American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-09-15

DIsoRGANIZERS. We sometime since noticed
the proceedings of a convention of men, assem-
bed in New York, for the purpose of remodel
ing society, upon the basis of what they called
equal rights-that is an agraran distribution of
property. Conspicuous in this convention, was
a MIR. John A. Collins, who went so far in his
radiCalism, as TO rcnounCe belief" sin the right
ful existence Of human governments" If we
recolect Alright, we gave at the time, an eX-
tract from his speech. Since that period he
has become an editor Of a paper IN Dayton,
Ohio, and has acknowledged his former errors,
with frankness and candor which are highly
creditable to him. We make the following
extracts from an article which appears in his
paper. and commend it to the attention Of all
who may be disposed to doubt the existence Of
an everything Providence, or to destroy the or
gan.zation Of civil society.
"OtuselreS. The ways Of Providence are
mysterious. Results brought about and changes
produced by causes beyond the ken Of man.
AS we take retrospect Four own course, we
are filled with admiration for that Providence
which holds and governs the destiny of all
things. Up to 1897, we were a whig. At that
date We left the whig party. We left all po-
litical institutions. We renounced our belief in
the rightfhl existence of human governments
We regarded them as at war with the laws Of
God, the teachings and spirit of Christianity,
and the practices of the apostles. Strongly inn
bucd with feelings Of sympathy for the poor,
the afflicted, and the oppressed, we espoused
.Gt nhri-
ate, and the toling laboring masses. With a
zeal and energy peculiarto ourselves, we press
ed these questions upon others for their consde-
ration, approval, and adoption.
Cline passed on, and we were recognised a
confirmed skeptic. We cherished, as in the
first days of our Christian love, profound ad-
miration and respect for the holy precepts and
principles of the Saviour. 1t was with us, dur
ing the whole period we were left 10 grope in
darkness, at all times our highest ambition to
reduce them to practice. While we clothed
nature with the Christian attributes, we denied
the authority and divinity of Their author. We
worshipped at the shrine of reason. We lis
tened to her oracles. We were led astray.
We disbeleved in divine and special Provi-
dence, in revelation of God to men. We
forsook God, but, thanks to his name, he for
SUM HUI US LIS SuipOltcu uc, anu iile
right hand led us.
ain process of time we became fully imbu ed
with the doctrine Of the community of proper
ty. Faithful to our convictions, and determined
at all hazards to follow them and to live the
true life, we resolved, against the most urgent
and solemn protests Of our friends, at the sacri
flee ofour money, our health, our comfort, anc
that OF feeble wife and many helpless children
to reduce them to practice. We had no more
doubt oftheir truthfulness and practicability,
ofthe rghtfulness ofour own course, than Of
our present existence. We secured domain:
we gathered small multitude upon it. We
established community upon the no-govern-
ment, or non.resistance principle; upon the lar
gest liberty; upon the broadcast principles of
democratic equality. With a faithful and
honest trial of nearly three years, we were
COMPEL, to renounce the principles we enter
tanned, both in relation to governments and
religion and society, as false in theory and per-
nicious in their practical tendencies.
They might, so far as governments are
concerned, do very we'll if men were angels,
and angels gods; but human nature is too low,
too selfish, and to ignorant for relations so ex-
allied"