Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1846-02-26
Ministers and Reform,

The kst Ver6lom Chronicle contains an excellent
article upon the duty of ministers with regard to the
Temperance cause, elected by the dismissal of Rev.
Mr.. Walker Of Brateboro, on account of his preach
ing faithful temperance sermon just previous to thei
late election of License commissioners The senti-
mcnts advanced are important in themselves and es-
pecialv so, cmanatng from such source and at such
time We copy the main part of the article, and APP
pend remark or two,
"The gentlemen who took offence at the sermon
are doubtless the protested friends Of temperance
We infer this from the fact that there are, at this day,
but few who are not So They are ALSO it is presumed,
Of that class who style themselves liberal friends of
the cause But what must be the character of that
liberaty which could take offence at truth like that
spoken by Mr. Walker? The minister of the gospel
is messenger of God, under the most solemn oblga-
ton to admonish and warn his people respecting all
those things which intimately concern their spiritual
interests. He is set as watchmen If he sees the
destroyer coming land there is none greater thanrum-
sellng,) and he blows not the trumpet and his people
perish God will require their blood at his hand and
| true lberalitv it would seem, would prompt men to
say Let the minister give utteranCe to his honest con
vctions But the lberallty exhibited III the present
case lays the minister under an inerdct, and demand
that his lips be sealed in eternal silence matters at
fectng the interests of those offended, however init
matey they may be connected with the spiritual inter
csts of men, and that upon the pain Of their utmost
dispeasure From liberality of this description we
heartily pray, Good Lord deliverus' Should every
man who disapproves of licenses and rumseling act
towards these gentlemen in their respective occupa-
tons on the principles on which they have acted
towards their mnlser,-should they withdraw from
them all their patronage and take measures to drive
them from their places, not for rum-sellng or for aid
ing in any way in the demoralzing business, but for
the candid expression of an honest opinion would they
regard the spirit which dictated the measure as wor-
thy of the name Of liberality
| The present case seems to show what is the state
in some localities of the temperance enterprise When
this subject first began to be agtated, it was not an
iunfrcQent occurrence for minister to be dismissed
for his fidelity in the cause After twenty years Of
argument and moral suason, las long as it took to con-
vince the civilized world that the slave trade, once le-
galized ought to be pronounced pr y)we had suppo-
sed such REASONS had passed away. But this it seems,
is not the case. The battle in some places is to be
fought over again, and we hope every friend of the
cause will grid himself and 90 forth manfuIly to the
contest. If the ministry is silenced and driven away,
in any community, we hope there will still be IN such
community those who cannot be driven away and who
piH speak, We trust Also that no pastor will be de-
tered by this instance doing his duty IN this mat
ter 1t is doubtless sore trial to the minister to be
beloved people; but we doubt not that even now ne
can sleep with more peaceful conscience than those
who have brought about the result; and when called
to lay his head upon his dying pillow the remembrance
of his faithful warning will leave no sting behind and
in another world it will be gcmn his dadom oiJoy'
To all these sentiments, with regard to the duty Of
religious teachers, we most heartily subscribe. But
how can the Chronicle reconcile its course with REGARD
to the temperance with an entirely different one touch
ing the anti-slavery reform? Does it not know that
there are many ministers of its own denomination II
this State, who have been turned out of their pulps
and driven from their fields of labor because they
dared to speak out against American s1very and urge
consistent action for its overthrow? And does it moi
know that there still greater number who dare
not speak the truth upon this subject under threat OF
4 withdrawal of patronage-thus sacrificing their min
steral fidelity and sense of duty to tlme-servng ex
pediency and love of popularity? And knowing this
why has it neglected to send forth note Of warming
charging them, they love the TRUTH and value their
own souls, to declare the whole counsel of God" Ut
tery regardless of the fear favor of selfish and inter-
esed men? Instead of doing this, the evident aim of
the Chronicle has ever been to bring reproach upon the
abors of the abotonsts; and the "Chronicle nlu-
encc" as it is often called has in Judgment done
more to prevent the progress of healthy anti-savery
sentiment among the congregational ministers and
churches in this State, and bind them fast under col
onizaon pro-slavcry paralysis aud thus efectually
throw their influence into the scale of oppression than
could have been effected by all the actual shareholders
I in the land.
But it may be said that rum-selng is greater evil
than holding and trafic1ng in slaves Or that are
more responsible for the former than the latter The
first of these is probably believed by the Chronicle,
it asserts, in what we have quoted that there is
greater destroyer than um-selling" We ask that pa
per in all sincerity, if this is true? Would not those
editors prefer that man should come into their village
and deal out alcohol to such as would purchase it. than
that he should seize their neghbors-yea their wives
and children, reduce them to chattels, and sell them
off, in lots to suit purchasers, to those men whose
tender merces are cruel? To the objection, that we
arc more responsible for rum-selling than for slavery
we reply, that the citizens of Vermont are no di
recy concerned in the um-traflic than in slavery in
the District of Columbia, where COCO slaves are held
under the most barbaous laws known to the slave code
and where the most extensive man-marke in the ma
ton is sustained by the laws of Congress-
LIBERTY SENTINEL. We have received the first
number of a large-szed, well-fed, and we-eXecuted
Liberty paper, of the above title, published at Pitts
field, Mass.-Ward Bullard, Editor and Publisher
Success to it.
|
! ERRAEA-In the article published last week, emit
tied "Organic Sins 25th line from the beginning, the
word Fnexorable' should be ncon1gible.
Several communications, editorials, and other aIti
cles are nmitted for want of ROOM