The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1857-06-18
A Jndge SHOT by a Minister ,

| tencS-the proAouhciny oi sngle Word--Wlll
call np The rccollcctions of guilt, and the coun-
tenaucc---ihat unfaing mirror Of our thoughts
reveals the guilty man. But utter the word "mur-
der" in the hearing of him who has taken the life
Of bis felor, and in the confused excitement Of his
own Thoughts guilt will be imprinted upon the
coumcnance in unmistakeable characters We
had an Illustration of this principle on last Sab
bath, which is SO iorcbe that we cannot permit it
| to pass unnoticed.
I As the church-bell announced the hour for the
people to gather, our streets wcro thronged with
old aud young, grave and gay--on their way
to different places Of worship Among those
who were passing towards Mr. Adamss church,
might have been seen a tall and rather good LOOK
ing stranger-and that stronger was no less per.
sonago than Judge Whiteley His carriage and
general mien indicated that he was man of some
consequence--in his own estimation at least.
Seated in church among his strange companions
he evidently was contemplating some subject which
produced much self satisfaction. Probably he was
thinking what great fellows he and the Democrat
&c party were The minister had chosen for his
subject the depravity of man, and to illustrate it,
referred to existing familiar and indisputablc facts
When he spoke Of ofntemperance, the Judge twitch-
ed lissc; when.hc spoke of gambling, his honor
drew contcmptuous scowl upon his countenance ;
when he spoke Of Mormonlsm, the Judge moved
about as though he were sitting upon pivot
and when he referred to slavery, tho distinguished
gentleman could contain his wrath no longer, and
forgetting nil the propretes of gentce life, he took
his hat ald Indignantly left the church, remarking
as a reason for such conduct that he hal resolved
not to attend a political meeting while he held the
Office of Common Pleas Judge
Now, we undertake to say that there was moth
ing in the discourse alluded to which could reas-
onably be construed into the most remote rela
tonshp to politics. unless some party is willing to
step forward and claim for its platform, whSkey,
gambling poligamy anl slavery That all may
see exactly how the case stands we will give the
following brief synopsis of the sermon for the
roctness Of which We can vouch. Here is the text:
aye are the Salt OF the Earth Mat 5 49,
The preacher proposed to himself to illustrate
Tue implied fact OF the text viz: that the progress
of the world il left to itself was progress to-
ward evil. This he did by pointing out lst,
the failures OF philosophy; 2ld, the degradation
Of language as shown from the history of the Ian
guage Of sayages and the condition Of eastern
languages at the present day; 81, by the testimo-
ny of law and under this heal he considered
lst. Laws to prevent crime,
81. Laws to establish crime such as the license
system, which allows crime to be perpetrated, by
authorizing the sale Of poisons-in licensing lot
teries-gamblin5 Observation-Disclosures laws such
as Pharaoh enacted in respect to Hebrew children
and here alluded as illustrative of the point, to
those laws which exist in our own land laws which
declare men chattels-which restrain blacks in their
efforts to worship God--wnich deny them rights
in property, &c.
Here Judge w. boiled ovcr-forgot the COM
mon courtesics of life-ielt himself anl his party
outraged--and with counienancc
"Fierce as ten furies-terrble as hell"
Indignantly left the assembled worshippers.
The minister illustrated his subject still further
by referring to the difficulties which operate 10
prevent the enforcement of laws enacted to pro-
tect the rights Of society such as the Maine Law
Ohio Liquor Llw--laws in respect to the slave
trade on the high seas Lastly, he proceeded to
illustrate his subject by showing the general ten
dency of human nature--hy reference to errors in
doctrine, errors in pra:tice which have origina ed
in the church ITSELF as the fall of David and the
corruption of the Romish church, and further
as proving how easy for even good men to
be led away INTO error, when looking too much
to the world he instan3ed the recent development
of the nc,O doctrine on the subject Of slavery
which was promllgal at Cleyelaal by some oftho
southern members OF the Presbyterian church.
He closed with an earnest an eloquent appeal to
his audience to examine their hearts which were
deceitul and with a realIirmltion of the doctrine
that man must be bora again, if he would save
himself or be preserving power in society.
Nov, reader you have the substancc--thc Often
sive portions OF the sermon which 50 incenssl
Judge Whitelcy and consequently excited this com.
munity. We should like, nov, to SEQ the man
the proiAs.eei casrisLiaR--wAo viii defend single
point denounced by that sermon.
Is it not strange, reader, that these Democrats
these liberty loving AMI slavery hating democrats
who are "just as good free soers as their neigh
bors" sholl aIwlysgot angry wa1n they hear the
word slavery" proaollcei? Way is it ? VIII
somebody tell us piy this is 50?
If tbs Perrysblrg churches cannot stanl such
preaching, it is time the Missionary Society was in
formed OF their c)n lition Il th3 mln11r5 of NJ.
Adams ch lrch cannot sanction sucl s1ntimalls rs
are to befolll in this sermon they should EN-.
| ploy som2 person WHO,
"For sense, but lstle owes to frurl Haven
10 please the moJ, win hide the Little giyen.'
Mr., Adams merely used these instances of wron'
to Illustrate his subject lie was not discussing the
conslitulionality of slayery,--nor the uncon5tiIu
tionali;y 1f the Ohio liquor law-nor the power o
Congress over the domestic institutions of the ter
ritores, He did not say that the democrats
doctrine Of squa,ter sovereignty sanctioned MOI
monisn, or any other ism which the people of