Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1856-05-02

q q
8. This act shall be in force from its
passage. 3 II razi RI, TAI
Kansas and Sharpe,s Rifles.
The New York press has published a
sketch of a scene which recently trans.
pired during Kansas meeting held at
the North Church, New Haven, Connec>
ticut, in which Ward Beecher and Prof.
B. Silliman figured portentously as the
advocates of Shsrpe's rifle arguments and
civil war. The contributions of this audi
'ence were made openly and without dis
guise. Each man and woman who made
a donation of $25, the price of rifle,
made it expressly in the name of the arts
Gle. A man and his wife gave one each,
and Beecher observed cit was stroke
right and left" a man named "Kill-
man" subscribed one. and Beecher again
remarked, =" Killam-that's a significant
name in connection with Sharpe's rifle"
The junior class in Yale college pledged
itself for one, when Prof Siliiman rose,
and sweeping the galleries with his eye,
said : There are four classes in Y ale
College," The senior class then pledged
itself'for one. This is specimen of the
proceedings. interspersed reportorially
with daughter, "-''great laughter, p
immense sensation" &c. And all this
is done in connection with contributions
of Bibles, and under the affected inhu-
.ence and sanction of Christianity. -.
We noticed sometime since project in
one of the Southern States for cUntribu-
ting money from the State treasury for the
outfit of companies of one hundred, at the
rate of $25 per man, for Kansas. The
thing struck US as wrong in policy, and in
contravention of every sound principle
of State legislation. We observed AFTER
wards with pleasure that the thing was
abandoned. and companies we're expect
ed to go, if at all. on their own RESPONSE
bility; and the purpose was eventually
declared to go unarmed. All this was
done. however, utterly apart from the
abominabIe ypocrisy-inseparable from
the religious pretence which is made to
cover the Beecher and Sillimau transac.
ton. In that. we have a meeting in a
church edifce, the presence OF protested
ministers Of the gospel, deacons and pro-
Tossing members of the Christian religion,
all identified with most fragrant design
upon the peace Of a remote community,
and in antigonism with the constituted
authorities of government. 1t may be
gravely denied that any such purpose is
comprised within their action; but nobody
will doubt that such contingency is con-
temPlated and thus provided for. And
to such an extent as religious sanction
can be decently extended over the posi-
bilities and probabilities of violence. out
rage and lawlessness, these people are
parties to it. Such is the effect and nat.
ural consequence of fanatcsm.
And what is the legitimate reference
from such examples ? The spirit OF the
Gospel which these people profess is as
directly opposed to the open violence
they contemplate in these proceedings,
as it is to any other form of evil
They are INDUCING their excited passions
in public exhibition OF their devotion to
Sharpe's rifles; and in this they are obvi-
ously impairing the restraints of religion
upon the selfish instincts of personal de-
sire. The same theory is broadly appli-
cable to every form of indulgen even
to that of the sensual appetites. If pas
sion, desire, infatuation of one sort can
consecrate the indulgence of it, so may
any other development of human weak
ness consecrate its public or its private
qualification with the individual. In short,
such proceedings offer to an excited and
unthinking community, virtual abnega>
ton of all religious principle. and suggest
the fitness and propriety of civil strife, vi,
olence and bloodshed as the approved
christian means for the adjustment of diff
ferences in the policy of the people.
We do not propose any issue as to the
christian sanctity Of war. offensive or de-
fensive. In the case before US there is a
loose, vague but manifest illegality clears
ly anticipated. And contributions of
Sharpe's rifles. implements of death. are
openly made for an emergency which can
only be provoked by hostility to the re-
coguized authorities on the part of those
who are to be thus armed for such an
emergency. And the parties to such an
issue, whatever it may be, or however
guilty or deplorable in its consequences,
who play their role amidst much laugh
ter aud sensation" may find them>
selves in the end afflicted with the curse
of the unfortunate people upon whom
their injudicious sympathy and dangerous
practical aid is fanatically bestowed.
CANT BE CAUGHT w1ru THAT Arr