Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-06-05
Eanaticism.

The Mormons and Anti Mormons are again eft war
and threaten to disgrace Illinois, as they have dis
graced Missouri, with riot and murder. We advise
the Governor and other authorities of Illinois to take
effectual measures for preserving the peace, and for
Furnishing all who attempt to break it and we adj
wise all good citizens, without distinction Of politics
or religion, to aid them. And beyond this, we advise
all, authorities and citizens, to pay not the slightest
regard to the disputes or other affairs Of the fanatics,
Any interference with them, especially in the spirit
OF persecution, twill merely make them, stronger. .
In religion, nothing is zoo absurd 10 find followers;
and under religious persecution, nothing is too weak
TO grow. in our day and generation, we have bad IT.
vinism, Mormonism. Minerism, all sorts Of isms
and In the next ten or twenty years, we expect to
have as many more. And those who succeed Us viii
witness the rise and fall of as many sects as any Of
their predecessors. The "Anglo-Saxons' are the best
repositories of religious absurdites in the world.
The sun never shone, upon a people with such capa-
cious threats for wonder, as those from which English
IS spoken and among all the tribes of the race, the
Yankees, the New Englanders, will probably swallow
the most without choking. The race possess several
qualities which admirably fit them for fanatics. They
have curiosity, ,excitability, credulity, and. love OF
freedom and these are the very soil IN which rell-
gious a~bsurdity most readily takes root, and of which
persecution is the best fertilizer. IF some one comes
along with a new faith, every Anglo-Saxon ear Is
prlcked up with curiosity. So soon as the faith Is
stated, the Anglo-Saxoh blood is up, and parties are
formed upon it for a speculative question rithout
pdTIleS Is something beyond Anglo-oaXon comprehen-
sion. Some regard it as a damnable heresy, leading
to the gates of he'll, and others as the one thing need
ful, leading to those of heaven. sszs
Those who regard It as sin and death declare war
against 1T, crying out that true religion Is in danger ;
and by true religion they always mean their own no.
tons, their own sect, whether adopted as an affair Of
conscience or profit. And those who regard it as sal
yation at once resist the war, crying out in defence Of
freedom of conscience and worship, and the right Of
opinion; ground upon which they are certainly right,
The lookers-on soon become excited, and take sides.
some of them beieriag out Of spite, and some reject
ing out Of spite. And thus, ont Of spite, they go from
one step to another, TIL riot, and perhaps murder, are
the result. +.
And all this mischief ensues from the interference
of one man with the belief of his neighbor. So long
as people do no mischief in this world with their SUI
p~erstitions and fanaticisms, other people have no con-
Germ with them, and are morally and legally bound to
let them alone. We admit that when such fools as
their families and other worldly duties, and into in
sanity, the press and the pulpit are bound to expose
the imposture, and warn the insect against rushing
into the candle. But when such other fools as Irvine
get crazy, howl like wild beasts, and call it the giftos
tongues, or such rogues and fools as 10 Smith and
Rigdon talk about their revelations and their new
books, the surest mode of preventing them from do
ing any mischief is TO let them alone. All fanatics
are vain, for love OF appreciation is one of the organs
unduly excited by fanaticism. Hence, every fanatic
plays his tricks before company, and seems to say.
like the fly on the wheel, ''what a dust l make !" If
nobody looked on, they would soon become COOL
Phi. Ledger.