The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1854-06-23

What should this universal difference in the consitu-
ton Of taste and intellect teach MS other shan the
deity Of an enlightened and prudential tolerance of
opinion Whatrighf have 10 pnrsue4a neighbor
with fire md faggot for noosher reason than that
cannot view a measure of government IN The same
slight,as myself Can ecertan THAI am always
.Fshf2 fIareI exarninedethe question with proper
attcntilnf Have suspected my passions and
preiudices? Am myself Tree from pride, error, aud
infrmity? What, if the revolutions oftime, mellow
ifg and changing the passions of men, il does the
outward face OF nature, should convince me that
was wrong and my neighbor right? How then
would excuse my iniemperance. either 10 myself or
others Well, therefore. does the Apostle enjon:
Be moderate not thing only, but in all things,
and let your moderation be known unto all men-an
Injunction, which no class of men need much 10
hear and practise, those engaged in violent and
cited partizanship.
The Psamist calls il a good and pleasant thing for
brethern 10 dwell together in unity, and it Is.
They that neither devise mischief against Others,
suspect il 10 be contrived against themselves,
possess calmness Of mind, composure of the afiec-
tions and sweet sleep al night. Not the life of
the immOaefafe politician. Epmity and dissenson
are Tor the most part the ingredients q. his bitter
cup. His thoughts are distracted with selections
care, corrosive envy, and anxious suspicion. His
heart boiling With chaler, his tongue of tune
by discordaHt nolses of camorou, contradictions his
sea OF life Is tossed with tenpest,! Oh, how inn
mea>urabIy comfortable To sail steadily in sea
OF qnieteveTy and faculty OF the soul partici-
pating in an 9ndsturhed colamunlty of affection.
When the heavenly convoy of angels agreed to wish
maakind their most perfect and elevated felicity,
they could not better express their OF IL than
by wishing them tEPeaee and Good Will.'' This an
grlc benedcton excited partzansbip annals and de-
feats. II arrays neighbor against neghboc, aienatps
the best friends and often the sweetest among
brothefy ties. This is the effect, it is true to some
extent ui all contests for truth matters pertain
ing 10 religion, well those pertaining 10
cular policy The admoniton is hence of general
appIIcation''Let your nodcratoa be known unto all
men"
Happy could the Christian church esteem itself
within hallowed pale the hydra Intolerance did
not lis hideous crest. Alahomet and his follow
ers propagated their creed with fire and sword.
Monrnul Ia relate, the profrsSed disciples OF the
tTeek and lowly Jesus too often display the ie
roclous spirit. % utterly repugHan that of the
master. Burning fagaots, racEip@ fquvering limbs
upon wheels OF torture, imprISonments prosecutions,
and eXpairatons have too frequently been subSitu-
ted for Persuasion, Faith Prayer, and Love. If the
Roml>h lnGusitlon, the !ruit OF unhallowed and
prosecuting bigotry, hah its Into da Fe, the annals
Of Professionalism stained by the curling smoke of
SeTvftus. The saviour appeals were address
ed solely to the human volon. the convictions of
the mind and heart. To effect HtS mission, and
HIS eouquess, He proposed other than moral
means. His own chosen apostles did not always inn
itate his benign spirit. One Peters arguments was
TO sever the of Nachus from his head but Jesus
healed ii again. Even the meek and aniable
john wished 70 see rain of fire descend, 10 consume
no exercising spirits oHfade the church,
until Jesus answered that his mission was TO save
mems lives, not TO destroy them. No sooner. how
ever, do the ministers al the altar obtain secular
power, than they forget the mild precepts of the
Christian faith and exhibit the frail.es of ansanc-
titled humanity. Then do they cease to be FeBsam-
pies TO the hock,'' but become s:lords Of the heri-
tage." The most Tepusiye and detestable of all des-
potsms is that which sets IN Judgment the soul.
and seeks to paralvze the exercise o. faculties
Submission 10 its arbitrary mandates is an abdIca-
tion ofreason, and degrades level of brute
The consultations of religion, the virtuous philosophy
OF Socrates, may enable human nature to tolerate
manacles upon the limbs. but unhallowed obtru-
sion into the sanctuary of the soHk outrage
passing the capacity OF human endurance
Is the lmmoderate pursuit of abstract dogmas con
fined to the political arena wish it were. Can
dour constraus to affirm the contrary True,
there are here convictions and executions for s
pafet heresies, 70 stake-bnrnngs. nquisitorai
torurlngs, no decap'atIons the scafoid, ncar-
ceFatrous nc penal Htiieons for ihractions of arbi
trary orthodoxy, PTocTustes beds 10 stretch or
shorten but our religious periodicals eem with the
most embtefed sectarian strife, and not unfrequent-
ly WITH the most envenomed personak assaults. Dis
putatons upon Christian truth among and hy Chris
Trans. surely should be conducted subdue the
turbulence Of the passions, control the waywardness
OF the will, elevate the affections, aud pufify the
heart. Alas Their conquests are often prosecuted
by harsh Invecflve as IT the mind could be moulded
dtioual ortbodorg, the potter shapes his clay
God himself hath enkndied ia mans inner temple
the burning bush Of Reason, TO guide his footsteps
and illumine bis soul This hcaven-lit flame the fe-
roeiousness of man would often fam quench. Not to
politicians oaly, therefore, but TO Clergy and 10
Laiiy, does the Apostle say: fet yoar 0,oderattoa
be k1o@M 0nto@H men.
Oneof the evil consequences Of over-v.rorsht par
tzanstp is, thai 1t super-induces disqualification
10 Judge accurately either 10 the effects of meu-
sares, or the merits OF the men, who represent
aud execute them. One OF the why the Pha-
risees would have nothing to do with Christ was, that
he the son of carpenter, and had been brought
up al Nazareth. They fooishly asked whether ii
were possible for any good to emanate from mere
hey Judged before they had heard, and condemned
as soon as they judged. So the politician He
percelyes everything that Is good in his party.
sect, and everything that is bad in those who diff
from him in opinion whereas there are good men
and bad IN all sects, and among all parties and
Truth, and some Error, MIXED up with all The duty
of the Christian is seize upon the Trnth wherever
he can Ind II, and 10 do Justice truly upright and
good man, matter where he is FROM even if he be
the Son Of n Carpeaiey, But TO such an extreme of
prepossess;on are party politicians often buried that
10 condemn measure, or To denounee a man, it is
only necessary for them TO know that they belong 10
the party opposite to their own. And, under such
Influences, everything pertaining TO the subject is
viewed through false and distorted medium The
mlnd Is not free 10 investigate. II is already clog
9ed and tramneed by he tetiers of prepossession.-
And N no department of political activity are the
pernlrious consequences OF such spirit glar-
iagly paipable than in the tone and temper of the
newspaper press. When the press is pure, Free in
@Penaeat, and enlightened, it is the great moral en-
CINE o. the age, moulding and directing the opinions
aud activities ni the masses. Only d century and
half has passed away since the introduction of news
papers. During many years their progress was slow
and doubtful. In their infancy there was little 10
commend them to public regard. In the days of
FRANGLIS, for example, newspaper was mere
chronicle OF passing events recording everything
with equal gravity, whether trifing or important
Then the newspapers pat forth no enlarged news, no