The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-05-16
For the Daily Pennsylvania.
The Sharpe Rife a Better Moral ,gs,,
than The Bible.

church ci Henry Ward Beechrr, for th,. ,,.
pos" OF promoting emigration TO kansas, ,b..
disling guished disine sand
''Hr believed that the Sharp rifle was t,rl.
ntorGl agency, and that there was moro NJ
power IN one OF those Instruments. 50 far 40 a.
slave holders Of Kansas were concerned tb,,' :.
hundred Bibles!'' III
Here we have fair SAMPLE of rabd I,,e.
deSpisiug Ab0litioniSm in man OF whom ~.
rational things should be expected. This NAV,
would traniPlr upon all law, human and d;y;na
for the purpose Of sustaining AboIilionisrn At th'
point OF the bayonet He would have hand &c
fanatics ann themselves with deadly rife. f.,
the purpose of shooting down those who mgbt
differ with them, and then would have The on-
dacity To call il the work of moral suason
He would SET at nought the laws of the land
and establish his principles by violence and
boodshed.
Such talk as this, coming from distinguish.
ed divine Of the l9th century, when sr;.nc.,
and religion are Shedding their rpfulgent rare
on every hand, ard tending to ameliora,e the
condition Of depraveG humanity, is Il dis,race of
the age 10 which We live, and only worth.
of the daIk period when men were siaushtar.d
by thousands by the nnrelentiug hand of rer.
Gus bigotry. Mr. Bpecher would have tb.
rifle for the latter half Of the nineteenth centu
ry.
In this outburst of frenzipd tdnatacism-for;, !,
is no other---wr have fair sample Of religious
bgotry and Intolerance, and what might be OK
prcted from portion OF the clergy il they had
the power. The Bible would he thrown aside
and The Sharpe rife substituted in its place. as
more potent instrument TO enforce morality. If
men refused 10 think or act as they dictated.
The Sharpe rifle would b. brought in rpQuisition
as final knock-down argument.
Mr. Beecher would not have the troubles in
Kansas settled BY law. If the AboIitionisls could
not carry the day by fair means, he would have
them do it bv fool. lfthe Congress Of the L.
nited States passed laws contrary 10 his way Of
thinking, he would have them resisted and
trampled upon by force of arms. He would
not follow the restrictions of Christ 10 abide by
the laws that be- but he would resort 10 the ri
fit as more potent norol agent than God or
the Bible
The great divine should arm himself with one
of Sharps rifles, burn his Biblr and place
himself at the head ofan army of AboIltionss,
likewise armed, aud march 10 Kansas there to
assert the sovereigt ty ofueg-o emancipation, BY
thai powerful morat agent the rifle, one OF
which is superior TO hundred old rnustv Bibles,
according to his creed. What fine figure b.
would cut. What fine example he would SIT
10 the world for religious piety and morai IN
te-ritv. II would be so patriotic, SO aw-a5id-
ing, and withal, so pious
II ever the Union is dissolved, its dissolution
will bp accomplished by the preachings OF just
sach men. Men who incuIcatc opposition to the
laws Of the land, and bid drfance 10 their en-
forcrmenl men who pretend to teach the prin-
ciples Of religion and virtue, hut SOW the seed of
diScord and lnsabodinalion in The land, bY their
treason to the government and dIsresprct 10 the
Bi5e. II ever this glorious Union is dismrm-
herrd and broken into fragments, its ruin will
BE- accomplished by the TEACHINGS OF such men
as Henry Ward BrtcheF, who boldly proclaim
from their pulpits that one Sharpe rifle is br-
ter moraf agent 20 b. used in opposition to the
enforcement of law, than hundred Bibles!
Is the inculcation of such trpaSonable doc
irnp to be tolerated in the land with impGnjty
is the government Of the United States to b4 in
suited, and her laws treated with contempt BY
religious infdpls, who, if thev had an opport,l-
nifty, would fire the National Capitol, and gaze
upon the conhagration with as much rXuaut
Joy as did the Roman Emperor, when the lmpp-
rial city was wrapped in flames at his own CON-
mand!
II is to be lamrnted that we have such spirits
in our midst and 1t is made doutly worse by
the fact, that they Of character and IN
telfgrncr; nay, men who essay to teach from
the sacred desk.
Isl, not anti Republican to teach diso5edi'nc'
10 the law !-and withal, is it consistent with
The great principles Of Christianity to end'aror
to enforce the idea that the murdrrous rifle Is
paramount in lis moroi influence TO the inspired
volume! Is this the way 10 moroii-e the
world d2 Is this the way good, patriotic, law
abiding citizen Of the United States ~oala
talk