, 1860-02-25
THE RICE CONTROVERSY.
Or. fSfce:a Second letter to Rev. 1Ir.
WoacOtt.

| Or. fSfce:a Second letter to Rev. 1Ir.
| Wo3cOtt.
rd'toE' ''ress and Trleufe:
| GExrLExES: In replying to Mr. Wolcott's
second communication, shall not forget your
suggestion in relation to COMPRISING, although
| you wiilbear me witness that haye never nsked
the use Of your columns, except for tue purpose
ofreplying 10 injurious attacks which you hare
deemed it proper 10 publish.
Called out in defiant tone by Mr. Wolcott,
it is not right for me TO permit him either to
change the issue, OF to throw into the back
ground the moral principles which he and his
brethren have publicly advocated in this COM
| munity.
l. 1 havc not said that they hare either ooun-
slid or desired "the determination Of slavery
By IRE and sword," although have distinctly
intimatcd that their principles lead to this.
2. havc said nothing as to the question
! whether "t1ty relied wholly on moral and
peaceful MEANS" or how far " any resort to vio-
| 1cnce and bloodshed was abhorrent to their
feelings" 1spoke only Of the principles they
taught.
5. have simply stated two facts:
LIST. Tha. these gentlemen hare represented
John Brown as christian -Aartyr- Dy wsy Of
escaping from this fact, Mr. Wolcott speaks Of
"certain expressions of admiration for some Of
the heroic qualities displayed By that brave OLD
maa, md Christian man, who bore himself 50
molly and died 50 calmly in the midst Of his
enemies" and who exhibited =" sublime disin-
tercstedness Of purpose" No man in his senses
ever confounds !" heroic qualities" or tue meet
inr of death calmly, with the spirit Of Christ
ian martyr. Nor did John Brown exhibit
whit more disintcrestedness Of purpose in bis
| armed invasion of Virginia. than did Saul of
| Ta1su.. when he went to Damascus. TINT be
might bring INV Christians he might find
/ "bound unto Jerusalem :" and the conduct Of
| Saul vas less criminal in one resnect. viz: he
] proceeded lrqalv and openly, whereas John
Brown acted in violation Of both disine and hu-
| man law, and laid secret plots against IN unsus-
| pccting people. But these gentlemen did rot
content themselves with expressing their ad-
miration Of his heroic qualities and his " dis
interestedness Of purpose" Thev were not
even content1 to say, that in spite Of the wicked
ness Of his plans and acts. he might be Christ
| i'm. led on ly some dreadful delusiou. Tie fact
ted by the true MARTYR spi-it, than which
nothing higher can be claimed for the Apostlts
| of Christ-and chilled upon tlle.n to cultivate
| the same spirit, "The MARTYR spirit which aui.
mates him is seen aud known by the whole na-
| ton. There is the same op.
| portunity for all Christians, and the same de-
mand upon a1l Christmas, IA whatever sphere
| Of life they may be, to cultivate and exhibit the
martyr spirit" VIII Mr.. Wolcott venture, in
the face Of such language. to deny that he and
] his brethren have proclaimed John Brown a
| Christian mdrtyrf
cd. The second factI have stated is, that,
according to the teaching of these gcntlemen,
| John Browns error was in the attempt to ex-
cite s'ave insurrcc,ion, necessarily resulting
| in the most horrid scenes, tpitiout reasonable
prospect Of success. distinctly admitted that
they condemned his mo oyement but said they
condemned It on tie single ground tlut there
WIS not reasonable prospect Of success. 1sthis
statement true or untrue? This is the ques
ton which Mr. Wolcott must mect-from whicl
he cannot escape. twill not ayxil to cover il
| nm under "the assertion Of the abstract right o
rero1ut;on. ar the rirbt of IN oppressed com
uunitv to throw of an upriehteous and gatiin:
yoke, when it can do it successfully" "hn
does he mean by "the abstract right:" Docs
he mean right which is a mere ahstraetson, no
to be actually exercised? But Mr. Wo'cot
knows TINT this right Of the slnrcs to rise mt
make war upou their masters, is not the who'll
Of what he aud his brethren hure taught on thi
subject, He knows that they further sdvocat
the rishtfulness Of others going to MD in sue
instructions, rs when lafayette came to til
aid Of our revolutionary fathers, Consequent
the slaves have oulr TO rise, and the whole Of til
peoplc of the free States, If this doctrine wer
, a.,,,,..,.l ,,;,ht md wou,a r,,sb IN 1ho;- mid
and then tue prospect OF SUCCESS "ou1u he re;