Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1856-08-13
Correspondence of the Boston Traveler.I
FREEDOM OF THE PULPIT IN
WASHINGTON.


mon last Sunday, in this city, preached
by the Rev. III. D. Conway, pastor of
the First Unitarian Society. Mr.. Con-
way is member of one of the " first
families in Virginia, and speaks of sia
very by the book. He is a free and origi-
nal thinker, and independent orator. He
is young yet, and promises much. His
sermon last Sunday was, all things con-
sidered, one ofthe boldest and ablest Efforts
to wnich l ever listened. His society is
partly composed of persons who are yet
connected, in a variety of ways, with
the peculiar institution" Some who
listened to his discourse last Sunday are
large slave holders, and hold Offices un-
der the present administration. Without
further comment, 1 proceed to give you
few extracts CT the sermon, especially
of that portion relating to recent and
passing events, and which has produced
arupture in his society, and will perhaps
cause separation Of pastor and flock. &;
a meeting of the society to consider that
subject will be held next Sunday, and it
is the opinion of members Of the society
with whom l have conversed, that Mr..
Conway will be dismissed. So much
for the freedom Of the pulpit in Wash
igtOn - ...
HIS text was from Zachariah, iv. 6
and =
~Not by might, nor by power, but by spirit,
saith the Lord of Hosts Who art thou, o, great
mountain before Zsrubable thou shalt become
a plain"
The times, said the speaker, approach
us at present with the stature and So
lemnity of eternities. Minds which are
alive may learn by daily touch of the
telegraph more than lifetime one gene
ration back could teach. In the terrible
cfrrent of events the hair whitens in
night.
When I left you, friends. it vas with
the beautiful music of peace waited by
Eastern winds to our ears. return TO
you when the first sad notes of civil war
come on Western winds, and a great
heap of black cloud lies along the gloomy
horizon, sending on! in ftful flashes its
fiery sword.
The speaker then proceeded to depict
the horrors of war. He dwelt with grea!
power upon the recent European war,
showing the damage ithad done to trade,
its direct cost to the nations concerned in
it, and the immense loss of life accru-
ing therefrom, and the great lesson it
taught. He then continued as fol
lows
But as yet the lesson is not learned
With the grief, the teals of the war Just
closed upon us /; with the blood of seven
hundred men crying to US, pause with
the wailings of bereaved women and
children filling the air, this nation is go.
ing steadily toward war, which, should
it come, viii be the darkest, deadliest,
and most awful which ever cursed this
planet. All other war yields to civil war
in terror. If one comes, and it seems I.
inevitable where two sections have lost I
the last vestige of respect for each other, 1
ten generations will scarcely see it con-
cluded. Read the histories of civil wars,
No young man ever glowcd with enlhu-
siasm over them, as over great national I
encounters. They turn the heart sick.
Whilst these fresh red drops are fall
ing, let every man who will stand by
the Prince of Peace, unfurl that holy
banner, and stand by it forever Were
Christ on earth, there would be be found
standing.
Ofcourse it would be waste Of breath
10 appeal TO slavery for peace. As well
appeal to the fang Of the serpent not to
strike, as 10 that poisoned fang of hell,
Human Slavery. not to send, by any
means it can command, its deadly virus
into the fresh young blood of Freedom,
Why should we expect this monster TO .
change its instincts Can a Leopard
change its spots Is there anything in
in buying and selling men
and women, made in the image of God,
On the block. and violation of the most S
sacred compacts? Is it anything won-
lerful, when tearing babes from their
mothers, husbands from their wives S
scenes which passed my unconscious d
childhood as an amazing panorama of Y
he Pit, to raise within me at last, thank I
God, hatred of slavery which shall v
lever cease save with the last heart n
hrob; never, till this tongue is dust t
!gain. Is it, ask, anything wonderful, n
when all This, in the South, becomes, in 4
Kansas, murder, robbery and arson Is n
here anything unnatural when oppress- v
on and brutality toward The weak and L
helpless. in Carolina, become dastardly il
md cowardly assassination of the un- S
and defenceless, in Washing. O
on ? Nothing unnatural, say the South,
n endorsing those men who have worm &
d their way into power by the very 4