The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-05-10
The Rei:sious Anniver..r,c..


posed almost all together Of the country people,
very little interest appearing TO exist respecting
them in the city itself considerable improve
ment in ''the state of the funds"-the beginning,
the middle and the ending of all the addresses-has
Been manifested. There is very great falling OH
in the speakers. Generally speaking, they are men
of very small calibre, and unknown beyond the
limits of their country congregations
These anniversaries have been interesting to the
philosophical observer, chiefly on account of the
very ample development which they have made OF
the manners and tine morals of the clergy. Let us
glance at them in this aspect
Every one attending these meetings must have
been at struck by the glaring want of courte-
sy-the disregard of all politeness-the vugarity of
manner, exhibited by the great proportion of the
clergymen. No accommodation whatever was
provided for the press, and every effort of the re-
porters to obtain chance Of hearing with
any degree of comfort, was repulsed with the
greatest rudeness by the clergymen who crowd
ed the platform, and blocked up every APP
proach to it, standing and sitting on the
backs OF the benches, and clamberlng over
tables and seats, with most barbarOus dlsre-
gard of the presence and the dresses of the ladies'
who, dear, lovely creatures as they are, were all
that rendered the meetings endurable. And then,
the constant chatting and beckoning to each other,
and shifting about, and stamping on the platform,
and moving hther and thther-not to speak at all
of the tobacco juice, which was prousely squirted
about-rendered the neighborhood of the platform
even more intolerabe, annoying and disgusting than
the very midst OF mass meeting of the "bone and ST.
new" In the Park. The general appearance of those
clergymen was in perfect keeping with their rude
and vulgar conduct-coarse, conceted, dull unin-
ellectual-we should have been sorry to have COM
pared them with the same number of western
farmers. But they, we need hardly say, were by
no means to be regarded fair specimen OF the
American clergy, amongst whom are to be found
many men, distinguished alike by their refinement,
varied and extensive requirements, and exalted
intellect. This higher class, however, seem to
have deserted these Omf.iwm gatherum meetings
entirely, and those who have taken possession of
the platforms on these occasions may be very pious,
but there's no denying that they're at the same
time very clownsh.
The development of the morals of the clergy
made on these occasions, was still more painful
than that OF their manners. The violent sectaran-
sm-the unchrstian rancor-the fierce and unhal-
lowed appeals to sectional feelins-the repuslve
bigotry-the vindctve intolerance-displayed in
many OF the addresses, calculated TO exctr
IN the breast of every true friend of religion and
humanity, emotions of the most painful nature
What sad want of the influence of the
tender charities of that faith which the meek and
owly Jesus established on this earth! And how
melancholy to witness the manifestations of graft
fled, exultng feeling on the part of the audiences
when some bitter allusion would be made to a par
ocular sect! What anxiety to and hear
some bigot of celebrity, such Mr.. Ketchum
Alas alas! when will professors of Christianit,
listen to the exhoraons Of the great apostle of the
Gentiles, to put aside all malice and evil speaking
and all unchartabeness and to emulate the blessed
example of Him who went about continually doing
good, and whose whole life was an illustration OF
the faith he sealed with his blood-the love of God
and of all men!
NATIVE AMERICAN MOVEMENTS. the receipt
of the astounding intelligence from Philadelphia
on Wednesday, the executive committee OF the
American Republican party of this city assembled,
and very unwisely concluded to call meeting of
their party friends in the Park on Friday afternoon
in order to obtain an expression of feeling relative
to the riots in Philadelphia. AS soon as this wa.
ascertaned, much excitement was created among
the community, and if to add to it, the Tribune
vi contained all eultO1ldl nOtlCt
of meeting of the Natives to be held in the Park
yesterday afternoon. The Mayor and members OF
the Common Council elect were convened to-
gether yesterday forenoon, and after consultation,
| the executive committee of their party concluded
to countermand the call of the meeting, which
| was soon made public Notwithstanding this, the
| announcement in the Tribune drew hundreds
| to the Park yesterday afternoon, and for
| a short period the elements of discord and
| riot appeared to be preparing for an out.
break that might have inflicted similar disgrace
upon city to that which now rests upon Phila-
dephia. Little knots of anxious lockers on were
seen assembling here and there and threats of vo-
lence and then burst forth from those of fiery
temperament. AT this emergency, when single
blow would have been the signal of a riot that
might have terminated in arson and murder, Mr.
Whitney, the popular applicant for the office of
Clerk of the Board of Assistant Aldermen, stepped
forward and informed the assemblage that the
| meeting had been indefinitively postponed for the
present This announcement had the desired ef-
feet, and the crowd gradually dispersed without
any demonstrations of excited feeling. Any open
public assemblage of citizens, relative to this mat
ter at the present crisis, should be discouraged by
every good citized.
ANOTHER EARTnoUAKE.-Th ship John Wells,
from the Pacific which arrived yesterday, reports
that two or three shocks of an earthquake
were felt at Tacahuana about the first OF January
| fortunately little damage was done.
COUNTY CoURT.-The case of Justice Gilbert be-
fore this Court will be continued this forenoon at
10 o'clock.
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM vENEzUELA.-By the
late arrivals, we pave received files of newspa
papers and pamphlets published in the different cities
Caracas Valencia and Puerto Cabello II is gratifying
20 us to find from their general that this country
ut present comparatively free from the inter. dssentons
hat agitae some of her sister republics. The very APP
pearance OF these papers the and articles adver
'ed in them, and the many and intelligent editorial
cles all give evidence Of liberal feelings and the
cence that there at least foreigners not perpexed
with the rnous and restraints that they
labor under in Mexico. Among the many other proofs
that Venezuela is ranidly