Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1847-03-24
For the Reporter.
yffs Harfa ne lecture asthe Cnr-
tai

HONOR 10 hear the slecture OF APTofes-
sor Harlan upon the subject of ednoa-
ton, delivered by him at the Capitol, on
the 18th inst IS 9si.
1t wss truly remarkable production,
and did equal Justice to the "head ana The
thear" Of the gentleman -abont which he
prates So much He entertained rs for
some, time, with a defamation upon, edu-
cation, or at least, about education, which
was in the main. s..wel enough in its
way, and appeared to have been well COM
,nilted to memory.
The proposition that the Bible should
be introduced into all our schools, as a
political text book, or manual, and the at
tempt 10 support this religious political
clsptrap proposi,ion,by garbbed quotations
and picked texts from the book itself, were
worthy of the calibre of the mind of the
man, and were asserted with as long face,
and as whining cant, as may be suppos-
ed 10 have edited, and enraptuted "our
Pilgrim Fathers' in their halcyon days,
when the same doctrine was preached and
practised, and the natursl consequence
was. that Quakers were banished or hung,
and Baptists were cropped, and whipped
at the cart-tail, Ger the heinous crime, OF
not believing with the majority, or at least
for not having the hypocrisy to profess
that which they did not believe.
The Rev. gentlemen in the course of his
remarks said that he knew not whether. he
had the "honor or dishonor" to address All
Infide!, and as it is blt reasonable tosup-
pose that in SO large an assembly, there
may have been some, who would have
come under the church definition Of SIN
fdels," | would like TO have had the
Rev. gentleman a little more definite in
his remarks, SO that we might have known
whether he considered it .'san honor or a
dishonor'' to address an "lnfdel." Eli
thet'supposition is sufficient 10 exhibit in
afavorable light the couture Of the heart
and tie mental rigor" with which the
professor in his own estimation, seems
10 be so amply endowed. Il he considers
It an honor to address an sInliael F" then he
pays that much prosecuted class, very
high compliment, placing them above all
sects, except perhaps the Episcopal Me-
thodists, as suppose that he does not feel
himself partially honorei, V hen addressing
others. lion the other hand, he consid-
ers hims elf ''tlishonored'' in addressing
any one, whom he may consider an Inhdei,
thtn be betrays the inherent littleness OF
his ''..heaIt" and exhibits one more exam
pie Of his boosted charity, aud in my opin-
ion disc lalifes himself, lin all things else
he is perfect, for station at the head Of
system of education, which should shed
its blessings, ike the dews Of heaven, up.
on the heads of tie just and the unjust,
the Jew and the Gentle.
He came atlast 10 The polrlt, and tried to
define his position, which was rather diff
iicnlt to do, denied all connection with any
political party. or religious sect, in this,
his effort to attain to the first place in the
State, when perhaps the day that elevates
him to this high STATEN, or consigns him
10 his original obscurity, will De The FIRST
that entities him 10 the privileges of citi-
zen OF Iowa. He seemed TO take il hard,
that one $50 well knownn' as he is in this
city, should be called upon TO stake his
individual word, as to the position be
occupies. Against the experience and
common sense Of The whole community. =
And with an Inconsistency that marked
his whole speech, he said that lie knew,
that the course that had been taken would
draw to his support every wing vote
Iadeed, upon this fact and that of getting
the democratic votes, that have been pro-
missed TO him, he predicted, "a very fair
chance Of being elected
With the manliness and fair dealing Of
demagogue o. the first water, he fried
By iusinuatioa to make the impression that
Judge Mason is an '.Ipiidel." and is sup
ported by an organization Of Iniidels, in
the same manner that Ike is supported by
sect. In connection Wit. this matter,
he remarked, with Jesutical s'if'' or a
"but," "That if he [Harlan) should be
defeated. he would have the satisfaction Of
knowing, that he was defeated by those
opposed to Christianity Thus trying to
change the issue: from the qualifications
character, and recommendations ofthe can
didates, to that oissChristian and Infidel,'
with much more truth, apprehend, as
nave NcaIu ~ ISfHhIk Su, IL Is 10 Ue Inc NJ
e. Church against the world.
Whatever may be Judge Mason's re-
ligious opinions, know them not
But this / do know-that his character a.
an honest and enlightened man, is suffi
cient guarantee, that the school system
under his charge, will not be prostitutes
toparty purposes,or to sectafian squabbles
But to return to the s'Lecturer'-afe
"star,ling" some Of his hearers, by al
ominous appearance of some dreadful rev
elation, he contented himself by DRAWN!
upon their credulity, by assertions "tha
he was first induced to become candidai.
by the solicitation Of leading democrat 0
the State, and that, sbefore conserving t,
become candidate at all, lie had been in
formed by the leading men Of both parties
that there was to be no political action OF
the subject. ~ s.,s
He had something and not a little 10, say
about "the fountain head of corrup
stream ;, whenI believe Mr. Editor Won,