The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1857-01-14
RELIGION AND POLITICS.

RELIGION AND POLITICS.
We publish below reply to the remarks made by
Saturday evening in condemnation of the efforts Of few
members of of the Young Mems Christian Associations
in New York to introduce the question of slavery into
their organizations Our correspondent exhibits
mendable Christian tone and zeal in his communication
but we think he fails to show that have done in
justice to those whose conduct criticised and censured
he would not have fallen into the of supposing that
aimed at all the members of the assoca
ton instead Of at the guilty portion of them As we do
understand correspondent to differ with us with
this qualification as to the extent of censures we
cheerfully give place to his communication:
WASHINGTON, January IL, 1867.
To the Editors Of the Union:
In copying an article from the New York Tribune the
Young Mems Christian Associations into your paper Of
Saturday evening last you certainly do great injustice to
the objects and purposes of these organizations.
The basis of all the associat is founded upon the
evangelism of the Bible All the Protestant churches
represented The objects to promote Gods glory and
further the spiritual and temporal interests of mankind
The organization is secondary to, or cooperatve WITH
Chrsts Church EARTH Each association is entirely in
dependent of the other There outward organic law
binding them together but they bound to each other
by the sacred tie which binds all Christian hearts the world
over.
There ia general confederation of these Young Mems
Christian Associations year, comprising those from
the United States well as Canada Each association
meets convention equal just the ates of the
conederacy do in the Senate Of the United States or
the House of Representatives when voting for President
Each association has but vote Whatever the
ton may resolve upon Is only advisory No association
bound by its dictum The last convention held in
Montreal Canada, the 10th june 1856. Not word was
breathsd there about the sin OF slavery politics &c. al
though the presidential then pending. The
subject wisely ignored, and large majority of the
delegates were from the North.
The conventions at Buffalo and Cincinnati also wisely
kept the svexed question out of its deliberations
Now seeing that each association is independent, the
members of may far forget the things that pertain
Gods kingdom and BECOME fanatica agtatpg ques-
tons that relate to affairs Of State the super-sent
entasms of diseased fances upon divers other subjects
But because few err, all should not be condemned.
These proessedly Christian young men of New York
only mortal. Peter denied Christi but would you mpl-
cate all his disciples in guilt2 Arnold traitor but
only him. His noble comradesn-arms must not suffer be-
of their association And you must not condemn
all the northern associations Of Christian young be-
that of the city of New York finds nothing better
do than prescribe the New York Express for abusing Free
mont from its reading room, and consider anti-slavery
resolutions.
There great good being done in all our large cities by
these Young Mems Christian Associations and they
ploy various instrumentaes. In this city have LIST
The Mission School, where generally the poor and ragged
from the lanes and alleys gathered be instructed
read and study the Bible I'd The Bible class where more
than thirty young weekly to have expounded the
Scriptures 3D. The library of 1900 volumes mostly re-
public reading ROOM free to every who chooses visit
it Then have committees to visit the sick, the JAIL
the asylum, employment and various other benevolent
subjects And what the association in Washington Is ac-
complaining only the counterpart of what is being done
elsewhere on this continent and in Europe.
Our correspondent doubt has correctly stated the
objects and purposes of the organizations known Young
Mems Christian Associations he understands them and
which he and many others like him are endeavorng
carry out in good faith and in the largest Christian spirit
Our remarks to which he has taken exception cannot by
the most forced const ucon be made to apply in the d.
rection indicated by Henry As secular journalist it
does not become make public profession Of
gous belief beyond the general expression Of convictions
in regard to the fundamental principles of Christianity
If we have noticed in what conceived be BETTING
terms of censure the mpiety fanatcism and low dema
gegism of the political priesthood 1t not because we
held Christianity in light esteem that we desired
to inHct an injury upon this or that religious de-
nomination, but because we wished still further to
widen the distance between religion and politics-to
relieve the church from responsibility for the mad,
wicked acts of its false shepherdsand to convince, If
possible deuded people, that the obects and purposes
of Christian organizations not to make Presidents gov
srnor and members of Congress- to settle the domestic
Institutions Of States of which they not citizens but to
secure an interest in kingdom which is not of this
world.
We cannot have too many Young Mems Christian Asso-
stations such correspondent describes We sbould
ike to hear of the establishment OF such associations in
,very city town, and hamlet in broad Union 1t is
,ot Of these that speak in spirit Of censurs but of
hose associations Of very silly and very pharsaca young
gentlemen in New York. and other northern localities who
conceived the mschevous idea Of blending the sacred