The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-09-05
The Confessions OF Humbuggcd Phtlnn-
shrppist-CuriOus Circular Letter from

The Confessions OF Humnus Scu H ~
manifestations Circular Letter rom
PErERBoRo, August 81, 1859
Joas Thomas Esq syracuse Chairman OF Jerry Rescae
My DEAR sn--l have this day received your letter in
vitne me To preside al the approaching anniversary of
the OF Jerry and to prepare tho papers for IL
Thankful for this honor US truly am, nevertheless am
constrained to decline it. have presided at all the ann
dress adopted at each of them Bat my interest in pem
has declined greatly for the last two or three year, anu
am now decidedly Of the opinion that IS npSe % CO.."
tiaue to repeat the farce any longer
The rescue of Jerry was great and glorious eNeh.
Would God il had been duly improved Ba, mos WA
achieved it, and include in this number al VINO chserea
il on and reoiced In every step Of us ProeIss' ne'
with few exceptions, proved themselves ah"1r VI e
work Of their hands We delivered jerry III .te
face of the authority Congress and courts anu as most
of believed in contempt also OF provision OF tne con-
stitution itself We delivered him, believing that there
was no law and could be law for slavery On that &C
Casion our humanity up; and IN VAN would all the
authorities ON earth even the Bible itself included have
bid II down our humanity owned Jerry for its brother;
and so did il cling him. that all the wealth OF the world
would not suiced to buy Off or tempt to ignore
Oh had the thousands who on that memorable night
crowded the streets Of Syracuse, but maintained the
sublime elevation to which the spirit of that night exalted
them what force for the overthrow Of slavery would
they not have accumulated by this timel But they
their political and church parties. Jerry forgotten
Their humanity was dcadfor these parties the
of humanity. In proportion man becomes partisan
is HIS manhood osfor in that proportion is he untrue
20 himself to his brother and to God. That day alas
how Distant when every shall be held, and be will
ing 10 be held his individuality shall witness an UNI
speakaby better condition Of things than this
which men act in parties and stand IN the strength OF
parties and in which the vaguely and esoly felt respon-
sbes OF party take the place Of the definite and deeply
conscious responsibilities OF the individual When our
counrymen shall have risen to this higher plane of chaac
ter there viii be Christians instead of Bapsts Methodsts
and PreSby and patriots instead OF republicans
democrats and native Americans.
OF the thousands who the glorious night 10 which
we have referred, acuated by justice and mercy,
probably not less than nneeentwcnticths fell immedi'
atey after under those ecclesiastical political party
Influences which had previously swayed and shriyelled
them OF the thousands whose motto that glorious night
~ mo m iJr y onp, no ao n have
persoyerngy refused to vote for men who recognise
law for slavery AT each of our anniversaries the
buttons and address and the discussions upon them have
been in harmony with the high and holy principles on
which Jerry was rescued. Nevertheless, the vast
ority Of those who enjoyed the anniversaries returned
home to act with their prosavery parties church and
State.
Jerry Rescuers' voting for men who acknowledge
law LOT siseryl see not but that they basely
consistent as are temperance societies forty nine
ftehs Of the members of which whilst pratng for pro-
hbiton,n vote for candidates who oppose n Indeed
always excepting anniversary of the New York state
Temperance Society, do not know greater or more
shameless perncous hypocrisy than anniyer-
sary of the rescue of Jerry
BY the way, see that gentleman Of fine talents and
high culture, and marked ability writer is called on
TO write the history Of the temperance reformation For
my own part, had far rather that this history were
hidden than published For, if truhfuly written,
what Is the great fact il will perpetuates-what but
the infinitely disgraceful that the temperance men,
though ready to talk up and write up cause
We're ever ready to vote DOWN. The cque of tsm
rerdnee this country dead In vain all the efforts of
temperance societies and temperance newspapers and
temperance lecturers to galyanze into life Never was
the of tobacco and intoxicating drinks increasing so
rapidly All who have any discernment must that it
TINS pouniess Inconsistency and unprincpedness
can never be revived by temperance societies and tom
perance newspapers and lecturers that 90 for
the election Of rum drinkers Such stpendo and sham.
less hYpoS must give place to agencies characterzed
by sincerity and sedenal before temperance can come
TO life.
