The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-12

beneficial influences the sanguinary contests of
the last five years have exercised over the mate
rial and political Development of the European
nations But for them their condition would
have remained stationary, or they would have
been stormtossed by the revolutionary whirl-
wind, to be cast back again into the slough of
despond. Whatever, therefore, humanitarians
may say on the subject, we contend that war,
like every other evil brings its compensating
| good.
| Apti-slavery Clerical Convent ion-Dangor OF
| Ecclesiastical Interference in Political
| Ansirs.
BY telegraph we learn that an Anti Slavery
Convention of the clergy of Ohio was held on
Wednesday and yesterday at Columbus, the CAPT
tai Of that State; that all parts Of Ohio were well
represented, and that resolutions were adopted in
opposition to slavery, and an ecclesiastical or
| ganization established, in conformity with the
| call which was as follows
All denominations who believe and deeply feel that
slavery nations great crime land her great caami
~ the source Of her greatest danger wel in
vied to meet to deliberate and pray, 10 give public
which shall aid enlstns ana aroasng The public
ard enghtening the Christian energies Of the State
This is following up the action of the three
thousand clergymen of the New England States
who at the time of the Kansas imbroglio issued
their manifesto like Papal bull, which was 80
much fuel added to an excitement that threatened
to involve the whole country in civil war. The
clergy never mingle in political strife but to fan
the flame or throw oil into the fire. AT that time
No. has 81 su Nnrryn o
ven, declared that Sharpes rife was much bet
ter instrument of civilization and liberty than the
Bible; and accordingly the man of God, whose
mission is to preach peace and good will among
men, paid down bis subscription on the spot for
one of those deadly weapons to put into the hands
of the free soil emigrants to shoot down the "bor
der ruflians;" and this was all done for the love
of black humanity and the assertion
of its equal rights, which is 30 beau.
tifhlly illustrated in the Kansas constitution
recently adopted by the "free State' party, in
which the negro race is as completely ignored as
if it consisted of live stock, or other chattels.
And now again we have the clergy coming for
ward to harp on the same anti slavery string-to
interfere in the political affairs of the country,
instead of attending to the duties for which
they were appointed. Instead of preserving their
purity and that just influence for good which
they would be sure to WELD among their hocks
if they kept aloof from the contamination of poll
tics, they mix themselves up with the dirty cor
rupt parties of the day, and thus not only lower
their sacred calling, but degrade their own per-
sonal characters, by coming in contact with a
class of politicians whom every honest, decent
man keeps at arms length.
But this view of the course of the clergy
chiefly affects themselves and the welfare of their
respective focks. There is another point of view
in which their action affects the country at large
Their infammable appeals, Hinged as they are with
religious fanaticism, are dangerous to the peace
of the country, and may lead to the most serious
consequences. We know that much of the blood
that was shed in the Kansas strife was owing to
were glad to get their sanction for rapine and
murder, and even good but mistaken men were
led astray by their undue influence. Their pre-
sent organization, by which they propose to
'arouse the public conscience" is calculated to
produce the same results, and perhaps may end
in something far worse Once kindle politice-
religious confagration, and there is no telling
where it may stop. The excitement of politics,
especially on the slavery question, is bad enough
without the religious element, and the feeling
between North and South is already sufficiently
embittered. But let ecclesiastical animosity
be thrown into the hell broth which
boils in the political cauldron, and what can be
expected from such compound but double strife
and trouble?
Lastly, it is dangerous to the liberties of the
country to permit the interference of the ecclesi
astical power in its political affairs. II is true
that there is no law to prevent it, for this is
of the evils inseparable from free speech. But
there is a law of public opinion which, if properly
brought to bear, would be just az effectual as any
statute Let the press all over the country de-
nounce this usurpation, and let every congrega-
ton, no matter what may be its political com
pleXion, rebuke its pastor for the first offence,
should he be guilty of it, and for the second send
him adrft to find his proper level among the politi
cal dregs for which be feels greater affinity than
for the elevated business of his clerical profess
sion. Every layman, no matter whether his
politics be the as those of the ecclesiastical
intruder or not ought to frown down bis interfer-
ence as precedent full of peril to civil liberty
If the clergy are permitted to mipgle in the
agitation Of the slavery question, the time will
come when they will mipgle in other political
matters, and those who from party spirit avail
themselves of such aid to-day may reject it
hereafter when it is too late. Give the clergy
| an inch in political matters and they will take
an ell. This has ever been their history from
the beginning. And the characteristic feature
oftbeir politics is, that they are always narrow
minded, illiberal aud exclusive, it matters not
whether they are Protestants or Catholics. The
| Jesuits were not worse than the Roundheads, aud