The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-04
GENERAL AND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

General Pierce and the History of Religious
Frtedom.-ln his speech at Baltimore, General
Pierce said, "Who can fail to be reminded
where the banner Of undriled, unqualified re-
ligious federation was first freely given to the
breeze!D
The precise meaning of "undrilled tolera-
tion," we do not understand but certainly
General Pierce ought to be sufficiently familiar
with history to know that the banner of reli.
gious freedom was first unfurled by Roger Viii
liams; and that the religious liberation of Ma
ryland, 30 far as it existed, was necessity i'm
posed upon the oolonists not concession
granted by them. The colony was held of q
Protestant prince, and it had not the power to
exclude the Protestant religion. The attempt
to do so would have drawn upon it the imme-
date vengeance of the mother country, and
might have ended in the exclusion of the Ro
man Catholic religion. Even as it was, Mary
land enacted that whoever denied the Trinity
should suffer death! Was this aundrilled and
unqualified religious toleration?n
Roger Williams repudiated the idea of tole.
ration, because it seemed TO imply the right Of
Government TO withhold, as well as to give
He denied the power Of human government
over the conscience and held that soul libert,
was granted by God, and that any human
power exceeded its just authority in restrain
ing it. He held that the right to wo, ship GOO
according TO the dictates Of conscience, was as
clear as the right to see or to breathe. And
in maintenance of this great principle, even
yet imperfectly understood but which he
grssped in all its breadth, no turned to the
painless wilderness, and offered his prayers
where no roof interposed between him and his
God
Lord Baltimore was in his personal charac-
ter the reverse Of Roger Williams. We have
no reason to doubt that he was tolerant; but
ne neither comprehended nor cared for reli.
gious freedom. He was dissolute man, in
different to religion, and looking upon the
Church only Is the means Of rewarding his
boon companions with the places for which, OF
all others, they were least fitted. To make
such man the apostle Of religious freedom,
and to make colony which decreed death as
the punishment of heresy the pioneer in reli-
gious freedom, is an assault upon the memory
Of Roger Williams,-Providenee Journal.
FLoGGING AND FoGYIsM DEAD IN THE Ma.
vY-The U. S. Frigate Congress-" Commo
dore McKeevcr, the friend of the sailor, who
early favored the abolition of rum and foggne
in the Navy, returned to port on Thursday
The crew Of the " Congress" had been detsin
cd nine months over their time, and not a muir
muir has been heard from one Of them, nor Col
they find language to express their admiration
of their Commodore. He has shown that kind
ness to his men overoomes the necessity OF tn
, LASH Let those officers who are continual
complaining Of insubordination and the impo
sibility of controlling men without the lasl
take some lessons from Commodore McKeeye
The sailors of the Congress" held oonsults
ton ON board meetings not being permitted
asked whether the Commodore would acceE
q mark Of esteem from his crew, to which
negative reply was given such proceedings nc
being exactly in keeping with the practice
and customs of the Navy. Y Tribune.
The aggregate value of the Liverpool te,
trade, last year, amounted to S5,O00000