Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-02-25

Of their fellow creatures. | do not believe the
boast. appeal 10 the people against these
~-ould-be leaders. ] know the people to be just.
know them to be virtuous and Just appreclaiors
OF the characters of others They know the
men, too, who have been assailed by this clique
They have known most Of them all their lives
Has their knowledge of them been such as to
induce their old acquaintance TO condemn them
unheard-N ithout tral--and that, too, when
their accusers are challenged and importuned 10
produce their proof, and fail TO do so.
People of Augusta You who have fought
bravely for liberty-lhe glorious liberty of con-
science you are asked by men, so deuded as
to hope to gain favour with you by asking it, to
condemn your fellow-citizens because they dare
to worship their God according to the dictates OF
their own consciences. This is the argument in
a nut-shell-the whole argument of these cola
politics. Because they have not
"Crooked the pregnant hinges of the knee,
That thrift might follow fawning;"
you, Christian people, are asked to condemn
your fellow Christians, because they will not
turn hypocrites, hut have the Independence 10
diff sr in essential matters. And you are to
stand by and see your brothers aud neighbours
and relatives bated like wild beasts, because
they are few in numbers, and defenceess.
Lei me refer you, fellow citizens, to the Mes
senger of the 18th of January TOR the truth of the
fact, that a whole Church, as protestant and as
puren its doctrines as any other, but few in num-
ber and therefore despicable in the eyes of some,
has been condemned Eat one fell swoop0 by
this writer Independence, and that, too after
the most solemn protestations that he treated
"with inefiable scorn." &C., tthe unwarranted
imputation" that he was making an attack on
the Episcopal Church. Oh, no. He knew the
people of this county were too generous TO toll
crate such an attack Oh a small and defenceless
number OF their llow-eitizens, and therefore il
was necessary to sugar the pill. He proceeds ::
~ have not assailed, nor do intend to aasal
+" that Church-some Of the nearest and dearest
"friends have on earth are communicates a.
Ground its altar here and elsewhere" Such
were the protestations Of this writer that he had
not and would not assail that Church, and such
the statement OF his position TO prove that he
could not. Irving :hns gained the ear ofa gen.
erous community, what follows in the very next
paragraph? Why this same writer is so indis-
Greet that he boldly pronounces this same
Church (which he here in soorn designates by
the title of the s't,@ Church, y sothoroughly cor
rupt and selfsh-that with the exception Of one
man-not cornmuncant-he has Sbeen told
!" that whenever an appointment to any office
" of any considerable value in town, or i'll any OF
e the public Institutions located here, had to be
" made, within the last five or ten years. and a
| g ma jority of the appointing power were OF the
"true church, the candidates of that persuasion
+" have been successful III four cases out offive;@
and he was also told that in proof of this he
could furnish catalogue. This is put in con-
trast with the Judge OF the Superior Court, who,
this writer says, ''to his honor be it spoken has
" never descended from his high positions to in
Sdulge the petty feelings of sectarian." Hei
al exception, and the necessary meaning OF the
writer is, that all the other appointing powers
have descended from their high position to in
dulge the petty feelings Of sectarians. Yes, a
bare ma jority i'll any appointing power is enough.
Not one any where pure enough to resist this
seearian favourism.
Now, fellow-citizens; pray you pause and
consider for yourselves. In what estimation
will you hold that bird, who has so little regard
for the cleanliness OF his own nest, as to put it
down in print, that his nearest and dearest rela-
tions and friends are associated with faction SO
corrupt, as Independence" has represented this
Hhieh church, to be 2 What sort of witness is
he? 1t must be admitted that he has made a
great sacrifice to get on the strong side, and may
think himself entitled to good fat Office in re-
turn for the surrender of kth and kin. This is
the man who charges me- the defender, by his
own showing, of his own dearest relations and
friends, with personal abuse aid low grovelling
vtupera,ion! Well, | can bear his reuilings,
and sincerely hope he will revile on. If he were
to praise mel should instinetively cast about to
see what fault had committed.
CITIZEN.