The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-07-01

The following article by Rev. Alexander
Campbell, on the interference Of clergymen
with politics, has been handed US for inser.
ton in our columns:
ave say Protes'aat clergy, not as protes.
ting against Roman or Grecian clergy, but as
protesting against an American congress
against the senate and house Of representa-.
tives ofthe United States, touching pend
ing political enactment. They protest A.
gainst the Nebraska bill as being hetrodox
and of schismatic tendency. and they eau.
ton and demonstrate, IN rirtHe oftleir o1ire.
against such action Of that measure as would
make it law OF the land. We say in virtue
Of their Office, for the laity are not at party
in their special movement They appear az
clsrqymsn---n caste politically unknown to
our constitutions. state or federal, az well as
to our laws. 1t is in this attitude, port and
bearing, that we now contemplate them.
As unofficial citizens Of the United States.
they have, in common with all the castfs Of
socie'y-with professors Of languages and
scienccs-with doctors Of medicine, la yers,
magistrates, farmers and mechanics, n com
mon citizen right to sign any petition or re-
monstrance against any law, statute or orii-
nance, whatsoever deemed by them iniuri.
ous to any ofthc national or vested rights Of
American citizens. But agains, them, as a
cast" or p'of ssion cccl siastic, 10 concort,
ooaccrt, orproround political measures, com.
manacd, backed, or nforccd by any inhc.
rent or assumed authority, derived from
heaven, and in them vested or TO them com.
mt,eh. 10 be held in tsrr0rem over political
councils TO be braneished as spiritual sword
over the heads Of The rpDrcsertat'vcg Of the
sovereign people Of this Union, We must and
do most solemn'y, rcmonstratc. Wcrcgrct,
profoundly regret, TO See the orthodox and
/ hctroaox ccrgymcn Of Now England oficiq'-
/ ~ addressing congress, and, more especially
( the Pro'estnat clergy Of Chicago following
/ their example; so forg tful oc their duties to
/ their rcsn.ctv' flocks. so reckless 10 tho cx.
ample Of the king and lawgivor Of the King
/ dom Of Heaven, who would not for a mo.
ment turn aside er oftcjo, to decide family
/ quarrel about a patrimonial inheritance,
/ which he could have decided nv one sent ncc
! What monumental fact But alas, how
forgotten or dispnragod by his prof sscd
/ friends and followers IN this csso.
must presume, in the want Of any infor.
/ nation. that these thousands of cergymcn
[ in the east and in the west, who have pro
/ fncd their cow's and inv stments. by sui
/ an assumption and pr sumption. w.rn not
/ Bar'is's, inieci could not consistently with
/ their principles, maintaining, as they do
thu. Christ's reign and kingdom are not o.
't's world, take any part Of such poiitco
e'clcs'astir NOV m,nt.
We ought then, as Pr0ies'qn's-lerno
! cratic Observation-Disclosures wlig or tory
/ democrats. fror all true Americans are demo
Gratis, u say we ought to rcbuke all su /
clerical gatherings, assumptions and pr.
s1mptions, as would Officially present in
,trurtionS, or advice unosked for. 70 a stat
or national assembly Of legislators, TO inau
cnce them in any direction, or any a. stion
invo wing christian faith, christian institution,
ny christian society, farther than our NaGal
Charia guarantees to every man the right
and protection in that right, 70 think, h,licv.
vote and act in perfect harmony with ia,
last and the best dictate Of his own reason
and conscience. This is a,l thai, s'""l 70
I lt'"ai prUu"uru can aSN or award, and il j.
all that any true patriot, ph.'aathropist o.
christian, can ask for hims .E, his iami,v,ant
the human race | IfeN thus and sp ak thu,
tlont forming or expressing an opinion Or
the merits or damerita Of the l,ttr, or tn,
spirit Of sail bill. II com.s not within tn,
province ofmy thought, or my studies. Il
has stron, argum ut on both sd s--on L
to gv, p rpctul quietus to the pull
mind in on. Of the eXc.tab'e and ominor
subjects in our horizon; and the other is
WI thcr the cntcn-on or limitation orslly,
territory wi'l cxacorb,tc or mitigate tie a
legged or roar,sscl evils Of slavery, wActhu
plysi ly, politically, and morally consider
~ These are On stons on which IL,
greatest, the WIS ST, and the mostI h anthro
PIC mn ia have diff red, d. dtY r, and vii
likely differ, for on or two gynorltions more
But time, that gr at rovo'utioujst; the world
IS interest, the special p'cader; and philau
rmopy, that cloqu MT orator;aud divine prov
innrc, that sovereign arbt,r will one da,
lccidc this qu ston AMI disparsa this dari
loud. whether by its own lghtuings an,
'hunlyrs, or by the bright shining sun o
right. ouSncss and mercy on our iailcn an,
pewild rcd W rI."