Washington sentinel., 1854-04-11

\
OF the United States, with aught but respect"
Thus it will be seen that Mr.. Mason express
Iy affirmed the right Of every citizen, whatever
his profession or occupation in life, to petition
Congress upon any subject pending before either
house. IN another portion of his speech in
favor OF the right of every class of our citizens
to petition, he said;
1T is respect due TO them; but when they come
here, not as citizens but declaring that they come
as ministers of the Gospel, and, as the honorable
Senator from Texas declared them 10 be, vicege-
rents of the Almighty-so ] understood him to
declare, possibly he meant viceregenis, 10 super
wise and control the legislation OF the Country
say, when they come here as class unknown TO
| the government, class that the government does
/ not mean 10 know in any form or shape, not 10
recommend or demonstrate, but TO denounce our
4 action as great moral wrong, because they claim
| 10 be the .yiceregents" of the Almighty, we are
boupd, not from disrespect TO them citizens,
| not from dsrespect 10 the cloth which they do not
grace but from respect 10 the government from
respect to that sacred public trust which has been
committed 10 us--to carry out the policy of the
government and refuse TO recognise them
Mr.. Mason expressly recognised and vindi-
Gated the full and equal rights Of clergy
men, in common with all other citizens, to pc
tition government for the redress of grievances.
His complaint was, that the protestants have
not approached the Senate in their capacity as
citizens; that they did not claim the right un-
der the Constitution, or as being derived from
| any human authority or earthly tribunal; but,
casting aside all human authority and consti-
tutional right, they claim the divine prerogative
| as the "vice-regents" Of the Almighty on earth
| to pronounce Judgment in his name, and by his
authority, upon Legislative question, which
had been confded by the peoHsle, in obedience
| to the Constitution, to the decNfon Of the Con-
gress of the United States
Senator Buffers speech comes next Let us
see if your charge be well founded against
him:
"Mr. BurLER. Ihave grea, respect Mr.. Presi-
dent, for the pulpit. have such respect for it
that would almost submit TO rebuke from a
minister ofihe gospel, even in my official capacity;
but they lose portion of my respect when see
an organization, for, believe, the first time in the
history Of this government, Of clergymen within a
local precinct, within the limits of New England,
assuming TO be, as the Senator from Texas said,
the vicegerents of Heaven, coming TO the Senate
Of the United States, not citizens, as my friend
from Virginia has said but the organs of God for
they do not come here pettioning or presenting
their views under the sanction Of the obligations
and responsibilities Of citizens under the Consti-
tuition Of the United States, but they have dared
to quit the pulpit, and step into the political arena
and speak as the organs of Almighty God. Sir,
they assume 10 be the foremen of the jury which
is TO pronounce the verdict and Judgment OF God
upon earth. They do not protest ordinary cti-
zens do; but they mingle in their protes, what
they would have MS believe is the judgment of the
Almighty. When the clergy quit the province which
is assigned 10 them, in which they can dispense
the gospe-that gospel which is represented as
the lamb, not rs the tiger or the lion-when they
would convert the lamb into the lion, going about
in the form of agitators, seeking whom they may
devour instead of meek and lowly representatives
of Christ, they divest themselves of all respect
which can give them.n
Here again you find that there was no dis
position to deprive ministers Of the gospel Of
any of their rights as citizens-no unwilling.
ness to receive their petitions, memorials, or
remonstrances, and TO treat them with entire
respect when presented in that capacity, and
claiming no other or higher prerogatives than
those secured to their fellow-citizens by the
Constitution. But their divine right, emanating
from power higher than the Constitution,
and above the sovereignty Of the people and of
the States Of this Union, to decide legisla-
tive measure, and issue command to the Senate
in the name ofthe Deity, was seriously but re-
spectfully called in question.
The speech of Senator Adams comes next in
order. Let US see if your charge against him
be sustained by the record. Did he commit
an outrage upon the privileges Of a large and
| respectable body of citizens 2" Did he propose
to deprive you or any other body Of clergymen
1 of your prerogatives as citizens?"
| Mr.. ADAMS said:
| 81 concur with my friend from South Carolina
in regard to The petition which ha> been presented
and ordered 10 lie the table 1t is addressed 10
The Senate and House Of Representatives BY a
body OF individuals as ministers of the Gospel
trust have high regard for their vocation as
any other individual, and as much respect for the
ministers of peace and good will on earth as any
other individual; but when they depart from their
high vocation, and come down 10 mingle in the
i turbd pools of politics. would treat them Just as
| / would all other citizens. | would troat their
memorials and remonstrances precisely as would
those of other citizens. II is so unlike the apos-
| Ties and the ministers of Christ at an early day,
/ that il loses the potency which they suppose the
| styling themselves ministers of the Gospel would
! give TO their memorials. The early ministers OF
| Christ attended to their mission, one which was
given 10 them by their Master; and under all cir
cumstances, even when the Saviour himself was
upon earth, and attempts were made TO induce
him to give opinions with reference TO the muni-
clpai affairs OF the government he refused. These
men have descended from their high estate 10
assail the action Of this body"
Where is the evidence of the truth of your
charge against Senator ADAMS, that he medi-
tated the design of depriving ministers of the
Gospel of their rights of citizenship? Do you
find it in the passage in which he declares that
"I,routdtreat heir memorials and ren,onStyanceS
precisely as ,eould those Of ot,er citizens ~
Is it an outrage upon their privileges that
they should be treatedoprecisely like other eiti-
zens? If you think so, you will doubtless per-
severe in the course which you have com
menced. If you think otherwise, you will
hasten to withdraw the unjust imputations and
repair the injury you have done.
/ Following the order of the debate, the next
senator whom you have embraced in vour
charge of an outrage upon the privileges Of the
clergy, is Mr.. PETIT. The first paragraph of
his speech on that occasion is in the following
| words: :...".9
.Mr. PETIT. Mr. President, I am Tor the
greatest liberty 10 the greatest number, and | will
not deny TO any class of my fellow citizens, under
/ whatever name or denomination they may appear
the right 10 petition and under the general term
| Of petition, provided for in the Constitution. am
! willing TO regard memorials and rcmonstrances, o
whatever name, kind, or description, provided al
ways they are respectful to the Senate"
| In this speech you find no attempt to deprive