Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1860-10-31
HAS A METHODIST A RIGHT TO LIVE,

the United States, to be protected in what he
ciaimS as his property, is, we admit, natura
feeling. He has been accustomed to dominion
over slaves all his lifetime land it is not strange
that he should cling to an old habit.
But even southern planter would admit
That there are things of more Importance than
property in negroes. A white mans life, they
must allow, is of far greatur value than his
right to have black man whom he can sell
to the highest bidder. We do not mean at
present to say anything in disparagement OF
| the prerogatve of owning fellow creature
we simply wish to lay down the clear position
that, valuable and desirable as it may be, life
is a far greater blessing. All writer's on pub
lic law have, therefore, very properly put the
right to life before the right to property.
In the controversy which is going re-
spectiDg the right to import slaves into the
territories of our republic one side has, ,unhap-
PLY, in its zeal for certain species of proper
ty, wholly forgotten the respect which is Cue
| to human life. The owner of a slave imigra-
tes with his bondman to one of the territories.
| AL the South is open outhed in maintaining
| his right to hold the man as his slave at his
new residence. A Methodist of the northern
church goes down to Texas. The people
among whom he comes deprive him of his
life with as little ceremony as the door keeper
of picture gallery takes away the walking
! stick or the umbrella of visitor who is about
| to enter. The champions of southern rights
|
the poor man is member of that division of
the Methodist denomination which calls itself
the Methodist Episcopal Church, they hang
him on the nearest tree. The victim is ortho-
| dox, but he belongs to northern religious
| organizations, and is therefore suspected of
being an abolitionist. In the catalogue of
southernrights, the right of man TO his life
has no place. That every man has right to
| own negro is an incontrovertibe maxim of
constitutional law; that every man has right
to live, though that be one Of the principles
laid down in our Declaration of independence,
| they by no means admit.
| We are not at all surprised that there should
be men who think that those who go this length
in their zeal for the rights of property go a
| little too far. The Chicago papers publish a
letter from the Rev. DIR. Eddy, the editor of
the North-toestern Christian .4dcocate, to Pres-
dent Buchanan, in which, speaking in behalf
of the northern branch of the Methodist Epis-
eopal Church, he dwells upon the murderous
proceedings of which its members have been
made the victims in Texas, and particularly
on the hanging of the Rev. Mr. Bewley, with
whom he was personally acquainted.
After stating that the Methodist church is
no political organization that its members are
loyal, peaceable and obedient to the laws
that in that character they have right to
enter in safety and inhabit without molestation
any part of the domain of the United States
that the church formerly was remarkably sue
cessful in the South as a decided and uncom-
promising anti-slavery church; that there are
many persons there now who prefer the Dis
cipline and Ministry of the church orth DR..
Eddy, goes on to speak of the treatment his
church has received, in the following manner:
4 aSir, the civilized world has been shocked
by the story of the abominatons perpetrared
by the Druses upon the nominal Christians in
Syria, and by the cruel edicts which have dis
graced the Government of Rome, with its
clerical head. | am not sure but chapter of
history almost as shocking and barbarous must
be written by the historian of Methodism.
Our people are under reign of terror in some
portions of the Southeast and Southwest.
From different quarters in Virginia, Maryland
and Delaware, they have received threats of
violence to be inflicted unless there shall be
awithdrawal from our church. The mail ma tier |
of our members is opened-post masters claim
the authority to break the seals, and degrade
themselves into Pro-Slavery spicsl Mr.. Bu-
chanan, hare you or your Cabinet demanded or
sanctioned this far reaching system, of g0vern-
ment espionage? Is your Postmaster General
simply or principally the chief Of a east detec-
tire force! We of the North support the
postal service, and we wish to know something
of its character. !
The most high handed outrages have been |
perpetrated in the Southwest. Their violence |
has been repeatedly employed, and our Ieo-
pie basely murdered. In Missouri, band, Of
ruffians have intertered with our services, have
committed outrages upon our ministers which |
hurried them to the grave, while the red hand |
of murder drenched with blood the gray loclss |
of venerable man, loved by all who knew |
him, whose crime was warm attachment to
the Methodist Episcopal Church.
The high handed enormities inflicted upon |
the ministry and membership of our church |
in Kansas need not be restated-they have
passed into history.
m Texas. RiShOD lanes was holding a session |
of Conference. No mans rights had been in
vaded; no insurrecton had been preached
no slave had been melted to revolt. In that
Conference there were, no doubt, some who |
voted for James Buchanan for President OF the
United States. Yes, Sir, those men. with
thier wives and children and friends, were sur
rounded on Gods holy day, while in the house
of worship, by an armed mob, which deman-
ded an instant and unconditional abandonment
of their position Mr.. President, that out
rage was perpetrated since you have been our
Chief Executive! What harm had they done
Had they lost the character of American citi-
zens, or is the nation which can resent the
outrages of Greytown or Paraguay, powerless
before those Of Pro-Slavery mobs?
Later still has come the word that in North
ern Texas panic similar to that of Harper's
Ferry, has been created. Mobocracy has tri
umphed over law. Men suspected have been
seized and executed. $50 -
Among the victims of this reck less ,slaugh-
ter we read the name of A. Bewley. knew
that man. He was a cautious, deliberate man,
born, I believe, in Tennessee. He was no
Abolitionist, though an Anti-Slayery man OF
the Washington and Jefferson school. Modest
and peaceful, he never asserted all the rights
mentioned by the author of the Dred Scott
decison, nor was he accustomed to speak such
words as Mr.. Taney announced himself pre-
pared to utter in the old Court House in Fred
xtrroa o1n dntn