Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1846-04-28

been trampled and ground to the dust; and
If the principle is to be established here.
that our government is to depend upon the
strong arm Of force for its maintenance, the
fate of the British people will be ours. The
soldiers Of Rome turned Their arms TO the
enslav;ng of their own people; such Is the
practical effect Of all standing armies. A
people must be ground 10 the earth to sds
tain them. If the substance thus exp ended
should be left in the hands Of its producers,
to conduce 10 their physical comfort, and aid
in their education,w would show picture
of Republicanism which would conquer the
world, in short time. We wish our gov
eminent would learn true wisdom; and
if Democratic administration will not prac
ticc it we know not where to look for it.
|
We have had some hesitation in publish.
ing the communication which follows. The
matters Of which it treats, have been and
are to great extent considered entirely
without the pale Of newspaper structures;
and it is not only delicate but Danger
Gus suhiec, for editors to interfere in. Our
great failing has been, throughout life, a
difficulty in classifying evil under the seve-
raj different heads which philosophers have
assigned it. admitting many evils 10 be
sacred or righteous sins, to be- untouched
and uninterfered with by pro!ane pens and
tongues, and others TO be of class and kind
which the pulpit dared not interfere with
Our creed is to war against wrong whenev-
er we find it, and it never entered into our
conception, that there was any sin or class
'ofsins, properly beyond the reach Of any
one who was in position TO labor for the
good Of his fellows. This much in expla-
ton of the appearance Of the communion
ton. We know the writer to be what he
We will say few words more with regard
to the communication. Taking philosoph-
ic view Of it, we always thought that whilst
church member was quite as likely to be
as good as his ncighbors the worlds people,
he was not likely to be any better. We
never in the course Of our observation, dis
covered that those peculiarities ofcharacter
which made church member, in any-wse
necessarily affected his character generally
but that he preserved those same general
characteristics which always distinguished
him. II naturally honest and upright he
will so continue; if otherwise, no charge
from tina, cause is wrought; fact which is
sufficiently manifest to every person who is
acquainted with the ordinary business OF
men, for who ever heard of a man acquir.
ing new standing in point ofintegrity from
the fact that be had become church mem.
Der. Our correspondent states that four
fifihs Of his debts were lost by church mem.
bers. This we look upon as somewhat
extraordinary. We should hardly expect
that disparity; and can only account for il
on the supposition that his debtors were in
about the same proper ton. We expect
church member to be in general as good as
Others and no better. We only publish the
communication in the hope that it may have
its influence in cause in which we have
long labored, to make religion consist in
doing good in all the various relations of
life, instead of being an abstract profession
amounting TO nothing and OF no practical
benefit.
FRIEND SHoLEs:-I am by no means
qualified 10 write for the press, but | will
give you the outlines of what have on my
mind, and ifyou think proper to publish it,
think it will benefit the community.
have long been close observer Of the
actions of men and of the different orders IN
society and find great lack Of moral in.
tegriiy. have been in small business
in the mercantile line twenty five years and
have lost in bad debts upwards Of four thou
sand dollars, about nine tenths of that was
by church members. So far as have had
TO do with them down TO this day, l can
place no more confidence in their word
than can in the worlds people so called,
indeed many Of The latter are Gar ahead OF
the former in point Of moral honesty. Many
seem TO think (judging from their ac'ons)
that if they keep the sabbath, attend church
and occasionally pray and par;ake Of the
holy sacrament, j, is passport 10 heaven,
10 matter how much they defraud their
neighbor or how often they falslfy their
word. A spirit of avarice seems 10 per-
wade the world and thousands Of church
members, and some who minister in holy
things have caught the infection. That kind
Of religion that will not make a man hon.
est is certainly not worth having. Ii is
presumptionior profesed christians, to expect
that God will bless them and prosper them
in pieiy while their conduct is incompatible
with their holy profession. There are more
infidels made by the base conduc, ofchurch
members than from any other cause. Min
listers are highly culpble for not ofiener in
struc,ing their hearers and insisting ON the
rigid rules Of moral honesty. | ne 'er
heard one preach from such texts as the
following. "Lie not one to another, let
every man speak the truth 10 his neighbor,
delraud not one another,n &c. do not
! expreSs nv sentiments from any antioathy