True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1857-01-28
Communications.
SALEM, Jan. 18th 1857.

up IN lne news uI NouI Nl'yj ny S0nuihS
me your paper every week, ! have re-'
Gently thought that it would be nothing
more than fair aud right that | should let
you know something about Our IoWn.
But shall do nothing more in this letter
than merely to introduce oar to,On and
her citizens to you, leaving you and them
to become acquainted in, the future, as
best you can. But you may be ready to
say, who does not know all about Salem,
is not her fame spread far and wide 81
Does not every one know that it is the
central Depot of all the new tangled no.
tions, which yankee brains have been
able 10 invent! Does not every inlelll-
gent man in the Country understand that
your town is the head quarters for all the
isms in Chrislendom, and many more be-
sides-and that it is the prominent station
on the underground railway which leads
from the South to Canada-and that it is
the grand cesspool of infdelity, disunon-
ism &c?
Now, Mr.. Editor if you have any such
notions as these about oar to1cn would
just say to you, read on, and ! will try
and enlighlen you little on this sub
ject.
Salem is situated on the Pittsburgh,
Fort Wayne and Chicago Railroad, sixty
six miles North West of Pittsburgh in
The North part Of Columbiana Co. Ohio,
1t is beautiful and thriving town, con-
tanning between three or four thousand
inhabitants, and is surrounded by de-
lightCul country and rich farming commu'
nifty. 1t contains more than twenty
stores, many of which do a very large
amount of business. We have FIVE foun-
dries. and three extensive machine shops
for making steam engines--one woolen
manufaclory and two banks. We have a
fourishng Union School under the Su'
perintendency of Mr.. Ruben Nc Millen.
Two newspapers are published here, VIZ
The Coumbiana County Republican,
edited by J.|K. Rukenbrod, young man
of fine spirit, talent, and enterPriSe-and
the ,Anl-Slavery Buge edited by Mr.
Robson.
And last, bnt by no means tie least in
importance we have three churches
One Me,hodist--one Baptist and one
Presbyterian and two Friends meeting
houses, Gt would insult them TO call theiI
meeting houses, churches. Salem, as
you are aware, was originally settled by
the Friends or Quakers. At one time
they constituted the only inhabitants, bu
others having moved in, and many o
their own number having either aposta
lized or joined other churches, they are
now far in the minority. They are nov
divided into four distinct parties, namely
the Wilberites, Gurneyi'es' HlxiIes, an'
Progressive Friends. The latter are
faction of the Hicksites, and as they ar
liule known in The world, except in Salem
you may desire to know something abou
them. They are peculiar sect; the.
3 claim 10 have no creed or belief, but a.
believe as they please, and act as the.
2 feel inclined. They acknowledge II
standard Of right, but tfelr own impulses
with the exception, perhaps, Of the splr
itualisls among them, who claim as
standard of authority, A. ]. Davis Han
monial Philosophy, which by the wa!
is a work of the most supreme transcen
dental nonsence that ever floatcd throug
). the crazy brain of the widest fanatic =
,. They are like all fanatics very bigo'et
e denouncing every body as wrong but theI
L selves and yet they must have som
: faith, for they believe that they will y'
d revolulionize the world, overturning til
: churches and government, until the
o usher in again the Good old days (
: Adam and Eve!'
You must not take the Progressi'
5. Friends as type of the inhabitants
e Salem, for they compose mighty sma
fraction of our population, and max
but little or no impression upon the col
- munily at large. Ilis true we have son
: of Davd's fools here, who say in the
A. hearts, and even utter it with their lip
At there is no God;' but we have al
'e many genuine Christians, while Chris
~ anity has strong hold on the public min
. 1 learn that the Congregations in the Pre-
J. byterian and Baptist churches are We
good, and as for my own ! never had
10 larger and more attentive congregation
lS preach to, any where. Our'church
large and usually crowded to its u;m'
N capacity. A number have recently unit
A. with US in church fellowship. The p'
to pie are becoming tired of infdelity, a
:" desire to seek something more subst'
N tial. The disgracefu conduct of tn
of champion, Joseph Barker, and that