The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1854-01-18

49, "Ooio hosO SasDh guy OlL0I lutOIpI0tdLlOu u
our article.
The controversy originally grew out of the form
Of cali for an Anti Slavery convention in Cinciu
nati to which the Editor of the Press took excep-
tions We said and we repeat, that we did then
and do not think now, that it was a matter of SC
much importance as the Press attached to it,
Inc EDITOR OF the Press may think differently
he has an undoubted right to do SO, and we should
respect his difference of opinion. But he had nc
right to garbe our language for the purpose of clas
styling us with the defenders of n6deIity, when he
knetU Better.
10 show how little ground he had for such a
Classification we here give an extract from our ar
tcle: .t
"We do not think that to be an Anti-slayery
man, one must necessarily be christian. The
Instincts of humanity alone, ifunperverted, would
teach a man that much. Nor will we decline to
co operate, out Of the church, in the anti slavery
work, with others, even though they may be inf
del. At the same time we are both free and bold
to avow, that we believe the only kind of anti-sla-
very that holds out any thing like tangible hope to
the struggling millions of oppressed, in this and 9TH
er lands, is an ant-slayeryism welded to, and per-
"aded and animated by, an evangelical religion
We oppose slavery because slavery is opposed to
| God and his Truth.
If those who deny the truth and inspiration of
the Bible, prompted by the instincts of a common
humanity, choose to CO operate with US in the great
work OF universal liberty, shall not thrust them
away. But the moment they attempt to mix up
their infidelty with what we believe to be Gods
atond hacLt tl,, A Il. .r
God with your urelean hands! We are not so
anxious to sOcH our ranks to surrender up what
we believe to be the vital, animatng principle of
our cause merely for the poor end of attracting to
it those who may betray it in the end. We think
the detection of the Barnburners, of New York.
should have taught anti slavery men lesson upon
this poiut.' f7-s
ln relation TO Mr.. Garrison and his co adjutors,
we used the following languages:
1--WE donot believe that all who subscribe to Mr..
Garrison's ant-slavery creed have embraced his
iufdel notions in relation to the Bible. From the
prominent position which MIR. 6. occupies, he gives
character to his party, and the sentiments uttered
by him are attributed to all. This is manifestly
unjust. Yet it is equally true, that If the senti-
ments of Mr.. Garrison and those avowed by the
recent Hartford Convention have become tho con-
trolling sentiments of that party, evangelical,
christian, anti-slavery man consistently ident-
fy himself with IT, If these are not the sentiments
controlling the majority of that party, believe
they are not, then they ought, in faithfulness to
themselves and the cause they advocate, to dsa-
the sentiments in behalf of themselves and the
party.
Our readers have now an almost entire reprint
of our article before ihem in the above extracts-
They can compare them with the article from the
Press, and judge how much ground there was for
the 'nuendoes in which the Editor of that paper
has seen fit to indulge toward us. And in the
light of the facts We have presented they can Judge
of the candor that has characterized this covert as
sault upon US.
We hope we shall be as ready as the Editor of
the Press to meet and repel the spirit of Infdeity
whether in the church or out of it-whether it
wear the Anti Slavery cloak the christian cloak,
or no cloak at all. But we are not anxious to be
enrolled in the "Book of Martyrs" till we have at
least shed more vital fluid than that which stains
our editorial sheets.
That there is insduous spirit of infidelity
abroad in our land, more dangerous than any that
ever proceeded from the school of Votaire or Boil
ingbroke, is too paIpabIe to be denied. That it
must be met, met soon, and met promptly, by all
true christians, is equally manifest: We trust we
shall not be found shrinking from the contest. But
we are not aware that the Editor of the Press was
the first to discover the fact, or that he will be the
last to stand in the breach Of the enemy.
But we are not yet quite done with the article
ac h.
ment, consisted Of just one column in our paper
From this the Editor of the Press has detached Just
three lanes! These he has coupled with sDo lines
ii ON Garrisonian paper, and these two detach-
ed portions, selected by himself for>the purpose,
form the basis ofhis structures upon the Free Pres
byterian. No one knows better than the Editor of
the Press himself the moral dishonesty of such a
course, and no one would be more ready than him
self to resist it, were hesto be the victim.
Again, the Press presents a false issue. 1t says
the Free Presbyterian hasters upon coming a.
gain into the field in its second ISSUE TO record its
disapprobation oft the of the Chrstian Press
in regard to the Convention and infdeI REFORM"
The last italics are ours, and we have italicsed
the words because they contain an assumption for
which there was not the shadow of Foundation in
our article. OF this our readers can judge for
themselves. 1t will be seen by reference to our
remarks, quoted above, that the three lines quo-
ted by the Press had reference solely to the stric
lures of that paper upon the form Of the call for an
ant-slavery convention, and had nothing to do with
his subsequent discussions of "infdel REFORM"
But the Press would have its readers believe
that the Free Presbyterian was not only willing to
l.. IL 4 .l.r-. 4
little indecent haste to be thus recognized
"The Free Presbyterian hastens upon coming in
to the field. in its second" &c. The controversy
between the Press, and DR.. Brisbane, the Colum-
ban and others. had been going on for some months
before the commencement of our publication. Du-
ring this controversy bitterness of feeling had
sometimes been evinced thut grieved US, and we
were anxious to see those who agreed in all essen.
tial matters, brought to better understanding
We leave it then to the judgement of our readers,
whether we were in haste m d;atn,n;eI, o,raalvsa