Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1854-05-26
The Clerical Protest.

such a racket has been made about the y.
England Cl"ry,mcn's rcmoustrance sent to
the 1 $. Senate, and which was so vehement
ly denounced by Mr.. Douglas, Mr.. Petit and
others a, an outrageous insult to the senate.
thu, Il i, worth while to know how it was
got rp. The Congrrgoi,oaoiHg gives the fol-
lowing statement RESPECTING it.
lh' subject oC preparing and presenting
tli~ protest was first agitatcd ny one of the
editors of tins paper IN a meeting of the Or
thpdpx clergy Of this city. After some con-
G.rcuce with brethren in other cities, it was
determined to make the attrmlt 10 move the
entire ministry of New England upon the sub
icct. The precise verbal form winch the Pro-
test should take was afterwards agreed upon
in Il similar meeting of the Orthodox clergy
ui this city and Vicinity, and the finishing
touch was given to it. and the off 'nsiye phrase
lin the name of Almighty God, - ,Sc.. was in
serted bv the two oldest and most conscrva-
tive Boston pastors embraced in that body
ibis form OF protest thus fixed upon, was then
printed upon the first page of letter sheet
and upon the second page of the same sheet
was also printed hrct address, informing
the person who should receive it. that a simi-
lar sheet bad been sent to every clergyman
~
cpulI ic procured by those ha> ing the matter
in charge, AMI requesting hi,u t, read the
form OF iror'>t, and, il it met his views, to
tcar oil che lmlf sheet continuing il, and sign,
uiuud Immediately return ii To TIN, city
iuiS miat address Wis cu,OrSod--hv way Of
minimizing the antl-sectdran character of the
movcm,Wt-hy four of the oldest and best
known ccr@ymen of different denominations
in h'r.un, viz Rev DrS. lowell, Brrchcr.
Baron Stpw and Succtcr. \ copy of this
circusr-folGrd and sealed in / = postage
cnyelorc-Hos mailed to every Clergyman in
Ncw England whose name was iycu upon the
register, OF tho different States. with the cN-
c'ption oi some twenty-five Of the clcrgymcn
of Boston, who were waited ON in person. in
order to secure thcir names together upon the
parchment heading of the roll. Immediately
o!ipNius the engro,sed form of the Protest
I.,.ii. About lJur thousand circulars, in all
were sent.
KS son AS time had been given for the re-
turn oi tine mails, the first leaves of these cir
cul4lS began 10 come back with signatures,
and, tor "a tprtuiglt. they continued To come
at the rlto OF huulrtdsa day. Each OF these,
1t VIII he perceived, was an independent pro-
test, i. e., a printed copy Of the written form,
Win an iuii>ilud name auncXcd-cXcept
where two or three ministers in the same town
occasionally Affixed their names u the same.
Nctlug upon legal advice, these separate
Nau,,' we're shin g'rd together, uo name being
rut from It's lac, but, after hciuc arranged
hy states in tie o,phnbeticnl order Of their
towns, they Wrfn pasted together, each lap
p'H- orsr it's predecessor, sufficiently to show
lt.u appended sIulturr. Thus, Wule the do
snwcHf, Ha'u complete, cE.lI!t'i merely lis
r-rs"IH-u. h.a.iU, VitI tlc three thousand
and fifty u'nos following in EGhr ORDER
elch nI-no WAS, in reality, atflc' .d 10 it, own
4 c'gy ot tie one PROTEST. lying under the name,
Immortality ahoye it.
No Catholic pm It returned his signature.
i'is E sl.rrhie percentage of tho forO VAS
therefore unanimously - b. d. alact'd. II
the next lace WIS 90 ha deducted Clu,i r.
able percentage tor Methodist cprgymrn and
o'H'- v'u have removed ta.ir II Gee Of re-
.rtnuce since tio publication uf t.o State Re-
- tfr--.i'le OF Uui,h were more than d year
OLD, aHt therefore measurAhlp abs 1lete. Add
~ tal5 another pcrccutag OF the S; X and
a.s-.r, -'.d suAe two hundred whose uIiucs
-r0'ull- from the reuotcst towns ia the
usoa W-cn the mails Were disarrangrd hy
heavy sAoWs--ild not reach Us until several
days alter the Protest had been laid on til,
t"ie 90. tae senate, and it viii, we thiak hg
conceded Tat tire 5000 ought t. hc co,isi lrr
eel $40 ,argin- almost the ununnou vote OF
the entire Prot ,tIut clergy Of New hnglud
" r might acid r,rt al,9, tlc fact that several
ur4l rt of individuals to sign and rotmu tIt
c,u.r--iully h.rqpse n i"0S ,ir.ri.f-
vnp afterwards deeply regretted that ta,l