Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-05-09
PUTNAM's MONTHLY.
PUTNAM AND Tnk NEW YORK Observes AND TN
wATcnNAN AND REFLECTOR.

w%ArcnNAN AND REFLECTOR.
The May number Of Putnam's Monthly gives
evidence that at has opinions" and fur
hermore that it has the spunk to stand by thom,
when the pro slavery religious press OF the
country sneakingly cries out "infdel." This is
courage for anything that %pretends to htera-
among us. We hope Putnam has counted
the cost. 1t begins bravely, let it battle on and
1t will win a character for moral 6rmness worth
more than all its literary laurcis, however well
earned.
Putnam had provoked the"Nsw York Observer
and the christian Waterman and Reflector" (the
latter Of like stamp with the former, published in
New England by its independent utterances, and
these papers in the true spirit Of their own little.
ness and meanness are seeking revenge by their
stereotyped method Of making the magazine odious
by Misrepresentation and by giving it a bad name
Some parts Of Putnau's reply to these attacks
contain truths Of general interest, and are, withal,
presented in so lively a manner that we copy them
for the benefit of our readers.
In the Introductory par, Of the article, Putnam
remarks:-
Let us say, frankly, as we are about to comment
upon the misstatement of q religious"
that we always listen to what the religious press
says Of us, with curiosity and interest for we
know, Of course, that, rs a class, the religious"
papers are. at once, more hampered by the peculi.
arities of position, and, probably, more influential
than any other. OF the quality of that influence,
we do not speak. But no thoughtful observer OF
the times and the country fails to see that, in their
various ways, the religious" exploit"
the religious sentiment of the community; and
that, not infrequently, when manly and fair argu-
ment is wanting, they have recourse to the most
dangerous andsodious of all weapons in discuss
ion-appeals to sectarianism and superstition.
Are we quite wrong. in saying, that just what
Archbishop Hughes did Mt the Tabernacle, when
he denounced the lecture Of a western priest, in
viting poor men to ~emigrate to the west, and show
ing them how it would be advantageous fer them
to do so, the religious" newspapers do. in their
current criticisms upon things they dislikef
In This country, where progress and development
depend. under Providence, upon the moral and
intellectual independence of tho individual, such a
tendency is worthy of all suspicion. If the
clergy, who are generally an educated and morally
superior class. chose to bring their wisdom, anG
wit, and special learning, to bear upon the topics
of the times in weekly newspapers, or to preach
weekly sermons through the same medium. we say
Godspeed with all our hearts. But if the ere
ligious" press assume to be arbiters Of morals, OF
to speak &C cdfhedrd upon points of profound re
Ggious conviction, or to utter anatHema maranatha
with all the anonymous dignity Of q religious
department." upon opinions which they do NO
like, or do not understand. or which they wilfully
misrepresent; then the odium is the greater in thu
r degree OF the peculiar respect with which thu
very name of religion is invested, and every pal
%riotic, moral, and religious man. who sees that tn,
sting Of papacy lay in i.s annihilation of privat
judgement, and that a man may have all the spiri
{ Of a Borgian pope. although he calls himself
Protestant. and does not wear q tiara nor Gin
o. + ot,n rp.,y HE -oaa ill hnll th,t man IN IN
@ ~strictest account of the assumption Of any kind Q
authority bordering upon the papal. The Cturc
Of God is the guardian Of human liberty whic
proceeds from him. Any man. claiming to be
priest Of that Church. who in any way connive
Il at meanness or the indulgence of personal spite
serving his little spleen under cover of serving hi
il great Master, is a double traitor to Coo, to mar
and to the Church.
Our present question, however. is not Of args
ment but of fact.
u a late number Of the Nes York Observer,
weekly religious" newspaper of this city,declare
II with that reluctant sorrow, in which it AWAY
finds fault, when its position in the van Of 'irtu
com pels it to cry out against offenders, that Iu
nam is infdel. This is not a new rgument
is. in fact, the old cry of mad dog. which has com
II down to us from the earliest periods and til
Observer might have added force to il, by cryinI
also "polyg>mist, "''socia!ist." or 'Lol!ard." "LU
lard" would indeed, have been newer. more OF
scura, and, Their efore more dreadful to many reat
ers. Mac an" said Dr.. johnson to the fshe
woman. who had been spirting Bi'linsgate uro
his companion, you are a noun an adverb!! a
j. intersection i" And tho appalled, fsh-wi
ut shrank and grew silent before those porteutol
and unknowp explosives.
,e But this calling of names. known among poll
= zeal newspapers as Safeguarding. is not distres
a ing. The word "inGdel," as an argument,
er term of reproach, means nothing. With the san
y n % ,oo;tr thu {Eeorrsr vonIl coll nr Ghal
'g ming n deist, and Fenelon a pagan. But our goo
to religious" mentor ~prefaces its chastisement
us, which it inficts with the rod Of another, by
disregard of the herewith" which would sho,
Y even the Reverend Chadband and this part
y the matter is. unluckily, the only part of sny in
~portancc which is original with the Observer.
N. After correcting tho misstatements of the
IT, sanity traducers Putnam takes his leave by giviI
be them some much-needed advice. 1t would
highly gratifying to know that they have the gra
to accept it but tina. is \ hardly to be expected.
co n Religious" newspaper
70 like the Observer, which perceive no conflict |
nc tween the divine golden rule of loving your neig
pc Dor as yourself and human slavery, will natural
find fault with the theology OF a metaphor, AZ
IT. with equal naturalness. omit to sympathize wi
as the exposure Of a sinful indulgence.
~, In the name Of heaven and Christianity why
m nv VIM tICSiouo phiE VI oNi'ie 'ho "
r Ryasctor] instead of excusirg slavery and beari
W.. false witness against their neiShbors, by missta
nd ment Of facts aud misquotation of passages,
~. tend a little to the beams in their own eye
Their dishonesty de6les their own class, and
in. the religious newsp ipers suffer by this shamele
ness Of two.
ire There are plenty of religious men in this count
tu- who feel, with some sadness. that the clergy, Al
,od class, are not So conspicuous in the van Of
as, moral and humane movements as their position
ad ministers Of God. and not apologists for man. i
nst plies and demands. There are plenty Of religic
or. men. clsrgymen and other6, who see with sha
IN; and alarm. that the technically religious" ne'
,ht papers follow with timid eagerness the lead
au- time-serving and weak political journals. in
,ot nouncing all clegrymen who expose, as Christ
to posed. special sins. and particular classes
ms, sinners. In q country whose only political he
rec of the future is in the general moral heroism
the the people, and where public moral sense
ing always been 80 powerful a political lever. ev'
ow patriot and Christian is concerned to take care
the far as lies in him. who moves that lever, and
hat see who corrupts that sense Every Christ