The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-06-09
From The Ne~ York Times. y1se i
The Cony enffa,n. ~ saA

t1aIttoro ucoates Inc material was OF the wron o.
sort. We can easily conceive of body of men
differently qualified, who might at least confound
the faith Of the weak and provoke inquiry that
might effectuaIly, and perhaps fatally, misead the
incompetent listener; men of subtle discernment;
men of sharp, wry logic-as brilliant in the evolu
ton OF falacy and sophism as Of truth: German
thinkers imbued profoundly with the critical
niceties of Strauss and the Tubingen SCHOOL, scen.
tific sceptics, citing the traces of creation SC
many atheistical arguments college of such
pundits might have proved extremely troublcso,ie!
for the reason that intellectual vigor, right or
wrong, is always moro imposing and captivating
than truths leebly held and timidly advocated
Their debates it might have been matter Of social
safety to suppress. To propagate and echo them
newspaper wise would have made heathens by the
Scores in quarters where the antidote of successful
preciated.
But this Hartford affair ia really too despicable
Tor serious notice. As if by provdentiai arrange
ment, its members were drafted from class Of
persons who have long since lost all standing in
the community for soundness of wit, and exposed
themseIvesto shrewd suspicious Of pursuing dis
honest aims from bad motives. 1t is mere sink
of scepticism fed from the imPurest sources Abo
litionism has poured in its little tide sreamiet
of magnetism was duly contributed; clairvoyance
trickled in unobtrusiveiy; and the rapparees turn
ed thither the Stygian waters, agreeably to al
phabetical agreement with gharon and the ghosts
of Hades. The only qualification required for
membership of the inhdel convention was ridicu-
lous credulity evinced by consistent life Dis
belief of the Bible leaves a vaEt vacuum in the
human mind, which all manner of demons and
chimeras troop in to occupy. So these people meet
upon common platform of deluson, after meri.
torious struggles in the of general religious
and social Reorganization. The one had previously
urged warfare upon the Constitution of the Union
as his distinct speciality. Another has selected
the constitution of society as his peculiar target,
and proposed reconstruction upon the principles
Of Owen, st. Simon, or Fourier. The dissolution
of family order was a portion of his scheme. A
third had enjoyed the posthunious teachings of
Thomas Paine in the world of spirits, until his
arm was nightly strengthened to assault church
organizations, and overthrow steeple, and cross,
and desk; and demolish bell, book, and candle
without morsel of remorse. fourth had voy-
aged among the planets, gathering superhuman
reasons for disbelief. Every man had had his di-
ventured upon bis anti-biblical crusade; and for
tunatey every one has a caveat branded upon him.
SO that the simple should refuse to trust him.
The deliberations of the convention have beftted
the membership. The widest rant, the abandon
nent at the very outset of any attempt at sequent
discussion, defamation without substance, denun.
citation without point ignorance, presumption folly,
nonsense are the only phrases fairly answering TO
the merits of the case. From first to last no valid
ground of objections to the canon was, we believe
announced. There of sceptics in the coun
try who from the exhaustess stores of their rreli
gious logic could have supplied volumes of plausi
bties, mere half-dozen of which would have saved
the character of the convention by just the distance
that vicious ingenuity is removed from vicious
imbecility. But these people were the most con-
ceited of blunderers. The profession of religious
scepticism which they avowed they do not seem to
have understood, even fundamentally. In all the
Isvrxn rofo ho}fa fho.,
a sincere aversion to the object of attack, IRA
tional, Inconsistent, and quite unju tihable; a
pitiable anxiety to do mischief, without the power
personal displays, prompted by vanity and evinc
ing faulty.
The transactions, are told, to be COM
pressed within volume and published. No vol
ume could be more instructive. As indicating
the folly OF pursuing any OF the mad isms OF the
time, in the hope of attaining truth, it will not be
an improper book for young readers. There need
be no apprehension of the twaddle within it exct
ing any feeling beside disgust. Infdeliiy pre-.
sented will never we fancy, secure proseiytes out
side the walls of benevolent institutions for idiots
and lunatics. And it will be we'll for the fresh
disciples of Abolitionism, Spiritualism, and the
others, to examine the abyss Of nonsense into
which those doctrines eventually discharge. Men
entering upon lew paths are sometimes led along
from one absurdity to another by gradatons 60
easy as never to realize their infinite departure
from the plane of common sense With the pro
ceedings of the Hartford convention In hand,
may show them the end from the beginning
They can estimate properly the company in which
they must at last find themselves if they persist;
and we know little of human nature if novice
will be found with tastes vitiated to view
possible result of the sort with the slightest com
without its y laad use.
"OUR FLAG Is THERE MIR. Bryant, in letter
from Athens, describing the difficulties of DR..
King, the American missionary, with the govern
ment, says;
"One Sunday large crowd OF Greeks, led by
priest of their church, assembled in his house and
garden to hear of his discourses. His subject
was the duty of religious liberation. AT the close
the riest asked question concerning some things
advanced in the discussion, to which DR.. King
gave prudent answer. The priest then demand
ed explanation of certain positions laid down in
another discourse, which DR.. King declined Civ
ing at that time, observing that he would agree to
appoint almost any other day for the discussion.
The multitude Immediately joined the priest in
demanding that the discussion should go on at that
moment, with such fury and noise that his friends
thought his life in danger. 1t happened at the
time that the American consul was absent from
Athens, and the functions uf the office were dele
gated to DR.. King. An American flag day or
two previous had been received by DR.. King from
Washington. In the midst of the tumult, at the
very moment when the multitude seemed ready
to tear him to pieces. he bethought himself of the
flag, and, hastily unroling it, let it stream from
their clamors were husbed, they began to disperse
in the utmost haste, and in five minutes not one Of
them was left in the house or the garden"
ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE FROM PRIsoN.-One day
last week the keeper of the State prison had occa
sion to visit the cell of Shields, the Ell gsh burglar
who is confined for twelve years. As he left the
cell he put his hand against the inner door, and
discovered that it was blackened by coming in
contact with the iron. He asked Shields hat made
the door dirty, who replied that it a warm
day, and he supposed the iron sweaty. The
keeper thought it was 30, but on washing his hands
found they were greasy, and Immediately
pected something was wrong. On examination 1t
was discovered that the convict had cut from each
corner of the hole in his cell door in such way
that four pieces could be broken out, leaving an
aperture of sufficient size for him to pass through.
The cuts had been daobed up with backened tai
low, and the mere accident of the keeper touching
the greasy substance disclosed the secret. On be
ing found out, Shields told the keeper he a
lucky man, for in very few days he would have
been at liberty.
He had cane rope manufactured, with ham,
mer the end to throw over the wall. He had
also made two ''billies'' and his idea to watch
an opportunity when but two men were on duty,
knock them both down, carry them into cell and
lock them, and then scale the wall. By his own
acknowledgment he undoubtedly conlem plated
murder, and awful tragedy was thus prevented
by the timely discovery OF his intentions The sit