The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-05-24

Church controversy, nVw pen9nfin New York
We shall continue Che report until the Vase i,
concluded; since both the religious and the pc
iiical community are deeply interested in its in
cidents and its issue. The Herald introduces
its comments on this case-which has excited
great interest hereunder the caption of Anti
Slavery in New Shape" but SO far from this
being a new shape of the ant-slavery agita
ton, from the time of WuHERFoRcE, .fanaticisn
has been summoned .ss its Chief ally, and the
livery of heaven stolen toi serva the devil in
No! these are but the external symptoms of the
long latent disease--itis coming now to point
-" has crisis and must be cured or kill
The mere pecppiary. considerations involved
are of secondary Importance, though in these
legal proceedings they constitute the gist of the
controversy. twas the principle, and the senti
ments underlying the schism that made the
ssnapping of this cordv 90 omMous III the eyes
Of the great statesman whose dying thoughts
dwet painfully upon it, as one among the niuny
Indications Of a schism wider still. When the
anti-savery sentiment is strong enough to- snap
in twain the bonds of religious brotherhood as
it has already done inathsse of the nnAt infiuen-
tial denominations, dividing them into" North
ern" and " Southern" he must indeed be blind
political bgot who believes that the same agency
! is powerless to affect a political severance also
b.tween the sauna parties, unless indeed politi-
cal ties are deemed stronger than those of "a
common religious faith.
This truth is recognized by the Herald, which
is not apt TO go beyond secular matters usually,
nor prone to 4exaggerate religious influences.
That shrewd observer says :'A nH~
AT the first sight, this great controversy may
appear TO- be but question Of law or equity, i'm
volving dollars and CENTS. This is not so. 1t
yoes far beyond any technicalities ofthe legal
profession. 1t has sprung ont of political
dogmas, necessarily urged by those who care
less for C,rist's Kingdom than their own per.
sonal ambition and love of empty distinction
The question is connected with the political .ex-
elements of the dry II, is q branch Of the same
! fanaticsm which has produced the excitement
| recently displayed in South Cirolina, and in the
disvraceful scene Of Syracuse and Of Boston.
| Is.origin may be traced, with mathematicalyex
| Attitude. to the efforts made twenty-five years
ago, by Garrison and his little satellites in Bos-
toll, and by Arthur Tappin and his small myr-
midons in this city, to establish organized agi-
tatng and anti slavery societies. for destructive
pdrposes--and destructive PURPOSES, alone. The
fruits are now visible--ibe effect is before us
! We behold, already, The division of three great
sects into fragments, and the splitting Of the two
political parties of the country into factions,
without any rational purpose or object. The
wt he. N bf Mon
| itself
Them eminent counsel have been engaged
on both sides. Mr-WEBsTER, it has been stated
will not appear in the case-at least so far as
the pIeadings are eoncerned-from a sense OF
the improperly of his doing 80 while occupying
his present position. The array Of counsel
however, is strong without the premier. For the
Southern divN...n Of the church ." Reverb,
JOHNSON, r,-DANEL LORD of New York, ant
Mr.. JOHNSON, jr., act as counsel For the North
ern division RUFUS CHoATE of Boston, anC
Messrs. GEORGE WooD and f. l.. FANcHER o
New York, are engaged Mr. EwrxG, also, il
+ watching the case for the Northern division, h,
being counsel in co-relatve case pending il
J Ohio, We hope no one will be deferred frou
reading the report of this case from its length
since fun statement is indispensable TO rende
{ the matter ineligible. s,-,-.-
? .s L.. -.... ..~t ~ ~
, raF The Charleston Mercury corrects some
misrepresentation and falsiicaiions in relation
to that State, in the following conclusive man
> per. We do not suppose that it will have tn
.fT.ct of of tho Dir %, 6. T.
: hoods referred to, for many OF the reviers o
: that State seem to believe, that "a lie welfst
to, is better than the truth
n The SOUTHERN RIGHTS CoNvEyrIoS--Th
Northern press. almost without exception, hav
propogated serions mistakes, TO call them b.
: their most innocent names, In regard to the pro
] ceedirgs of the convention Of Southern fight
B associations in this city, We have not, indeed
q seea any paper which has followed the lead o
, the New York Tribune, in drawing the conclu
sion that the people of South Carolina must b,
playing game OF mere Drag, il this talk abou
secession, because, sayst the Tribune, if they hat
airy intention of seeding at all, they would hav.
done it on this OCCASION We believe that M
. other press has been beset by al ignorance Quit
y dense enough TO carry il % this length But il
n other respects they have all fallen into misrep
/" reservations, thatwe hope they will have tn
grace TO correct
We take the Philadelphia North American a
! an example That paper represents the conven
. ton as having been got up by our senator, Mr.
: RHETT Nothing could be farther from tn
truth. The idea of this convention came frou
Alabama, where similar one was held in Mont
gomery and the adoptouo of the precedent wa,
? wholly due to the committee of safety of thu
Charleston association, of which Mr. RHETT wa,
not member, and with which he had no con
sutation.
The North American further represents Mr.
, RHErr as being the leader and spokesman Of
the ultra side of the convention, in opposition
to Messrs BUTLER, BaRswErL and Oar. The
fact Is, that he made no speech, offered no reso
luton, and made'no motion, during the whole
+, session of the convention, and to our knowledge
the address and resolutions were prepared with
out consulting him.
|. s1g The Virginia constitutional convention
i "catchesil" from the Fredericksburg Recorie,