Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-12-01
Fur the Poftag. Sc I neil
I'VE Know not what 10 say about
S0ciefV.'

S0clety.'
FKrEND HARRIs:-Will il be agreeable
TO your views to give The enclosed commu>
nica'ion q place in your puper, together
with the thoughts i, has given-rise to in my
own mind. The Cleveland Herald from
which have scissored it, was sent TO me
by friend in lha, city, who supposed lha,
The subject, and the manner in which it is
treated would prove entertaining and ill.,
ssruc,ive. Well, thank him; and can
shed tears Of grief ard sympathy with him
over the condition Of our civilization and
religion. 1t is lumen,able, devoid Of
equality, fraternity or right agree with
him that sit looks as if something was
wrong"-nn in addition, think it is vain
to expect that any church aUhaterer get
established will ever right it. Nor do |
fia,.er myself that any system of civil poll.
ty now in practice, in any portion Of the
world, will make the matter much better.
II is proud and corrup, religion yet, as il.
always has been. 1t is splendid and cor.
rupt government yet, as i, always has
been. |. is pa.rician and plebian, rich and
poor, yet, as it always has been-and it
requires extremely large magnifying
lenses TO swell the best men Of this
age to the size or Plato, or Fabricius,
in morality, justice, or piety.
But must be brief. think the corres-
pondent Of The Herald has commenced find
ing fault a. the wrong place. He attacks
the manners Of the rich, and thinks they
should not do as they do with their money.
He sees nothing wrong in riches, or in the
unequal distribution, and exclusive appro-
priaton Of property among the members Of
society. He nssals simply their manner
of doing what they do-nnd substantially
claims, TIA, they ough. TO 60 to meeting in
an old or plain church, with jack-knited
seats, as free to every class of laborers as
themselves, that they ought not 10 use
cushions and chandeliers, only in their own
residences-,hat they ought to drive oD
Sunday particularly, an old pair Of team
horses, before an uncushioned and unyarn-
sbed lumber wagon, ,und that too very stead
lily, leas, they should throw "clouds Of dust
into The eyes, and upon the Sunday-go'to-
meeting clothes of more humble citizens"
and that they should not have ''superb
music" nor 'Paid singers" nor "a mag
ni6cent organ" nor"a learned discourse, :"
nor ga popular PASTOR" nor any thing else
any better than the poorest individual in
community is able TO pay for, and share
alike with them. I'll rightly understand
"Howard' he insists that the man Of libe.
raj means,' as he calls him, must not on
Sunday at all events appear. like one, but
subject hinsefto that slinted and narrow use
OF means, which would not fail to secure 10
him, even with the poor, the name of miser
and niggard.
"Let Us look al this matter" says "How.
ard'' "How is It," Let me answer by re.
fering the question 10 the carriage shop.
and The rooms where are sold the varnish
for The 'hashing Wheels" and the costly
trimmings for the sunday SHINING vehicles.
Shall the rich man withhold from you his
custom? Shall the man of ssliberal means"
ard his family rice in a dray on the day that
he rests from his ordinary toll, and hoard
the money he is willing to spend, and scat.
ter among your various departments Of Ia.
bor? Shall he confne himself to the plain.
es,.cheapest, & less finished products Of your
skill, ano the lowest kind Of work kmanship
in your trade, so that suery body can
hare jast as good as he has? What say
you? Do you agree with "Howard." |
might interrogate hardware, and harness es-
Adjustments, organ builders, and almost
every branch Of trade and labor, and feel
safe that should get for answer every
time; s.let the rich man dress and bedrid
den himself as much as he pleases, if by
this he scatters the wealth, unjustly, through
the laws Of society, accumulated in his
hands. There is no other way to keep
property on any thing like level, than to
give full scope to his vanity and hypocricy.
A fifty. .or hundred thousand dollar church
is so much from his pile, returned to labor,
the source from whence it came. God
speed every one Of them, rich churches or
rich men, down 10 irretrievable bankruptcy
and equality. But am occupying 10 much
Of your paper for once.
yours,
VERGNIAUD.
For the Herald.
-Churches-Jail-Dear Relig-
ion.
m. II IN lLn a1..., j., H.