The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-07-17
For Tie Herald Of Rsadom.
Religious TcierzHen.
LAwRENcE. July I2 1853

he4A81oGs 10fetdG04.
LAWRENCE, July u, 1853.
ED. HERALD OF FRREDcM ~ was
very much pleased with your remarks
in the last number of your journal, in
regard to religious liberation. / was
present on the occasion to which YOU
refer, and felt shocked at some Of the
remarks of the speaker; and yet, like
yourself. when the uncourteous attempl
to silence him was made, Ifelt as you did,
that he should be sustained at any cost
Indeed, / found that all my religious
prejudices had left me for time, and, Il
need have been, I could have died in
defence of free speech. | am one of those
who believe with Jefferson, that @rEUrH
has nothing to fear from error, while
REASON is left free to combat it.a
I heartily despise the bigot, religious, OF
otherwise, who will listen to only one
side of a question, and proscribes all
others who do so. SHEAR all sides. and
then decide" is an ancient maxim, moi
less valuable in this age of the world than
it was in the days of Caesar, and may
apply as well 10 religion as to politics.
] was much pleased with your manner
of disposing of the subject in your jour-
nal. While you expressed dissent from
the views of Mr.. DENTON, and repeatedly
have proclaimed yourself believer in the
christian religion, yet your love for truth
has prompted you to give him hearing
showing yourself willing to sifs the
thoughts furnished at that time-to EN-
brace the truth and reject the false.
Mr.. Denton is pleasant and interest.
ing speaker, however false his propositions
or the conclusions drawn from them.
regret that error has so able champion
but / cannot conceive it right to denounce
him as a villain, and load him and his
friends with infamy merely because oul
views are different on the great truths
pertaining to Immortality. Some of the
oldest statesmen of this and former ages
are known to have been skeptical in re-
gard to the Bible. THOMAS JEFFERSON
and BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, names which
are recorded high up on the scroll of fame
were confirmed infdels; and Gen. Wash.
ington had the bravery and manl;pess tc
write himself the friend of THOMAS PAINE
though it is generally understood that he
never syrnpathized with the religion:
teachings of the author of the "Age Of
Reason
I have read the leader in your cotem.
porary, headed "Sermons against Chris
tianity," in which an attempt is made tt
blacken your reputation because of youl
connection with that affair. 1t was un
derstood that you furnished the Ugh
which illuminated the evening, and
know that you politely took chairs from
your residence and Office, and gave seat:
to the ladies who were present; but be
yond this I am not aware that you gave
any countenance to the sermons" unless
the fact that you received Mr.. D. int
your house, and treated him with tina
kindness and hospitality which every
! true gentleman extends to another, or il
assuring him that he should not be 81
fenced by the rawlings of bigotry.
have not been patron of your jour
nal in the past, but herewith I inclose yot
four dollars which will pay for a subscrip
ton for myself for one year, and also ;
copy to my friend in New York, whose
name please find enclosed. If the demor
of persecution is to raise his hellish from
in Kansas, because our people are disposed
to favor those principles of religious lib
erty which has crushed out the Spanisi
Inquisition, and established the empire o
reason upon its ruins. then it is eviden
that Luther, Calvin, and Melanc
thon lived and struggled in vain ant
then it were idle to have combatted tn
genius of African slavery in Kansas. 70
all are conscious that mental thralldom
infinitely more CALLING than physical en-
slavement Very truly yours,
VERITAS.