New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-09-01
CLERICAL BRAWLER.

4 rh.,en yagTshs oia'oi IA n"" WV,
BAPTIST preacher and the principal OF some
80 is distinguished as the Reverend Presl-
N.o,.,,on. lie seems to have elected himself
- discharge Of The same function, IN respect
a. r.rauders Of the territory, which the friar
.s;, the gang of Robin Hood They posched'
he preached they stole, and he prayed for
a.: they did wrong, aud he proved it right
| ne great iniqu.y Of the Missouri reivers is
Is,t ,bey are trying to introduce Slavery by vio-
E.v into regions where it could not else enter;
lJ.tis Shannon goes about to show THAI II Is
Iviu;auity. 1t is virtue rather, he says, and
G.Bble was revealed expressly to sanction
t,rs of t,at sort Like Dr. Lord, DIR. Brock
tndee, DR.. Cox, and great many other
EInes, be finds the very muuiments OF man
k,slipg in the Scriptures, and bis conscience
I.npels him to proclaim the discovery TO gu ig-
1srsDt world.
n But tbe-real of Shannon sometimes outruns
Ii discretion, and is too much, if s1ch thing
a be conceived, even fer the bOrderers OF
E,souri. They know that msn.stealiog IS not
cardinal virtue, and they accordingly despise
n creature who can prostitute his calling and
konnea sense in tho vain endeavor to prove 1t
L. They have iutimated their conviction to
khautnp, and advised him to 60 home TO his
kesdeny and school. books Yet Shannon re-
tases 10 be advised. Like Mrs Jellaby, be mas
IA mission-which is to expound the Scrip.ural
s,pects Of Slayery--and be is willing to become
a martyr in the cause Of that glorious mission.
As Westport lately, meeting was called to
enable him to ear himself Of the charge OF
-unpine Slavery into the ground by his exces-
isiye zeal lie defended his cause in this wise:
4 0I feel impeled 10 pursue the course that have
fulen on this subject by the following cOusderaaonS
l"l. | am an American citizen, possessing The same
ngbts and subject to tue same obligations, az oIner
citizens. And | would consider myself recreaht 10
hese high obligations, and unworthy OF the exalted
riyileg,s of American citizenship were tor any
ersonn considerations 10 shrink from the performance
Of sry duty that might contribute even little to the
enlightenment of the public mind, and thus to the
peace prosperity, and porpetuity OF the American
Union. .u
,.s,cbahle ricbes Of Christ. For mary years have
basn fu " convinced that God had raised up these
Juted States ar his chosen fundamentally Tor the
reseneratop POLITICAL social and moral, OF deoaseo
and down tTOdden world.
Itis patriotism, il will be seen, and the sal
ystion Of a lost world, which lead President
Shannon TO disregard the interests of bis school
md congregation, az well az the advice OF MS
friends. He lie convinced that Democracy means
Ne increase Of despOtism over negroes, and he
1Apd,rs about the prarics TO brawl out the truth.
lie tstis that the North, England, France, Ger
many, In short all the five divisions of the globe,
"the whole down-trOdden world" as he ex-
presses it, would go to the dogs if it were not
for Slavery, and lie ia not the man to withhold
q seDoiable howl. Slavery is the chosen in
"strument of universal, political, moral, and
"sociL regeneration and Shannon is the
shield of Slavery.
A little further west than his peculiar field
Lbor. there are others who strenuously mold
FIST Po,vesmy is the law of the Bible, and that
Polypsmv will rescue mankind FROM the miseries
ofthe Fall. Men with halfdozen wives each
are the on saints, while sll the rest of the
world are poor, miserable sinners They quote
rsspttf and verse in demonstration Of this faith,
sud make as good an argument for it as any de-
fender of Slavery. Did not Moses allow null
ti,ude of wivesi and we're not the patriarchs
chosen std peculiar menl IL the same spirit
|shsnn0n reasons: Did not the Jews hold slaves
and cid not the Apostles approve OF the prac-
7tcs, by their silence if not by words The Or
ldnsr, of Newgate in Jonathan Wild, INDUCED
1ln copious punch, because, as he saidS 1t was
YEA liquor no where spoken against In Scrip
sure" and the Mormons indulge in plurality
q women, and Parson Shannon in a plurality
II slaves, on the strength of this ordinary logic.
1t used to be thought that Democracy mean
Ne government Of the psOple by themselves for
b. good Of all; bu, 10 Shannon's view Democracy
means the government ofgangs of Africans for the
good Of 8 few white masters. 1t was for this the
Union was formed; in this consists the value of
be Union: and when the Union ceases to do
Ais, il ia no longer worth rush. Any other
New of political philosophy is "Froe-Soil ia
"nsticism," which ought TO be "cured or
"iiled."
1t used to be thought, too, that Christianity
n' The religion Of brotherly love, which had
Virtually annulled distinctions of race among
her, BY the revelation of their common father
heed in God; but shannon insists that this is
hnentable mistake. Chris sisnity means the
right Of one man to appropriate the faculties
and lsbOrs of spotkef-the right to reduce him
% the level Of the brute-to deny him educs-
Zion End the means of spiritual growth--so con-
sso' his most sacred domestic relations, and to
buy aud sell and scourge him, without regard
10 law and under no other restraint than sim
pie selfinte,eh.
We aie not surprised that the Missourians,
Base IS they ate, should be Disguised with such
nesehse. lbe wlckedest man likes to Justify
Gbtd Deeds to his conscience. and Yet he has