. Let the search be thorough, extending
through the whole land,-EasI, West, North and
South. Let all the records OF the Church, Of the
different Religious Denominations, and OF our Col
leges, Literary institutions aud Iheulos cal Semi
narcs be examined Let the mental structure the
theological views and measures OF The victims OF
vice be carefully noted and the connection between
their pccuinriiieS of mind and religious specula-
,ons and the commission Of their crimes trace d.
We are aware that this will be laborinus, expeu-
siye and disasreeahle undertaking; hut we should
never shrink from toll, expense and sefdenial when
so great public good is stake the result should
sustain the position OF The Observer, conceive il
would be one oi the most valuable books ever COM
piled or issued from The press; one, whose sale
would be unparalleled, and, ii the COPYRIGHT should
be secured 10 any of our Benevolent Institutions,
il would make i, for ever independently rch. Why,
Mr. Editor The book, in the mental moral and Iheo.
logical world, would be one OF the greatest labor
saving nischiaes ever invented.
First: how much il would save 10 our Education
Societies and Churches. Now they frequently be-
stow their abors and charities upon unworthy OBJ
iectS. The men whom they have cherished and
sustained turn and stab the Cause they were set 10
defend With this book in hand, the evil NAV he
avoided. Let the mental structure of every candi-
date for the Holy Ministry be examined and all the
apos,a,e class ol mind be rejected and see shall -
tatiib'y harc pure Ministry.
Again: Such book wouid be the end of al,
ethical and theological controversy. Ii could all
he settled hv arilhmetcsl numbers. The on.v
thing necessary TO ascertain what is right and true
will be TO book and fx the relative num-
Der of those have apoStatized holding The different
sentiments contended for. When. YOU md the
iewest apostacies, there is The truth; all settled !;