Oh no. let not the history of either the Temperance
cause the Anti Slavery be written with the view
q honorng their professed friends They hare both been
be with the purpose OF warning the world against hypo
To from this DEPRESSION let me- my friend again
say that had better give up the celebration of the Res
cue OF Jerry The thing quite too great and good for
Earnest and honest men alone suited Jerry
Rescuers are mean men and sham men. Dear Jerry's
santed spirit can take pleasure in this grand an
nual hypocrisy The Saviour whom he heartily choose
and so faithfully followed in his last years can have no
sympathy with it. The of freedom disgraced and
hndercd, instead of being honored and promoted by it,
Let US stand aside and then perhaps consistent men
and honest men and high souled will long
Up. eond bless nv sight Would be Jerry Rescue Ann
versary conducted by men who would as soon stay in
brohe as in church that recognizes law for slavery
and who would as soon vote for men who recognize law
for sheep stealing as for men who acknowledge that
judicial decree or statute or even Constitution
any obligation to protect and honor man-stealng
In short who talk well against slavery stand aside
for those who will vote well against it, Let profess
sions make room for their practice and hypocrisy for
their sincerity.
Men make light Of the crime of voting wrong and vet
there other crime full Of the heaviest oppression
Quite bad enough is when in my private or individual
dealings with my fellow man. Cypress him But when
1 vote against his rights. as | do when l
vote for candidates who hold that there NAV be
valid and obligatory and real law for his slavery or who
hold that there be such Law for dram selling such
law for making and keeping him drunkard, then
to array the government and the collective people against
him; then vote not that may wrong hm-not that l.
with such comparatively insignificant powers an ndi
ydual can summon, may Cypress him. but that whole
State whole nation, may fall upon him and crush him
Churches and parties may be stone blind it, neverthe
less Heaven that this voting against human rights
and this voting temptations in the way Of the weak
sttute the mghtest wrong that men capable Of per-
petrating,
Much said and written against the breaking of human
laws But they entitled to obedience only far as
they with those Divine laws which be
ken ssThe law of his Cod Daniels only law. No
friend OF God knows any other law. Apostles answered
and said 'We ought to obey God rather than mem: so
too Whether it be right the sight Of God to hearken
unto you more than unto God judge yeu How senseess
and wicked is this defamation against trampng under
foot these human laws that are laws To such tram
ping are the nations indebted for the instances of their
greatest progress Often indeed have the nations found
their only salvation How shameless the hypocrisy Of
Our countrymen Whilst glorying in the historical fact
that our fathers were ready to take up against laws
imposing petty taxes on tea and paper they nevertheless
wes a Ui ,se a a2 hSsSr rssa
cent men, women and children in the hell of slavery.
The rescuers of Jerry were called rebels. But the
bellon in the case chargeable not them but on
the government. II was the government, and not the
rescuers, who guilty Of resisting law The law in
the the right of every innocent his per.
sona liberty That law the upheld and against
it did the government rebel What its rebellion was
carried under the forms Of law? the less was it
rebellion
People are wont to regard every enactment as law
But many an enactment is not law Squater sovereignty
IL uch exoled and now and then there are signs that
even the republican party is fast coming acquesce in
~ Nevertheless squatier sovereignty is not law The
liberty given by the Nebraska bill enslave men was no,
liberty to set up law, but put down law-onte as en-
pllacally such as If had been liberty murder men
Inc invasion of human rights by can no more
than such invasion by an individual be law The in.
vaders be they governments or individuals are the rebels
and they who resist them the law abiding The pas
sage oil the Nebraska bill afforded ample justification to
the people TO enter the balls Of Congress and hurl the
reDes from their seats poor chance of any her than
hempen elevation would such rebels stand were the
religion OF this country Christianity and its politics demo-
cracy AS things are, il is the man here and there who
dares to live the Christian life whom the American
Gratis toward whom American politcians-Amcrican do
UOcrats-shOW no mercy