Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1852-01-31
acknowledgment in Old Times.

The Dedham Gazette publishes the follow
inc extracts from the Dinry of John Adams,
| from which il appears that the clergy in his
day. were many OF them, us in our day, the
advocates of authority, even when directed
against the liberties Of the people. They
| did not like To have the old order of things
disturbed, so long as they held, in peace,
their pastorships, aud obtained their salaries
without difficulty.
There were preachers, however, in those
days-as there nre some Mt present-who
esponsed the cause of liberty aud the people,
against the arbitrary acts of rulers, and MIR.
Smith, the father-in-law of Mr. Adams, was
one ofthem.
In reading these extracts, continues the
Gazette, il is impossible not 10 call to mind
the conduct of those ministers of the present
time, who preach Submission to authority,
although aimed ut the destruction of our
rights and liberties. The Stamp Act was II
mild and merciiul measure, compared with
the Fugitive Slave law; but those who were
willing to submit peaceably to the injustice
of the former, under the plea Of "dutilul
obedience to the law" were found TO have
urged that excuse from cowardice or selfish
ness, or from lack of patriotism aud love
of liberty; for many of them, when the Rev
olniion broke out, took the side OF the enc
my and fed the country. The extracts from
the Diary are the following:
Esser Freeman.
December 25, l775.-Went to Weymouth
Heard much OF the uneasincss of the pco.
pie of bingham ut II sermon preached by
Mr.. Gay, on Thanksgiving day, in which he
snid that the ancient weapons of the church
were prayers aud tears, aud not clubs and
nculcntcd submission to authority, in pretty
strong language. Ills people said that he
would do very well for stamp distributor,
and they believed he had stamps in his
house, Sc. This uneusness, il seems, . was
imflnmed by sermon preached there the
Sunday after, 10y Mr.. Smith, which they nd
nired very much, the tenor of which was
to recommend obedience TO good rulers and
n spirited opposition to bad ones, &c. 1t
seems there is u club, consisting of Col. Lin
coin, the two Capt. Barkcrs, Col, Thaxter,
ETC., who visit Parson Gay every Sunday
evening, and this club is wholly inclined to
passive obedience, as the best way TO pro-
cure redress. A very absurd sentiment in
deed! We have tried prayers aud tears,
aud humble begging, aud timid aud tamo
submission as long MS trying is good; and
instead OF redress we have only increased
our burdens and aggravated our condemna-
iiOu.
Sunday, 20.-Ilesrd Parson Wibird. ]
began to suspect n long sermon on the times,
from the text, hut the preacher confined
himself TO spri,uals, But expect, it the
Tories should become the strongest, VIC
shall hear many sermons against the ingrat-
iiude, injustice, disloyaliy, trcuson, rebellion,
impicty, aud i'll policy Of refusing obedience
TO the Stamp Act. The Churcli-clcrgy, TO
I've sure, will he very eloquent, The Church
people are, many OF them, ihvorers of The
Stamp Act NJ present. Mr.. VcazIe insists
that we ought TO pay our proportion OF the
public burdens. MIR. Cleverly is fully con-
,inced thut the Parliament has right TO tax
ms. lie says that things 90 Oh here exactly
AS they did in the reign OF King Charles /,
that "hlcssed saint and martyr"
Eucr is another of the poisonous takers,
but not equally so. Cleverly aud Veazie are
slaves, in principle; they are devout, relig-
ious slaves, and II religious bigot is the worst
nj men