The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1850-11-27
Religion invoked % AID Fanatioism.

seek to saddle the sins of the masses of its peo
| pie on the shoulders of "a few noisy fanatics"
nave had the effrontery to deny that the religi-
Gus community there were deeply stained by
the abolition die. wi t..as-sa .. 1
To such persons, the division of national
churches into Northern and Southern mean
nothing, and the torrent Of denunciation poured
on the heads of the slav holder from Northern
pulpits, are regarded only as the compliments
of the season. Both are the work of the few
fanatics" who have somehow contrived to carry
most of the elections in the Northern States,
and whose opinions are now represented in Con-
gress by majority of members in each branch.
Dangerous as the political agitation looks, it is
only the top wave of the movement, up-heaved
by the religious sentiment Of the North, which
such Pharisees as BEEcHER Of New York, and
PARKER of Boston, have misguided and mad
dened into frenzy.
1t is idle and worse than idle to deny a fact so
indubitab.e, or to shut our eyes to the coalition
formed between religious fanaticism and politi-
cal cupidty-tetween folly and fraud-bymeans
of which the Abolitionist leaders hope to ascend
to power, using the holy affairs ofworship US the
ladders for their uuhallowed ambition. "The
Devil can quote scripture for his purpose"-so
can his chosen emssaries, who prostitute their
high privilege of intoxicating by precept and ex-
ample, peace and good will towards all men
by stimulating d;scord and strife, and sowing
hate in the souls of brethren. We have expo
sed the gross and garng folly of several OF these
pretenders to pety-and find so sensible an
article on the same subject, in that ably conduc-
ted journal, the Mobile Tribune, that we append
it TO confirm our views, and to show that the
Southern people understand the subject tho
roughly
The phosophic mind of Mr.. WEBSTER long
since detected the existence of this dangerous
clement in Northern society, and politics, and
pointed out the danger of comprising, or con-
filming 1t )" although events have proven that he
mistook the feebleness of its infancy for per-
manent condition-and did not correctly calcu-
late the consequences If its growth and ex-
pansion The following extract from speech
delivered by him in New York, in 1887, proves
lNlS. uc lGtiiClHeu \e"ouS5" wv
doubt D have given the rule of conduct adop-
ted by Abolitionists then-no man will be
shameless enough to say it does no'o-when the
higher law is u leading article of the true faith.
Son the general question of slavery, great
portion of the community is already strongly
excited The subject has not only Attracted at
tention as a question of politics, but it has
struck a far deeper toned chord. 1t has ares
ted the religious feeling Of the country; it has
taken strong hold on the consciences of men,
He is a rash man, indeed, little conversant with
human nature, and especially has he a very erro-
neous estimate Of the character of the people
of this country, who supposes that feeling of
this kind is to be trifed with or despised. 1t
will assurcdlv cause itself to be respected. 1t
may be reasoned with, it may be made willing,
Ibeliere IL is entirely 1flIing to fulfil all crist-
ing engagements, and all eristing duties, to up
hold and defend the Constitution, as it Is estab-
iished, with whatever regrets about some pro-
Visions which it does actually contain. But to
coerce it into silence, to eudeavOr to restrain its
free expression, to seek to compress and con-
fine it ,-should all this be attempted, know
nothing even in the Constitution, or in the Union
ITSELF which would not be endangered by the
explosion which might follow"
So far Mr.. WEDsrER
The Tribune says:
We haze before US copy of an address "To
the ministers and membership of the Methodist
Episcopal church of the New England States"
1t is issued by convention of the ministers of
that church held recently at Lowell, and is
signed by Charles Adams, "chairman of the
committee" 1t appears in the "Zion's Herald
and Wesleyan Journal" the organ of the New
England church, published in Boston.
This address is confined exclusively to the
Fugitive slave law, and is probably one of the
best expostions of the temper of the religious
sentiment of New England that could be cited.
After giving an abstract of the provisions of
that law, it says:
"Such is the law which has been sprung upon
the good people of this great country-which
has startled MS with electric violence, every town
and neighborhood Of the United States-and in
telligrnce whereof has already flown through the
civilized world, to work utter establishment
among the nations"
This is an eXordium which could hardly be
exceeded in solcmnty if Satan himself, with his
horns and tail, in propria persona, where un-
chained and had just arrived in Lowell
Bus there is matter much more solemn in the
address.
Following this there is an abstract of the OBJ
jects Of the American confederacy, rs written in
the Constitution. These objects are thus quoted
from that instrument
ITO form 4 more perfect Union-establish
justice-insure domestic ranquiity-provide
for the common defence--promote the general
welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to
ourselves and our postcrity."
The address declares that all these funda
mental objects are frustrated by the Fugitive
law, and it is amusing to- see what methods Of
argumention. set forth with as much confidence
as young attorney would cite the opinion of
chief justice Marshal, it uses to establish its
positions. As thus: the law violates the " more
perfect Union" because it exctes the anger of
New England, and lessons its attachment to the
Union. What bombshell," it says, more fiery
and deadly could they [Congress] have thrown
into the very citadel of Union. There never
was more disunion in New England than at
this present moment, and nightly aided it is by
so unfortunate measure. There were a thou
sand and thousand men true, until now.
They were unionists before-while now, they
have ~; oaoSo1 IN 70 tho nta