The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1854-07-05

ness to their sacred calling, for purity Of
life and character, for learning, inielli.
gcnce and piety, and that wisdom Which
cometh from above, 10 inferior to none,
and superior to almost all others, by
voluntary contribution alone.
IL hope that our learned men have
done something for tho honor of our lit.
erature abroad. hope that the courts
of justice and members Of the bar Of
this country have done something to ele-
vate the character Of tho profession of
the law--I hope that the discussions
above lin Cungress) have done something
to meliorate the condition Of the human
race, to secure and extend the great
charter of human rights, and to strength.
en- and advance the great principles of
human liberty. But l contend that no
literary efforts, no adjudications, no con-
stitutional discussions, nothing that has
been done or said in favor Of the great
interests of universal man, has done this
country more credit at home and abroad,
than tie establishment of our body of
clergymen, their support by voluntary
contributions, and the general excellence
of their character, their piety, and
learning"
Shall such men be secuted and stig.
matized. and DISTINGUISHED because they
have demonstrated against what they be,
lcve au unjust law ? They do not view
the Nebraska bill merely as political
question, but moral question. They
havo never been inclined to meddle in
politics. For forty years you have been
discussing the tariff. and bank and land,
and internal improvement questions
their silence on all these, though affect
ing their personal interests, is proof of
their non-intervention in politics. There
is no other body Of men in the land so
universally and intensely hostile to
union of church and state. Such a
charge is a sheer, bald fabrication They
are inclined to exercise their privilege
when Congress logislate, on moralques-
tions. They did so very generally in
regard to Sabbath mails. and they have
done so now in reference to the extcu.
sion of slavery, both of which they had
an unquestionab,e right to do. You
need not attempt to drag your victim
behind political parapet, and shut out
the clergy, or seal, or silence, or muzzlc
their IN yuth, by congressional ban,
while the cries Of that victim are sound
ing over the whole heavens Do we
really enjoy equal rights2 Go into the
city of New York, and see with what
partiality the most ignorant and unnat-
uralized alien is treated. You take to
your alliance the very sweepings and
gleanings of foreign pauper-house.--
European prisons disgorge their con
tents, and vomit them upon our shores
you 20 down upon the beach, rake over
the slime, and bring every living, NOV
ing thing unwashed, to the ballot.box,
but if a minister of the Gospel, who has
spent his life in promoting education and
morals, comes to enjoy his franchisc,you
bid your bullies to hustle him from tbs
crowd all the while the gentleman from
New York Mr.. TwEED] and his breth-
rem in the city government, clothed in
white robes, the emblem of purity stand
by to see that republican justice is ad-
ministcred.
| have no doubt that it will surprise
most of you to hear the avowal of my
sincere belief, that no other equal mum
Der Of men in that land, understand tho
history of legislation on the subject of
slavery so well as the clergy. The cause
is apparent no other class have had
such stimulus to study it. For twen-
ty years it has been discussed in their
clerical meetings, in their mixed meet
ings The discussion has not been on
Que side; three Of the great religious de-
nominations have discussed it from the
extreme North to the extreme South.
This has boen done in State and nation
al conventions, and conferences and as
semblies. The great Methodist organ
ization has been rent asunder by it, The
discussion has been carried on in almost
all other sects ministers have been COM
pelled to study it by necessity, if not of
choice. The charge of ignorance on that
SUBJECT is very unfortunate, for it is en-
tirely unfounded. The gentlemen from
Now Hamshire and New York, and my
self, may 90 into our districts, and wake
up the pastors at midnight, and they
will tell us more than either of u.s. or all
of US know of the history. What is the
difficulty in understanding it2 Take
the Nebraska bill; put tho debatable
matter in single sentence: "In 1920
Congress admitted Missouri into the
Union as slave State, on condition that
slavery should be forever prohibited in
the Louisiana Territory north of
So 30';that was the oompromise;in S5i
it is proposed to retain Missouri as q
slave State, and permit slavery in all the
rest of the Louisiana Territory" That
is the main question in issue. What is
there so mysterious about it; cannot it
be understood by minister who is able
TO explain the Epistlc to the Romans and
the Apocalypse ? Cannot its elements
be known unless smelted by authority
in some little pudding political furnace1
1t is often declared that ministers arc
behind others in those improvern enis
tending to advance our race. Iu reply,
have only to ask you to look at tho
list of inventions aud discoveries 10 me,
,hanics, in the arts and sciences, and you
will find they have done more shan their
'ull share. Take ore case in point.
Cotton Mathcr was probably the most
earned man of his century; his know-
edge was not confined to his own profess
ional pursuits pr Franklin said that
lis essay On Doing Good" had infu.
need him all his life. The community
n which that minister lived was afflicted
y the prevalence of the smallpox and
20 preventive was known 10 forestall tha