Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1857-01-09

one more mark to the progress of civili-
cation. And the object and tendency of
the Gospel being, to first enlighten or
convict. Second to apply correctives
and remedies, third to refine or purify
The Clergy. have always led the van in
the march Of improvement. They have
led, and acted a conspicuous part. in
the establishment of the institutions of
learning in the country, which are the
instruments of its powers, its greatness.
and GLORY, from the University. down to
the common dis;ris: school.
These fruits o: the clsrsyraans laAo,
assinilase the masses OF the people, IN
their views,'snt, feelings, on al the sre&;
questions. and subjects Of general good.
and moral RICH, and wrong. This. nee
.ssarily constitutes, 4 s7ea; party II pei
itics. arrayet. agaias: :he poli:ica, wrongs
and NAL administration of the govern
ment. And reason and common sense
will not dictate. that the Clergyman.
when the fruit Of his labor has thus ma
tured, must turn about and destroy it.
or that he should check its progress bv
a cessation of his labers. And vet. the
labors OF the Clergyman IN tho orljna-
ry pursuit Of his duties, which have con
stituted him partizan with a great par.
ty, have drawn the odium, and slandcr
of political demagcgues upon him.
The Clergyman's labor, too, is idonticallv
whatit was ten, Or five years ago. And the
eighteen hundred fifty four. in a mon,
STRANGE to the Congress of the United
States, against the repeal of the Missou-
ri Compromise, is but rciteration of
sentiments, and principles, which Cler-
gyman have set forth always, as a part
of that great platform of righteousness,
found in the scriptures. And speaks
the sentiments, and svmpathies of near
ly twenty-five thousand Clcrgymen, in
the free States of the Union.
And while Clergymen in their labors
have not changed, or gone out of the
way to take up politics, political issues
have changed. Who then has become
the aggrcssor the Ministers or poll
tics political De:nasosues have seized
same of sravest moral questions, or sub
jects that the Clergyman ever urged up
on the human conscience, and made po-
litical issues of them. Tie er'easion Of
luman aarerg-aad temperance, or The
Maine lar, to deny this, is to deny acts
already done, and platforms already
laid down, and finally to give up the
contest.
If then the Clergyman has not chang
ed, but politics have, is not the charge
false SANDER And may not the Ia
bles be turned, and political Demagogues
who SANDER the Clergy, and would
drive them from their field of labor, and
dictate to them the manner and matter
of preaching, and assume to point out
their duty, be appropriately styled,
Divine Demagogues or tlericol politi-
Clans They have carried politics into
the Clergyman's field of labor, and
made it the battle ground of contestants
for power. And because Clergymen do
not retire from their field of labor, and
leave its fair and rightfnl domain to po-
litical intruders, or yield to the behests
Of partizan leaders, they are stigmatized
with the epithets political Ministers. po-
'uical priestcrafl, preachers Of Treason
But, why are the Clergy, except one or
two infatuated Judases foundfavoring one
and the same party but in former year,
did not directly involve moral questions.
but those of the present time do. The
contest is now between right and wrong
and If contests exists between right
and wrong, which side or party should
the Clergyman tavor: He should most
certainly favor the side of right The
nature of the case fixes his position
But it is said the minister shonld con-
fine himself to scripture rules of duty.
This he has done-and that is what ere
ates the trouble Evil minded men can
not bear truth and righteousness, and
therefore raise an opposition to him
They array falshood and wrong in gar
tAents of truth and righteousness, and
therefore bring. themselves under that
just anathema of scripture. "Wo to
him that putteth right for wrong, and
wrong for right F." For while the Cler-
gyman pursues scripture rules of duty.
the liquor capitalist finds his craft in
danger, and the wicked magistrates, and