American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1851, 1851-07-29
Clergymen I'm once.

To the Editors ofthe American Telegraph.
GENTLEMEN Permit me to trouble you to
publish another communication in reference to
I" Commentator" He now denies that he made
any attack on Methodist preachers Happily,
am not alone in my Interpretation of his in
sidious article; the worthy editor understood it
as assailing Methodist ministers-hence his ex
ceptions in an editorial note In keeping with his
first unmanly attack, g Commentator does not
tell us that he had been misinformed in refer
ence to the number of Methodist preachers in
| the Executive Departments; nor does he give
any reasons whatever for making a statement
so far from the truth in the case. But to save
himself from predicament by no means envia-
BILE, he endeayors to whitewash the nakedness
of his former article by stating that his grand
father, great grandfather, and two of his uncles
We're all distinguished for their piety as Metho
dist preachers and class-leaders-a sad instance,
indeed, but not the only one where worthy
ancestry has been disgraced by a degenerate
son. But what has this to do with his statement
that there are forty Methodist preachers in
office, when in truth there are but twelve or four
| teen? To this point hold Mr.. Commentator, :"
| and desire to know why he made such a state
ment. If he were ignorant of the number,
why specify at all I? Men do not act without
motives; and ask him the question, What were
his motives? Let him tell us this, and we will
excuse him from any further details of his Me-
thodistical genealogy, for we are very little
concerned to know whether he descended from
Christian or Pagan, from English or German,
French or Hottentots; but we are concerned to
know why he made false statement which
triples the real number of Methodist preachers
in Office? Justice to himself and to discern
ing public demand this at his hands. But in
stead of offering such amends his false state
ments remain, as if designed to injure himself
and increase his own condemnation. And in
the face of the boasted excellence Of his ances-
tors together with his hereditary attachments,
he speaks of the Methodist clergy as being
bought up for political purposes. Here, then,
in his estimation, (and he would have the pub
| lie believe it too, is class of clergymen SO
perfectly destitute of all moral honesty-so low
in principle, lost in feeling, and degraded in
religious integrity--as to sell themselves as
willing instruments to work out political capi-
tai.
Commentator" says that "No Clerk" asks
why he does not complain of the appointment
of clergymen Of other denominations to office.
Here is another Misrepresentation. Instead Of
saying thus, 'No Clerk" emphatically asserted,
"ttat he did not consider ii Vrong for them 10 be
there" Yet he showed by actual statistics that
they were comparatively far better represented
than Methodist ministers. BY the same pub
pal clergy now in Office exceed the Methodist
nearly ten to one, in proportion to the heavy
majority of the latter to the former in point of
numbers both in the ministry and mem bership
and yet Z" Commentator would not dare to ac-
cuse them of purposes so dishonorable and de-
grading. These men l know are innocent, as
much so as the Methodist ministers in office,
but Commentator chooses to mark and sin
gle out the latter from all others, and labors
to stigmatize them with his false and dis.
graceful charges. And yet, in the open face of
this glaring outrage upon the moral character
of this class Of men, he would endeavor to con-
ceal his motives, and most cowardly hide him
self under the covering wing Of his great grand
father, whose pious example should at least
have taught him the salutary lesson-not to
bear false witness against his neighbor.
In his magnanimous reply he sustains him.
self very successfully, no doubt, in his own es-
timation, with these expressions, "a short
horse is soon curried" and away with the
small fry" Behind this impregnable wall Of
argument he places himself and stands his
ground, claims the victory and crows defiance
He reminds me of collision that once took
place between a son of John Bull and French
man. They met in the street, where they had
an angry disputation. The Englishman, for
some impertinent remark uttered by the French
man, knocked him down, left him lying, and
walked off. After some little time the French
man came to himself, got up, cracked his heels
together and exclaimed, "By gar, | gain de
victory, for | keep de field" No CLERK.
A very estimable citizen, named Michael Cat
lagher, who has resided at Carbondale, Luzerne
county, Pa, for 1S years, has been arrested on
q charge Of murder, committed on the Zod OF
October, 1882, by man of his name, seventeen
miles from the city of Hudson, New York
The circumstances are very strange, and elicit
much investigation. The Carbondale Citizen,
however, contends that Mr. Gallagher is quite
innocent, and confidently predicts his return to
onJ b;o ho ~ acon,ftal