The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-02-12
THIRD PARTY LIBERALITY.

thropist," the leading third party paper al
the West, held short time since the
following language in regard to Gov.
Slade. "He has received this office
THAT of Governor as the price Of his
adhesion 10 the slave holder Clay. and Of
treachery, base as that of Iscariot or
Arnold" To this writer in the Oberlin
Evangelist made the following reply:
"This is too much in the style of par
tizan vituperation for the columns of the
Herald. We regret as truly as the wri-
ter Of that sentence, the attitude of MIR.
Slade. We know not but that he has
greatly sinned, but.we dare not uselanguage
like this of fellow man, much of a fellow
Christian, and one too, who has done good
service to the cause ofliberty, till his con-
duct has become so flagrantly bad as
to leave no room for the shadow of a
reasonable doubt that he is an utter apos-
fate from God and Truth and Duty. To
treat Mr.. Slade and other professedly
anti-slavery higs and Democrats thus,
is not the way to reclaim them from their
errors, but is the way to disgust and re-
| pei them. 1t is to tempt them TO separate
themselves for ever from men who could
inflict upon their feelings and their good
name sach cruel wounds. When our
anti-slayery brethren do palpable wrong,
let US rebuke them sharply it necessary,
but still as brethren when they are in
volved in mischevious error, let us solemn
| y as we may point out the mischiefs that
their course will produce but let US re-
serve the names of Iscariot and Arnold
for persons whom the world knew TO be
vile traitors, not brand them upon those
whom the great mass of anti-slavery men
regard as sincere but mistaken friends Of
human rights"
This rebuke of the illiberality Of the
Philanthropist has called forth the Editor
of the christian Investigator" in a
lengthy article, which we find transferred
to "the countryman" third party paper
in Western. n Y. in which, after refer
( ing to Gov. SHADES efforts to sustain the
Wing cause, which he assumes to have
been grossly inconsistent with his pro-
fessed attachment TO the anti-slavery cause,
he INDUCES the following remarks:
eve are q1i as willing as our ex-
to make all due allowances for the mfr
mites of men-for the imperfections Of
Christians " will not dispute the mat
ter with him, if he shall affirm that there
is not a just man living upon the earth
that sinneth not. Nevertheless We must
contend that there are men whose hab-
itual activities and the prevailing bent of
whose settled operations and obvious
aims are neither selfish nor unjust, noE
constantly violative of the fundamental
principles of equity they profess to recog-
nize. We must maintain that suci is the
I character Of all who are entitled to be re-
cognized rs Christians. And we must
ask, in sober earnest, whether intelligent
/ observers of men and manners, can lay
their hands upon their breasts and say
they concientiously believe this character
to be exhibited by William Slade of Yer
month
Were If only solitary or even an oc-
casional relapse, under the influence of
some strong temptation, or assault Of ap-
petite or passion, into some out breaking
and oyerscandalous sin-the sin of Da-
vid or of Peter-and followed with the
confession and repentance ofthose men,
the case would wear another and far more
favorable aspect. As it is, the question
is, whether constant and unbroken
course of conduct, directly and manifes-
tly in opposition to the principles of ac-
knowledged right, can consist with a
creditable evidence of Christian charac-
ter.
We take the ground that it cannot.
And however uncharitable we may be
deemed, VIC confess we cannot contem-
plate the chara cter of William Slade,
without deep and settled conviction that
it is the character ola pre-eminently
wicked, ungodly, and selfish man.-And
this conviction we hold ourselves as free.
and as much bound. on proper occasion,
to express, as to express similar convic-
ton in respect to any other public char
acter whose acts the impartial historian
records. We would say it of William
Slade for the same high purposes of NOR
al instruction, for which similar testi-
mony concerning similar character, is
borne by Mosheim or DAubigne.
And what other judgement could we
forml What other ground could we
lake Compel us (ifthe thing could be)
to Judge otherwise, and you oblige us to
give up all the moral tests, or landmarks
IF human character, which could enable ,
is to discriminate between good men and
lad. We are without chart, compass. or
udder, upon sea of uncertainties. where
u moral distinctions have disappeared !
{ the character of William SIade is the
of Christian, by what marks
re we to describe the character ofselfsh -,
nan-an impenitent sinner?
1t we convene solemn assembly Ia
aong decent and worldly respectable
men, for the purpose of calling sinners to
ePentance, and warning them to flee
rom the the wrath IN come ,,bo will faaI