The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-11-21
A Characteristic Scene.

oullt great hire and then brought out
the etiigy Of a man, which they intended,
after offeringssit every conceivable insult
to bury, with mock funeral rites, then DIG
1t up, nail il to crucifix, the sacred en-
blem Of their religion, with one hundred
and thirty nine millions of the christian
inhabitants Of our world, and burn it to
ashes. A few friends Of the person rep
resented, in,erfered, took the image from
them, and concealed it. They afterwards
made another and after going through !
with many ceremonies, amoug others,
pouring whiskey in its mouth, and other
disgusting follies, buried it with mock
religious rites, putting head stone at
the head of the grave, and cross at its |
foot. The crucifx was dressed up with
shavings and placed in the midst Of the
bonfire, (balefre would be more proper
name,) and burned to ashes. After pro-
longing their orgies into the Sabbath,
cursiug their neighbors, and threatening
the destruction Of their buildings, they
dispersed. ash l4l.s a
Who were the actors in this scene o.
Were they rabble Of foolish boys?-.
Were they a mob of drunken rowdies
Oh no. Many of them were church
members, and call themselves christians.
The majority of them were middle aged,
or over; some have heads already bios
soming for the grave, and must expect
soon to complete their allotted three
score wears and ten and that their friends
and neighbors must perform for them the
solemn rites they were hooking with.
Many of them were men of property and
standing, and some of the most aristo-
cratic families of our town were represcn-
TED in the crowd.
Who. did they intend TO represent by
this effgys What monster of depravity
deserves such insults and indignities as
these, and that even his friends should be
insulted with threats, excavations and
cursess This image was intended to
represent the Hon. Stephen A. Douglas,
late candidate for the highest office in
the gift Of the American people, one Of
of the greatest of our living statesmen
and a member OF the United States, Sen
ate, without exception the most diguifed
body ofmen on the globe.
What had he done TO deserve such
treatement9 He has during his public
life of some thirty years been prominent
leader and actor in our national politics,
and has to the utmost of his ability ad-
vocated and defended the right Of the
American people TO govern their own
domestic affairs in their own way, subject
to the Constitution aud the laws. He
has, as a United States Senator, voted
10 appropriate $4,000 TO construct q
harbor for the benefit Of Holland, and
of these very men. He has seen fit to
marry a lady who was educated in the
Catholic faith, and still remains member
of that church. He was, and still is, an
active member of the party which enacted
the laws by which these men, though
aliens and strangers, were admitted TO all
the rights of American citizens, and
made equal in all respects 10 the native
born American. He was, and still re-
mains, member of the party which
enacted the laws securing to them the
privilege of worshiping God according to
the dictates OF their own consciences, with
none to modest them, or make them
afraid, which privilege, they profess to
have left their homes in Europe, and
sought the protection of our laws to enjoy.
The burning of the cross was designed rs
an insult to his wife, one of the most
estimablc of women, and one Of the bright
est ornaments Of the society Of her native
city. Washington. , Is. .alaiDa ea
What was the grand object of this dis
play Of diabolical, political and religious
hatred3 1t was designed as jubilee
over the success of the Republican party,
which processes TO be the party of freedom
and right, and to embody in its ranks
all the piety asG worth of our country.
These men are modern Apostles Of Libr
erty. The mock burial service, the mock
cruei6zion they intended TO have made,
and the final destruction Of the sacred
o,,lIa,, Of il,o Cbfisfiap ,eIi,yion form n