The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1854-09-20
THE BURLINGTON TELEGRAPii-irS rs
PRESENTATIONS

| THE BURLINGTON TELEGRAPii-irs
MIsaEPREsENTATi
10 r. cusciae his sinking fortunes the edi.o
"f the {" Burlington T-l-graph," has assumed
The position of special Champion Of the Clergy
and attempts in his ind and malicious zra
! for the dlsorganiz 'ii"n aud overthrow ot tin
democratic party and the gratltcatnn of hi
| na!igniiy to individual members of it, to create
the impression, that the leaders of the party
are continually ~agng warfare upon M
Clergy His columns are constin y tcemins
| with articles Of this description, in time an,
out Of time, cha nc'eri1'd at different periods
by gravity and frvolty, Misrepresentation ant
slang.
We find an article of this kind in his No o
Sept. 7,h and we propose to note his iacnlt,
for Misrepresentation, BY quoting tw' passages
from said article. The first rends as follows:
/" The Nebraska organs complain bitterly o
the opposition Of the slergy-of their +" taking
part IN elections DC. Let them rem-in5e
that the clergy have been driven 10 this posi-
tinn. The issue has been forced upon them, n,
it has been forced upon the Democratic party ;
This extract contains a gross misrepresen'a-
tion. There never was word uttered j.. con
demnation of the Clergy, until the New Eng
land Clergy, over three thousand in number
protested in their character as ministers and moi
as citizens, against the passage of the Nebraska
bill, and threatened the members Of the Uni ed
States Senate, with the rengeance Of Almig
God, if they did MT obey the requirements oi
that protest. 1t was then and not till then
that their conduct underwent the ordeal Of Sen.
atorial investigation and news paper criticism
The Senate denied their right to institute any
such censorship over its deliberations and The
press denounced the int rierence as unau,hor-
ICED and unchrs,ian. The Senate did not ones
ton their righ: to petition as citizens, nor did
the press; but both resisted the fragrant as
sumption to dictate in their character as Minis
ters wha, laws should be passed and to denounc.
against Legislative body the vengeance Of tht
Almighty. This seemed to arouse the Clergy
Of particular denominations to more bold and
direct interference in politics, than had ever
been INDUCED in before, which was visible in
this, and other states and which called fortl,
comment from the press.
1t is gross Misrepresentation then, to asser,
that the Clergy haUs been driuen to th,s posi-
tion'' and that "the issue has been forced upon
them :" for they are the assaiIl,g party and
have created the necessity for party t, act on
the def; nsive.
The second extract reads rs follows:
i" In this State the warfare upon the clergy
has been al once violent and unwarranted Be.
fore the Nebraska business had assumed a
threatening aspect, and before the Illumination,
of the Senate had been aimed at the pulpit o,
the country, the clergy Of our State, in the full
fillment of part of their sacred mission, com
menced preparing the public mind for a change
in the liquor law, their object being Of course
the promotion Of temperance. To this end they
endeavored to Impress upon the public mind tbr
importance of electing, not democrats or wings
but temperance men TO the legislature. This
was the head and frons of their Offending
Now, how utterly absurd is the intimation
tha, those Of the Clergy, who to,k the stump
in defence Of the Maine Liquor Law, did no,
desire tu make it a political question The
whole history Of the a citation Of this question
in the Sta'e and on the continent and the his
tory Of the recent canvass prove beyond con.
lradiclion, thu the subject was made political
and was forced into the c,nvass. AL! the lee.
turers that we heard upon the subject, boldly
assumed the ground that it should be. made a
political issue and the direction WHICH the tenn
perance vote took al the ballot box, shows clear.
lv ho;y the influences had been at work. Can
you find leading Main. Liquor Law man in
theStote. the prestLe ent Of the temperance organi
cation not excerted, who did not throw his infiu
ence for the whig par,y' No sir, you cannot
Then why contend that the question was not
made political.
We have just as much respect 70: the Clergy
acting in their legitimate sphere, as the editor
Of the Telegraph and would as reluctantly ac-
minister word Of rebuke, did we not consider
it duty we owe to ourself, to them and the
public. II a Clergyman voluntarily assumes
the guarb Of politician, he at once parts with
portion of his clerical character and is as pro-
perry asuDJtc' " ci'aS's" :" SsSo' J'
as those Of other. professions who embark III
politics While adhering rigid'y to his sacred
profession, no excuse cou'd Justify the journal
ist in dragging his nam" into the arena OF party
politics but when ne voluntarily casts behind
him the protection with which hiss his sacred office
entrenches him, ne invites criticism from the
outside world and should receive it.
We have no respect for that man $ Judginen'
or sincerity, who, prompt. by nm inpotent tt"''
dity or self II ambition, fails to exert his intiu
ence for the public good He may flourish fol
time, bu, 1t will only serve to increase the
bitterness Of his adversely, when it sha come
To Law waste the affections and endearments O.
his heart.
THE SECOND MEETING AT CHlCA-