Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1856-02-23


The very first sentence of my letter
showed it was one of series of antcce-
dents of which had been addressed to tho
preachers of our church Had YOU seen
these, you would have found that they
were addressed to-" The Kaow-nothtag
Preachers" exclusively. Thisis decisive
of the fact that, however you may have
understood it, my design was not to act
upon the church in its aggregate charac-
ter at all. Your positions are as pre-
posterousas your language is unbccoming;
'worse than anything in Know-nothing-
ism formally to address church in its
aggregate capacity upon POLITICAL
question:" Gtalics and capitals yours
Gould you succeed in this design" (of
arraying the church against the Ameri-
can party 'the very fountain Of political
power would be Immediately poisoned
by unoin of Church and Statew Did
such paradoxes ever come from Doctor
of Divinity | supposed that man III
this country might address any person,
any number ofpersons, in any character,
upon any subject, without crime, if the
address be not Of nature forbidden by
the laws of the land. Dwight used to
discuss politics with his pupils; Everett,
Wayland, Cooper, and other presidents of
colleges, have written on politics without
blame; but the like privilege is not gran
ted to me. Very far from it. [ may
not speak or write on politics either to
the public or to my church--not to tho
public, by the edict ofthe Know-nothings
not to the chruch by the bull of Doctor
Winans. | should have thought you
had hard master, Doctor, had you be-
lleved that my letter was likely to array
our church, bodily, against the party
you love. But you tell me cuttingly,
that no power on earth could do that
What, then, is the sin for which you
anathematize me so cruelty? Why, L
wrote letter which might, percha,cc,
lead the public to suspect that Thought
IL aods possible for somebody to move tho
M. f.. Church South complementary,
against a political party. Papal suprem-
acy would be luxury compared with
your government, brother, if this be q
specimen OF it.
But suppose that every Methodist in
the United States could be induced TO
take united stand against the "Ameri-
can party" how could this produce
union of Church and State What legis-
lative, executive or judicial power would
attach to them in this position or what
attribute Of a State would they assume
The only possible result Of this state of
things must be that the members of tho
church would either not vote at all, or
vote against that party. How near this
would bring Church and State together,
| leave you to determine.
In all that have written you will not
find a word or syllable which intimates
a design on my part to interfere with my
brethren's right Of suffrage, Or their right,
in proper manner, to discuss political
questions, Or to oppose Catholics II is
their clanship with all characters, their
letting themselves down to Know-no-
thing drills, their needless swearing,
their man-serying, party-schcming Office
hunting, stump-speaking, anger-stirring,
Understanding and church-inaaming,
that ] object to.
Now, / put it to you as man and n
Christian to say whether these things are
right or notin your brethren? You will
not, you dare not, say 50. Then, why
do you countenance them? You have
taken very good care Gas you are partic-
uIar in letting the public know to keep
yourself aloof from the signs, grips, and
passwords, and squalls, and oaths, and
Aag-fribble Of the Order; and yet you
hold me up as a culprit for counselling
our brethren to follow your example,
How far you are competent to defend tho
Order, when confessedly you do not be-
long to it, leave the public to determine.
As TO your fears Of the Catholics from
their increase, &c. &C., Mr. Wesley
gives you recipe for them, for the sue
cess Of which he pledges his life. Ho
guarantees that, if strictly followed,
it will insure the conversion Of every
Catholic. Here it is; let all die Pro-
testam Ctergy lire like de APOSTLES, and
preoch like he Aposttes, and the
thing is done." Most certain il is that
Know-nothingism, which fellowships
with them where they are strong, and
persecutes them where they are weak,
midnight conspiracies to rob them of
their constitutional rights, personal vio-
lence, mockcry, ridicule and contempt,
will never check their growth, or bring
their religion into discredit. I'll wish
cd 10 raise Romanism on the ruins Of
Professionalism, these are precisely tho
agencies that would adopt,
A. i. LONGSTREET.
Rnv MILAN WINANa.D Id