Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1853-01-26
. nee FIRST PAGE
Mental Directions

reat object was to defend the unity OF papa theo'
ogy against independence Of mind and free thought,
which were then called ''heresy.'' This ''spiritua
directory sought TO sustain the Capitalization of the
papa theocracy, by gaining the asceudency the
female mind and by isolating and terrifying the souls
f men, The "spiritual directors became the
idans of the women, the teachers of the YOUNG and
the subtle, crafty enimes Of independent reason IN
man.
The "spritual Director possessed all the Strength
and energy of will, which belong by inheritance 10
man; but he preferred with free thought un-
der disguise which protection to HIM. lie
came into the bosoms of families, with woman's
gown upon him, andby this means, CLAIMED the re-
spectul forbearance always conceded by man 10 wo-
mans weakness.
This spiritual director'' was, and is, the most
crafty, persistent, and dangerous enemy to liberty
and progress, in the old world.
The common despot brushes down the will of ma
tons, by physical force; but the spiritual Director
combats against the freedom of man and eternal
TRUTH by deceiving and betrayng his intellectual soul
into the hands Of his enemies. man can, at least.
exercise independence and manhood enough to DEFY
the despot that he sees before him; but the ''spr
uai director" slips quietly into his home, dressed
like weak woman; and he lets him pass without
question, little dreaming that, if the monk has
sword, he is still more dangerously armed, with an
intellect disciplined and heart steeled in the ser.
vice Of despotism. The "spirtual Director wars
with the generous aspirations and free spirit of youth
If he cannot conquer it, as in the of Mazzin
he watches it till he gets the headsman's axe or the
judges decree, either TO extnguish or expatrate
the best and bravest souls of the nations This sspr
tual director is the incubus that hangs like YAM
pre upon the neck of European freedom. 1t took
but moment, in lS4S, to make faggots Of thrones,
and exiles of kings but this despotism of the mind
held TO the bosom of society, while sceptres were
breaking, land palaces smoking and it finally restored
the whole host of perjured monarchs.
We have species of spiritual direction in this
free republic, which would be perfectly analogous to
that of the Jesuits, if we had not freedom Of the
press a counteracttng medium. We have been
particularly struck with this fact, by reading criti-
csm in the New York Tribune, on the Rev. ]. S.
c. Abbott's history of Napoleon, published in Har
per's Magazine. This gentleman has acquired con-
siderable reputation, writer upon mor. and re.
lgious subjects, and is extensively received by
the public Spiritual DIRECTOR Under the sane.
ton of his name and authority OF his reputation, the
statement is made, to youth, that Napoleon DO.
naparte republican. We do not know cir
cumsance better calculated to debauch the mind of
republican, than that of having faith in Napoleon
Bonaparte a republican. If Mr. Abbott can con.
vince young people that this bloody despot was
republican, he may congratulate himself on doing
more than any other man, to destroy the ideal of
freedom and virtue, which republicans have received
and cherished, since the days of Moses and Jesus
Christ.
true republican is who is ready to sacrifice
himself for the common veal. Napoleon sacrificed
every virtue and every interest of his country,
his own ambition His ambition dominated over
his Of JUSTICE his generosity, over his pa
trotsm, and over his love. To prove this, it is
enough to repeat the names Of Switzerland, Hofer
France, and Josephine. The ideal which prevails
of this imperial brigand, gave to his represent
tative of lS4S, the will and power to crush the
young French republic, He who, alive and dead,
has blghted French repubicanism twice in so years
seems to us be the last man that an American cler.
gyman should associate with the name of republican.
1t has always seemed to us that ST. Helena was the
best place for him; and the only regret we ever felt
was, that all the kings of Europe, whether of his
manufacture or not, did not keep him company We
think is duty, incumbant upon the free press of
country look after such directors of public
opinion Mr. Abbott. sWe can scarcely estimate
the mischief that such does to freedom, BY
the pnbcationsof such opinions as his, concerning
historical characters. He presents to our youth the
most aboninable ethics under the form Of repre-
sentative man and hero, and poisons public opinion
We have only to turn to Daniel Webster, as an.
other sad example of this kind of direction He
clothed the Fugitive Slave Law in the tnseI of rhet
oric, and presented it to the public, as the daughter
Of the Constitution. Thousands who had followed
him, as he taught them TO hate slavery, now turned
with him against liberty. He deceived the minds
that trusted him, and led them astray. He sneered
at Gods Higher laws; aud instructed posterity 10
regard those principles fctions, upon which our
Pilgrim Fathers established the republican church,
which was the mother of this republican State.
The mischief done under the direction of Daniel
Webster, not limited 10 his life. lift had been
so, we would not have to deplore the wolu bunker.
ism of Massachusetts Whiggery, and the prospec.
to the seductive words Of his apostacy
The young and minimizing do not often discrimin.
ate between principles and opinions. They general
y submit to prescribed authority in such matters,
and, unless they are gifted with rare independence
OF mind, they seldom exchange opinions, which are
things OF memory, for principles which are the lew
els Of the soul We predicate the peipetuty Of our
republican institutions from the universal d,son of
education. The Rev. J. S. c. Abbott is an ed~ea
tor, aud 80 was Daniel Webster II the opinions Of
the former, in relation to what constitutes re.
publican, should prevail, and if those Of the latter
in reference to the Higher Law, should become uni
versally operative, we wonld soon have a republic
like France at the present time, and public faith as
unstable, unreliable, and debased.
Our hope for repnblicanism is IN the mental indie
pendence Of individual citizens, in their enlght-
ened reason, and in justice made law. With such