Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-06-21
EDITORS CORRESPONDENCE.
New YoRK, JUNE l6, 1915.

The venerable DIR. CHALMERS has addressed q
letter TO the Edinburgh .sChristian Witness de-
Tending the course Of the Free Church against the
assaults Of the Abolitioniss and though exhibiting
some defect of accurate information concerning the
Southern States of this Union, he eniorces with his
accustomed candor and Christian Justice and libe-
rality his views of American slavery. Regarding
slavery, like war, great evil, which every true
philanthropst must desire to see finally abolished
from the face of the earth, he holds that as there
are Christian soldiers, so there are Christian slave.
holders that " a distinction must be made between
the character of system and those who may be
implicated Herewith" and specifies Col. GARDINER
of Scotland, and Mr.. McDoNooH, Of America, as
instances of exalted piety and worth and, while
maintaining that all the tendencies of the Chris
tian religion are opposed to war; and opposed to
slavery, insomuch as the days of universal Chris
tianty will be days of universal peace, and days OF
| universal and equal liberty to all men,, and that
while there "various methods, various lines of
procedure and policy, on which phanthropists and
patriots might enter and join their forces for the
abolition of slavery he asserts, the most unus-
tifiable, and let add, the most unwise and least
effectual of these, were to pronounce wholesale
anathema by which to unchristanlZe, or to pass a
general sentence of communication on slave
holders"
Sour understanding" he observes, of Christianity Is,
that it deals with civil political institutions but that il
deals with Pora and Nth ecclesiastical institutions and
that the object Of these last is to operate directly and pox
matey with the wholesome effect the conscicnces and
character Of persons In conformity with this view purely
and rightly administered church will exclude from the od-
any stakeholder but every man. whether
stakeholder not icentious incorporate dishonest
Should any single American church be found to have acted
otherwise lei it. while she rests upon it and remains unre
-. ~.
should the corrupt proceeding be carried up by appeal 10
American Presbyte, and be sanctioned tolerated there let
all countenance and with such pesbytery be
pended Last Of all, let the Supreme Courtthe General
Assembly of the American Presbyterian Churchbe convict
ed of having passed corrupt sentence, which carries in il
the principle, and brings along with it the practice Of tee
ration OF any moral denquencies and then the only
pondence trust which the Free Church Of Scotland would
hold with the Presbyterian body of America would
be that of grave and solemn remonance because Of the dis
honor done by them to our common Lord. We hope that
our Free Church will deviate the right the left
from the path Of undoubed principle But hope the
other hand that she will not be frightened from her propret
forced by camor Of any sect to our her CONVICTIONS
adopt at the bidding Of other parties, new and fac
tious principle Of administration for which she
authority in Scripture, and of which she gather traces
the history practices Of the churches in apostolic times
Mr.. GARRISON denounces this letter as I" verbose
esuitical, and pro-slavery," but he will never
flute its arguments and, indeed, must conclude,
from the recent abolition meetings in Boston and in
Concord, IN. H. that he finds sufficient occupation
in endeavoring to unite the raging elements of his
party which greatly resembles old chaos before
either the light dawned or order harmonized the
creation. Gov. HAMMOND, true disciple OF Mr..
CALHOUN and Mr.. McDUFFIE, is out, perceive, in
long and eloquent letter to THOMAS CLARKsoN,
iushfying perpetual slavery as truly patriarchal
and apostolic institution, and the very cornerstone
of every well-ordered republican commonwealth
The sober opinions of the American people gene
rally lie between the absurd extremes of the abol-
tinnists on the side and a few South Carolina
politicians on the other; and desire to preserve
the Union, and yet find and apply remedy for
slavery, is, have no doubt, growing sentiment in
the public mind.
The Washington " Union" observe, places as
a motto at the head of one of its articles " Texas
must be annexed" Is il the view of the writer
that Texas is not an Independent State That she
is not to be left free TO exercise her own Judgment
to negotiate she may Judge best with any one or
several foreign and independent Powers Oppos-
ed as ever have been to this scheme of annexa-
ton, | am equally opposed to any improper inter-
ference of Great Britain France with affairs
or our Union; but il is clear that Texas has per-
feet right to remain if she chooses, as she is, and
to form treaties Of amity and commerce with any
or all foreign nations. Ii Texas must be annexed,
it must be by her consent, and not by coercion.
We may ply our diplomacy, and this is the only
weapon we can at present of right use. have
seen no demonstration that her continued indepen-
dence would be misfortune to u.s. or of evil con-
sequence to humanity. That England should seri-
ously aim to plant her power on this continent with
the view and expectation of arresng our progress
or subverting our free institutions is an idea which
may be urged to inflame the passions of the multi
tude, but gain small credit with reading and
thinking men. These passions, however, are the
most active principles Of our nature, difficult to be
restrained within due limits, and, when they surpass
them, often defying all control. Wemay talk lightly
Of war, but its experience is no trihe There is a
brief paragraph in the late SYDNEY SMITHS dis
course on the duties of the Queen which might
well be considered by England and America:
a second great object whichI hope will be impressed
upon the mind of this royal lady is rooted horror Of
earnest and passionate desire keep her people in state
Of profound peace The greatest which be entaed
upon mankind is state Of All the atrocious crimes
committed years Of peace all that spent in peace by the
conupons by thoughess nations
are mere tres compared with the gigantic evils which stalk
the world in OF war God is forgotten in
every principle Of Christian charity ramped upon human
labor destroyed human industry extngushed you the
and the husband and the brother dying mseraby in dis
an lands you the waste of human affections; you
breaking of human hearts you hear the shks Of widows
and children after the battle and you walk the mangcd
bodies Of the wounded calling for DEATH would say that
royal child, worship God by loving peace il is not your hui