American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-08-18

-=z<A<~.~-<-<s<@-===~-
America and the Ola world.
We resume this topic as commenced in our
paper of Saturday last, and now approach the
subject of religion and while Mr.. Williams has
made sound remarks on this head, we shall
in this article restrict ourselves to our own.
In respect to the Old World, it is notorious
to every well-informed person that religion has
been connected there with the State for about
fourteen hundred and fifty years. Ii is well
known that the civil governments and injured
heads who claim for themselves u divine author
ization have there undertaken to dictate to men
what they shall believe in matters OF religion,
and how its rites shall be administered; and
that, although for the last century there has
been some relaxation, both in laws and public
opinion, on this subject, for the most part the
same claim to regulate religion in every thing
is still maintained by the kings and bishops,
and their adherents; and that civil penalties are
annexed to q change of religious views by q
large proportion Of the royalty, nobility, and
priesthood Of Europe. Moreover, in no coun-
try of Europe is religion free from regulation
by the state in some degree. So tenacious and
rigid have the crowned and mitred heads been
to abridge mans liberty in this respect, that
they have extended and established the same
system generally wherever they had colonies |;
and when the colonies revolted from the mother
country, SO firmly were these intolerant prin-
ciples fxed that the colonies themselves,
though advancing to emancipation in these par
ticulars, are still wofully enslaved to such
views.
But in the Anglo-Saxon colonies of North
America, these restrictions and this connexion
OF Church and State were soon regarded by
some as inconsistent with the New Testament,
contrary to the liberty which it recognises, and
totally at war with such plain deductions Of the
gospel as this: "Our weapons are not carnal,
but spiritual, yet mighty through God" 1t
was many years, indeed, before the mass even
OF the Anglo-Saxon colonists threw off their in
tolerance. Their ancestors had been bred in it
for many centuries; and they were slow in un-
learning it. 1t is an act of strict historical ius
tice to say, that Roger Williams, of Rhode
Island, the founder of that State, was the first
on this continent to inculcate, in their full ex-
tent, the great principles of religious liberty.
They are transmitted to US in his writings. and
were as fully and boldly taught by him as they
are by the boldest and the best of their friends
even In the present day. Early in the 18th
century their influence began to show itself in
considerable degree in America and in Eng
land, and towards the close of the 18th century
they had received some show of countenance
from many intelligent and pious persons
But it was reserved for the AMERICAN REvo-
LUTON to burst the bonds of hierarchical AFRO
gance and superstition in this respect, and eff
fectually to establish religious freedom on
broad and indestructible basis in this country.
The accountability of man to God alone for his
religious belief, leaving him accountable to So
ciety for those overt acts which constitute
crimes, was the basis of the American conclusions
on this great subject. On this irrefragabe ground
our illustrious and wise ancestors proceeded in
establishing our religious liberties And so
deep-rooted are these principles in the American
mind, so fully set forth, reiterated and engraved
in the Federal Constitution, and in the con-
situations of the several States, that # anv Sc
rious effort were to be made to invade them
the voice Of millions would at once silence
the wretches who should attempt to trample
them under foot In ages that are long mast
some degree Of intolerance was compatible, in
multitudes, with true Christianity. A long
night of darkness had come over the world |: |
but In such an age as this, with the light of DO
htical illumination shining so clearly, and the |
hght Oh true religion largely diffused-the spirit
OF rengious persecution is totally incompatible
witn tne spirit or existence of real religion in
tie same bosom.
In the 10th, 18th, 18th, 18th, 14th, 18th,
and even in the 10th, centuries, there were
military bishops, who led soldiers to battle, and
systematically waged war. They were not ex-
cusable; but there we're pallistons for them in
those days of ignorance, which do not exist in
reference to any bombsrding bishop nop. Such
bishop now must, in accordance with some of
our most cherished principles, than which none
are more important, be adjudged by the Ameri-
can people no better than a butchering Bomba
He must, If possessed Of military skill and
bravery, be regarded justly as resembling Ju-
Illus Caesar, Zenghis Khan and Tamerane, but
not the Saviour Of men; not Him who said,
"Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy
laden, and will give you rest take my yoke
upon you and learn of me, for | am meek and
lowly Of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your
souls"
And although it be true that we, in these
United States, are far from fulfilling in practice
all the duties of religion as we ought yet it is
true that no modern nation exhibits more deep
religious conviction and feeling; nor is the spi-
nit of true religion in any nation SO extensively
diffused as in this. When King, Lords and
Commons tried to subjugate us, for our good
ana when' as they could not succeed, they a.
mented the fate Of us poor orphans who had
gone away from those who had tho or u trno