The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1856-07-09
POLITICS ANT RELIGION.

Far keyrssesSsfsos.
1lnorNY pAvlS, OF Clayton csaasy.
POLITICS AND RELIGION.
In conversation with a preacher of the
gospel at Iowa City, for we don't think we
have any OF exactly the same mode Of
thinking in this city, he remarked that he
was taxing both dailies Of that place. bu,
he believed he would discontinue them un.
Ill the question Of the Presidency wac set.
tied, as they appeared TO be filed with poll
teal disquisiuons. On the same principle
q man might cease to peruse theological
works until the different divisions in the
Protestant church be reco9ciled. On the
contrary, il is the duty OF every religious
man 10 throw himself into the breach and
combat for that which he thinks is right
II the, oil sill down supinely to wait forthe
diyisions 10 be healed, the world in The
meantime would conquer the church. II
rood men refuse 10 take part in politics
thew leave the choice OF rulers and the I'D.
ministrsticn OF government 10 bad men
But the present political contest 10 n in
volyinp a purely moral question and the
preacher who refuses to take part in IL
neelec,s his duty. The pnl9it discerns this
fact and the religious press no longer keeps
silence. The Independent, the leading reli.
pious journal OF our country, ssys.-
at IL 4 purely moral question. Till the
end of this contest, the people Of our coun.
try have hidden an Involuntary adiea TO
secular politics. VIZ are flu e, as il were
10 I moment. into religious war. No ques.
ton Of policy or mere constitutional right il
really concerned. II is folly even TO dis.
pute upon the bald pretense of 4 claim I'M
der the constitution, which was never heard
Of by its founders nor during the first kity
yesrs CT its operation. tits q naked ques.
ton of right or wrong; nnmodifed BY the
.lichtest stress OF circumstance or pretense
Of legal constrsint. No possible srgumen,
Of eypediency or necessity can be raised Il
cast d shadow upon its clearnsss. Sin haa
boldly taken the aggressive and presses it
ultimate conclusions upon US without dis
Quise-nsy, already enforces its last sns
worst demands BY its last and worst instru
mentsi In the brisfest, strictest terms. a
derived from the ayowsls Of the men who
force il upon US, the question is: Shall the
Govern nent of the United States be com
pletely wrested from the hands Of Christi
snity, and be welded heneefor~ard by ar
abandoned and goddess people, as an in
strumen Of aggressive and enlarging ana
unlimited oppression, throughout ali GU
States aud Territoriesi These are compre
hensiye terms, and their utmost stretch bu
comprehends the fact which Christians ar.
now called upon TO realize.
ahe position Of the Church OF Christ IL
This contest, 1.-THE question and the DANCE
before u be such as We have represented
Them. il the vAS! There-hot with aiier
weapons, but her own, "mighiy through
God" While every Christian citizen, q.
soch, 10 required TO give not only his sat'
but his personal labcrs and resources o
every kind 10 this holy cause, the Church
as such, is called upon for q mighty yoic,
Of PRAYER to God and testimony before men
throughout the contest. She is not Gale,
10 ansphere herself into the secular srenl
of politics. Politics. on the contary, hsy
invaded her sphere, and the deadly sssaul
advances against her on her own grounc
and where she must meet il vaiisntly, o
traitorousiy desert her trust Of Gospel trutl
and human souls and public w~elibeing.-
We TO the hireiing shepherd-we care no
whether the hirei,ng Of private sxpediencl
or Of church expedfency-who shall shrinl
from a frank and open and jealous part il
the controversy, The pulp, must speak
and pour all il mighty influence into III,
cause. The Christian ministry and press
the leaders Of Gods people, the watchmel
on the walls OF Zion, ought to Lift up a
united and inspiring voice. II il was lsuc
able in the Revolution for ministers of ID
Gospel TO send forth the patriot band frol
every village Westinghouse with prsye
and benediciion-how much more, now, I
rally their people to the yet bloodless fgh
in d good cause, not their own; for a NOR
sacred liberty, the liberty to do right"
The Puritan Recorder, a journal that hs
always avoided political questions. utter
similar views, in an able and clearly write
argument, that should be read by ever
Christian in the Union. We can quote or
" 1 portion Of the article; but the sent
menis here presented viii commend then
selves 10 The hearts of all our readers
I'VE cannot now resist the conclusio
thst the South 10 Substantially an unit, /
It's determination 70 pot down the freedom
of speech, on the subject Of these aggres
sions Of the slave system. The conviction
has gone forth that the freedom of speecl
and slavery cannot subsist together in th
same natioE; and the general mind 9th,
South Gems fixed in the determination 4
pus down this freedom or TO die in the effort
When, for this purpose, Che assassin, Will
clubs and pistols, invadss the Senat
Chamber, the South, almost without excep
ton, through her organs Of public express
sion, sppiauds the act. II there are me
and presses at the South who would fai
dissent from this general appreciation, tina
dissent cannot now be known. They Or
under duress, and dare not utter il. Tn
whole influence and power of the Southerl
States 10 divided 10 its action against thi
freedom Of The North. And now the dsmsn
upon ~ 10 imperious, either 10 unite in tn,
defence of our own liberty Of speech, or 4
GtLBEGl QushSttEb w w
M,thesefore, we win either preserve thu
Union, for the sake of preserving = free na
ton On earth, or, If we will even presery'
. remnhnt of freedom in the Union, W.
mus, first see TO il that tie NORTH as pre-
served IN yosssssion of the freedom to spea.
snS 10 act. in order to do this it is nesdful
that, for the occasion, the North be undi-
yided ia counsel and action.
II would seem that now Providence il
compelling us TO forget our differences, and
10 forsaks the miserable politicians who for
their own personal ends would divide and
weaken US, and stand together in solid
phalanI 10 sustain Northern interests and
Northern freedom. TIE events which have
Of late taken place, and the whole crisis
now forming, look in this direction. We
are forced now, either to rise az IN man
and sssert our freedom, or else, by cling.
ing 10 parties and their leaders, TO submit
10 have bound upon ourselves and our chill
dren the fettels Of perpetual slavery. The
slavery Of four millions Of blacks 10 . sin
which grievously cries TO heaven; but the
slavery of twenty-five millions, both black
and white, 70 q few masters of plantations,
il an sbominstion still worse 10 the sight
Of heaven, and we trust not longer to be
endured.
What we now want 10 a merging Of eli
other questions of State policy in the Elm
gle aim to bring ia a speedy and FINAL set
element OF the question of our freedom or
slavery. Questions about tariffs, or internal
improve ments, are tribes compared with the
question whether these millions of white