The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-09-26
For the Grand Haven News.
Politics and Religion.

with the above caption TO which l feel
bound to take exceptions, as itunjustly and
unwarrantably assails the N. Y. Indepen-
dent--which is the principal organ of the
denomination to which both the editor
and myself equally belong, and as / have
used some influence to circulate that pa
per in our village the assault upon it
looks something like one upon myself.
Besides by resolution Of our last county
republican convention | received q request
to open il with prayer, which, accordingly,
l complied with, and for this am brought
before the public in the same article and
commented on in manner neither cour-
teous nor respectful. I think, therefore,
| have right to a place in your columns
in vindication of the Independent $50
The attack on the Independent consists
Of number of unjust assertions, having
no foundation in fact. / shall quote from
the article. Its (the Independent) zeal
in this particular wit its opposition to
Slavery overrides the principles of coin
mon law, political and individual rights,
State rights, and even the constitution it
SELF" Now this isa serious charge, were
it true, but happily it is utterly ground
less. We challenge the Ne,cs to point
out the how, the when and the where, the
! Independent has done this.
When speaking of Drs. Cheever, Thomp-
son and Beecher, the NetoS says, sit
would seem they were considered by some
as of superior order Of intelligences-
something above man and not liable to
err, and that whatever emanates from
those men is received and adopted as
sound doctrine without examination.
This is another vague assertion without
proof. Will the News inform us who are
the men who are so stupidity ignorant as
to entertain and express such sentiments
We hesitate not to say that in the whole
ranks of congregationalism no such men
can be found.
The NeaOs attributes to the Indepe'a'
dent the unhallowod principle of the Jes-
uits, which, carried out in their practice
filed the dungeons of the Inquisitior
with its victims, and Europe with blood
The principle is "that the means are sane
tilted by the end" "This is" says The
NewS, "and has been the doctrine of the
Independent, religions Journal, virtq
ally preferring war, dishonesty, almost
anything TO slavery" We grievo while
we write this. 1t shows how party spir
it can blind the eyes Of good men. We
have never read moro baseless and un
warrantable SANDER against high toned
religious journal, and it the organ Of the
religious body, too, TO which the editor o
the News belongs. We demand agar
proof of this very serious charge.
Here is another quotation, "InsteaC
of using lawful means, in a lawful man
ner, relying npon the providence of Coo
to accomplish His own ends in His OWL
time and manner, the Independent woulc
produce revolution at once, enrag
brother against brother, and one section
| against another, sunder tract societies, bi
bic societies, missionary societies, proba
bly, resulting in war and dissolution.
/" Relying upon the providence Of God
; The NeVs seems to suppose from tn
; above quotation that Providence is som
secret, subtle necromancer, performing hi
works by some miraculous charm. TIL
NewS ought to know that Providenc
works by means; and we believe the In
dependent is one grand means which il
has employed for good-dil we not be
lieve so we should not give it countenanc
but the immense circulation il has oh
tanned proves it. But as to sundorin.
| religious societies, the Ne,Os is uiterl,
5 mistaken when it says, " 1t has been hos
: tile TO all our national moral societies
scycring some that were prosperous ant
| united, and sowing the seeds of discort
Q among Others" We here again mos
cmphatically deny the truth of this as
sertion and stand prepared at any tim
f to maintain our denial when the NesO
Q shall attempt anything like proof TIL
t Ne,Os further charges the Independent
at has done more TO produce an un
friendly feeling between Congregations
: and Presby terian churches than all othe
"a al