Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-02-07

CIV of the light. This day an immense concourse mas
assembled beneath those Gothic vaults, which ior
the first time reechoed the TRUTH There the french
have celebrated the only true worship that OF Lib
erty that of Reason There have we formed wishes
! for the prosperity of the arms of the republic.
There we have abandoned inanmate idols for reason
- for that animated image the masterpiece OF ma
! ture. y" .
"As he uttered these words, Chaumette pointed
| TO the living Goddess of Reason. The young and
beautiful woman descended from her seat, and went
up to the President who gave her the raternal KISS
amidst uRivcrsa braves and the shouts OF the Repuo
lie forever! Reason forever! Down with fanati-
cism The Convention, which had not yet taken
any part in these representations was hurried away
and obliged to follow the procession, winch returned
to the temple of Reason, and there sang Patrlouc
hymn An important piece of ntelligence-thas OF
the retakng of Noirmoutier from Charette-increa-
sed the general joy, and furnished more real mo-
tive for it than the abolition of fanaticism.
at is impossible to view with any other feeling
than disgust these scenes without devotion, without
sincerity, exhibited by nation which changed Its
worship without comprehanding either the ola sys-
tenn or that which they substituted for It, when
is the populace sincere? When is it capable OF COM
pretending the dogmas which was given to it to be-
lieve? What does it in general want? Large as
sembages, which crafty its fondness for pubic
meetings. symbolic spectacics, which necessarily re-
mind it of power superior to its own; lastly, les
rivals in which homage is paid to those who have
made the approach to the good, the fair the
great-in Short temples, ceremonies and saints
Here were temples Reason, Marat, and Lepelletler!
1t was assembled, it adored mysterious power, 1t
celebrated those two men. All its wants were salts
fed and it gave way to them on this occasion no
otherwise than it always gives way.
eff then we survey the State of France at this
period, we shall see that never were more restraints
imposed at once the inert and patient part OF the
population on which political experiments are made
People dared no longer express any opinion. Ihey
were afraid to visit their friends, lest they might De
compromised with them, and lose liberty and even
h,,nI fbOnSa md
dredS of condemnationS rendered imprisonment anu
the sca6old yer present to the minds OF twenty-five
millions of French They had to bear heavy taxes
IT, by perfectly arbitrary classification, they are
placed on the list of the rich they lost for that year
a portion of their income Sometimes, at the requ-
son of representative of some agent or Other
they obliged to give up their crops, or their
valuable effects in gold and SILVER. Ihey burst
no longer display any luxury, or indulge IN NOISY
pleasures They were no longer permitted to use
metallic money, but obliged to take and give de-
prcciated paper with which 1t was difficult to pro-
such things as they needed Ihey were forced,
if shop-keeperS to sell at fictitious pride; if buy
erS to put up with the worst commodities because
the best Stunned the mdriMum and the aSsSnatS;
sometimes, indeed, they had to do without either,
because good and bad were alike concealed They
had but sort of black bread, common to the rich
as to the poor, for which they obliged to con-
tend the doors of the bakers, after waiting for
several houre. Lastly, the names of the weights
and measures the names OF the months and days
of four; and the women and the aged men were de
prycd of those religious ceremonies which they had
accustomed to attend all their lives.
Never had power oycrthrown with greater vio-
lence the habits of people. To threaten all lives,
decimae all fortunes to fix compulsory the STAN
dard of the exchanges, to give new names 10 all
things, to abolish the ceremonies OF religion is nds-
putaby the atrociouS of yranucs, if we do not
take into account the danger of the State, the inc
vitabe crisis of commerce, and the spirit of system
inseparablc from the spirit of innovation"
The events of the last two years have shown that
a large number of the American clergy, whether in
imitation of the French movement we do not assume
to say, have abandoned or neglected their sacred
functions for the purpose of medddg in politics
Their assault upon the Nebraska bill is within the
recollection of ali. Then had many of them ad-
vocating temperance political idea and now
the great body ensting in the ranks of party
pledged to the prescription of the foreigner, the
Of the adopted citizens, to mex
orabe warfare upon all members of the Catholic
Church, and to the ufiiment of the obligations and
oaths of secret political society. When the pulpit
not deserted for the of party and the halls
of legislation it is dsecrated by noisy and acrimou
Gus harangucs. The direct and immediate consc-
quence is, that many of the most hOurishng con-
gregations have either been broken up, else
verified into societies where political passions reign
supreme The democrats who belong to the church.
cs presided and ministered to by political cer
gyncn, in many cases publicly leave their pews and
Indignantly sever their conneXon with all such tea
cheers of disscnsion and malignty More than one
liberal and sensitive citizen, whose heart beats with
fraterna affection for his political opponent and who
has not yet learned to despse his neighbor for his
religion, rather than sit under the mpassioned aba
Sc of his Catholic fellow countrymen. the adop
ted citizen who has lived respected in his vicinity
for years of usefulness, will prefer the alternative of
leaving congregation in which he has spent many
happy Sabbath day, and of seeking consolation in
other quarters. Nor do these malicious preachers
pay any attention to such demonstrations They
to eXult in the idea that they hold the whole
country in the hollow of their hands. They think
the candidates for the presidency candidates for
gress for gOvcrnorshpS and for all other Offices
their AFFECT slaves; and they aspire to rule with all
the intolerance and venom which they have SO an
grily and so often denounced in others. Nay, not
content with this, they taking the arena for
themselves. Sixty of these political ministers are
now members of the legislature of Massachusetts
A goodly number is also to be found in the legsla
ture of Pennsylvania. A Universalist preacher is a
candidate for governor in New Hampshire. Quite |
a number of ministers of the Gospel have been cho |
sen to the new Congress and in Pennsylvania it is
notorious that there is quite collection of white
craVats bowling and intriguing to get their brother
Mr.. Tiffany. of the Methodist persuasion elected to
the United States.
Thus, after sowing the seeds of hatred between
the North and the South-after aiding to divide !
happy congregations first the subject of slavery
then the subject of the naturalization laws, and
finally in wagng cruel crusade upon the Catholic |
clerical leaders turn about to take
care of their selfish interests browning the act
of deserving religion for politics by mngllng in the
struggle for official station. Whether they desire
fO fnl thn IF f,n