Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-04-04
FRIDAY MORNING, APRIL 4, 1855


~ 10 government, morals religion. No respect
for authority human or divine. Each is taught, and
each man undertakes to form Independent opinions
OH all subjects; hence no two agree, except in the
work of destruction, i'll which all concur They
would not leave stone above another in the pre-
sent edice of society; they are all determined on
thatand actively enough engaged in the work of de-
strucon. This every man knows, who reads the cur.
rent news of the day. Doyou call this religion! In
TRUTH sir freedom Of speech liberty of the press, aud
liberty of conscience are becoming inoerabe nuis.
ances in free society. They are used solely rs
gines to upset law, order government and religion,
and to naugurate anarchy, intdeIy and licentlous-
ness. All men prefer despOtism to anarchy
The example Of France will be followed else
where, 80 rs these evils grow to equal magni-
tude in other States. A sound and healthy public
opinion at the South, respect Tor authnrty, rever'
ence of the Past bcget respect or religion and ITS
ministers, and for government and lis officers. Win
Us freedom of religion, of speech and OF the press
are blessings, because do not abuse them At the
North they are fast becoming nulsances that may
ere long, invite aJatrment.
What complete refuaton Of your theory Is fur.
nshed in the history Of religion in New England and
in Virginia.
New England was settled by the pious Puritans; ;
by men who fed from religious persecution, to found
IN America, strictly religious colony. !hey mace
the Bible their common law, and the ministers OF re-
Igion their Judges executive and Legislators. They
were If sometimes fanatica yet at al! times the most
moral and religious community on earth. Yet by
their law, not only Africans and Indians but all pr'
soners Of war might be enslaved. The most plous
of their clergy engaged in the African slave trade
This state of things continued till the revolutlon.-
Then abolition commenced, and by It's side lnndcity
stepped in Now abolition conventions, intdel con-
ventlons, and womans rights conventions, are almost
daily occurrences. The Lecture room and the Press
we with each other in eurnes endeaV0r 10 upset tie
whole elice OF society By destroying its three main
pillars slavery. marriage and religion. That this II
the normal state, and usual and inevitable result Of
treo society, u single passage from Mr. Carlyle de-
scribing such society in Europe, will nbunduntly
prove. His picture may be a caicature OF Western
Europe il certainly is exact likeness Of the Black
Republicans OF the North;
"To rectity the relation that exists between two
men, Is there no method then but that OF ending ~
The old relation has become unsuitable, obsolete,
perhaps ust; it imperatiycy requires TO be amend
ed: and the remedy Is, abolish IL. Let there hence
forth be relation at all. From the sacrainent Vi
marriage downward, human beings used TO be inhnl-
fUldy related, and there relation among
human beings, Just ar un Just, that had not lts
grievances and its difficulties, lis necessities ON
both sides 10 bear and torbear. But hence
forth, be it known, we have changed all tat,
by favor of lleaven the voluntary principle has
come up which will itself do the business for u.s. and
now let sacrament, that vi Dlrorcc, which we
call cmnRcpHt0R and spout OF on our platforms, he
universally the order Of the day Have men con-
sdCrcd whittier ali this is tending, and what It GER
ninly enough betokcns! Cut every human relation
which has anywhere grown uneasy shear asunder re-
ducc whatever was compulsory To voluntary; whatso
ever was permanent among Us to the condition ot no
madic; in other words, loosen by assida0as ~'dses, "a
rrcrg 1in the whole IJr'cDj S0cn t0mCjr0m
St0ne nh at last, all ,IHg ROr loose en0ngh Il can, a.
already see in most countries, be- upset by Snddr'
OHiJurSt n rCr0ini'OHary rG"S: aud, lying &c mere
mountains of enarchic rubbish, solicit you 10 slIi;
fraternity &c over IT, aud to rejoice in the new re
narkable era OF human progress we have arrived
at.
Sir, there is not merely rant Ot fdHh an ererythtn:
throughout free society, but an active savage and lana
tical inlideity, that is busy with assldu0us wedges
in uuseung in every Joint, 'he whole fabric o soca
existence" We verify believe there is large ma
joritv of virtuous conservative and religious men
the North, but iniid-y il active, religion aud con
servatisn passive, dormant and torpid. Revcren'
Sir crisc to give aid and cOunlenance to the indelS
and buckle your GrInur and rouse all Christaiir
patriots md conservatives to acton.
| In New England, the most conservative, moral ant
religious people in Chrstendoln, have, Immediately o
the abolition OF slavery, become tahteH WIN 'h t
deity, rudCalism, and immortality. la Virginia u,
exact reverse Of all this has occurred IL was Sc
tied by Cavaliers, who, dsyusted with the cant'ii
> hypocrisy and cruelty Of Cromwell, aud OF many
his party became, If not inhdes neSlectcrs ana sco
ters al Christianity. Since You can recoect iiifde
was quite the fashion and the rage Your antquarla
= love has enabled sou to rescue from oblivion 10
brilliant exceptions, "rar NANTES in gurglte baso-
But since the revolution religion has increased tast
: By i,ysiue sihvery las been spreading and mupl.
ing Our society has been i'll normal, peaceful, III
tural, orderly condition, like the God ordained socie
of India, tsCc 25th chapter Levtcus, and the Blbl
passim ct ubluc, )-and lie good order, subordinate
and adaptation, have been 10 mems minds standir
and convincing proof Of the existence of Deity, Il
author of all order, as well in the physical as in Il
moral universe.
You hold the affirmative and will have more to q
thnp merely to refute argument. The South ls
demanding equal participation in the common III
appropriated domain oi the Union. She cannot ho
estly aut fairly urge her cnitn moment longer, if
be true, you Think that hers IL al inferior
wrongful form of society If law, religion agr
culture, arc t" be injured by the spread Of SLAYER
you are mistaken, your thoughts aud your studio
have run in another direction. You understand IL
the subject on which you tpgmatize. Slavery is Il
main stay Of politics, of law and government OF aSr
culture, and Of religion We shall resume the sul
jcct.