The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-06-07
d. c..
4sopIs's department.
THE RELIGIOUS VIEW.
HENRIETTA, LoRAIS COUNTY, O.,


THE RELIGIOUS VIEW
HENRIETTA, LoRAIS COUNTY, O.,
Nay IS, 1855.
Before the Government of God, all men are
equal, entitled to equal rights, and subject to
equal laws-His law being the emanation of
His infinite benevolence, requiring supreme
love to Himself, and equal love to all men.
And any human Government which makes dis
tinctions among men In relation to their rights
and privileges Is oppressive, is indeed, to the
extent of such distinctions, chargeable with
all the characteristics of a despotism. And
how any men, who have been educated in the
school of Jesus Christ, can have heart TO
deprive any of their equal brethren of any
rights which they claim for themselves, is to
me- conceiyable-especially when guilty OF
no offence, except being born in the wrong
place, or adopting, it may be, an erroneous
creed. "Speak kindly to the erring," is a
maxim fraught with both wisdom and love.
If you wish to reclaim to virtue the erring or
the vicious, can you do it, if in the outset You
cast him out of the pale of humanity, and treat
him as a villain and an outlaw? So did not
Jesus Christ, SO did not his apostles so can
you not do successfully. No; you must first
win his confidence, by treating him as brother,
with kindness and love.
j would speak to those of the Know Nothing
Order who profess Christianity. By your p.o-
fession, you wish to Undue all men with the
principles and spirit Of your Saviour. For this
purpose, you, at great expense, send missiona-
ries to foreign countries. Do you not expect,
then, to treat even the most degraded heather
as brethren? But when foreigner comes to
your shores--it may be Christian as enlight-
ened as yourself, or it may be one who, not
having enjoyed your privileges, has drunk in
srror; or, perchance, it may be- one of those
very heather you wish TO convert--in what
spirit, and with what words, do you meet him {?
Do you extend to him the hand of brother,
and bid him welcome to all the privileges and
blessings of your free and happy country? Or
do you search his pockets, to see if he is well
provided with the "needful;" and if you find
them vacant, send him adrift upon the wide
ocean, to find home upon some more hospi-
table shore; or, if well replenished, barely toll
crate him, as an exile and an alien, whose pres
ence you regard as an evil; and so carry your.
self towards him, as that, In self-defence, he
must become your enemy; and instead of
blessing him, or allowing him to bless you,
you both become mutual curses? And you
profess to be Christian, and it may be a Chris.
tian minister, and Anti-Slavery withal. 90,
tell il not in CATH" Let me entreat you, my
protnef, Whatever be your name or locality, to
open wide your heart; let it expand with a pure
and Godlike benevolence, broad enough to en-
brace in its arms the whole brotherhood of
the race, of whatever cline, condition. or com
plexion; and "all things whatsoever ye would
that men should do unto you, do We even so to
them" This is Christianity. This, and nothing
less, as j understand it, is pure and genuine
Anti Slavery. And this, as now advised, am
sorry to be compelled to say, is not the ruling
spirit of the Know Nothing movement
O. CLARK