The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1861-08-28

parties are alike bound tC respect He
has descended into the arena, and be must take his
share Of the dust and danger Of the strife He
comes into the field Ike preae OF other days. as
an armed ally OF one of the battling hosts, and he
need not be surprised if his uplilled crozer is I'M
seen OR disregarded in the fray
We do Bishop WHITTINGHAM no injustice, nor
do we exaggerate in the least when we say that
his Pastoral Letter is also a political pamphlet
He has, in the discharge Of his episcopal lunC-
tons, sought to throw the influence Of his
name and Office upon the side of the Admiuistra-
ton, and he has done this not by striving to show
the justice of its cause, but by dcnouncing and
disparaging its adverSaries. Having, as he has
the indisputable right to do, arrived at his
own conclusions in regard to the issues now te-
fore the country, he has also thought proper to ez-
press them in offensive terms in The Pastoral Letter
in question How far be is justified in adopting
this course when the members of every congre-
cation under his jurisdiction are bitterly divided
in opinion, and the majority of them ale believed
TO entertain views directly at variance with
his, it is none of our business to discuss
But as citizens we have vital interests at stake
which may, and probably will be materially aG
fec!ed by his political action. and we do not
choose, therefore, that his observations or insnu
atoms shall pass unchallenged Bishop WHIT
TINGHAM, remembering, he tells u.s. the Injunction
of the Apostle with the weak to "become as the
''weak," kindly descends to what he supposes to
be The Intellectual levelof his flock, and under
takes to satisfy them that it is their religious duty
to support the Administration He SAYS: "The
'duies Of residents in Maryland, as citizens, are
'c!ear. The authority by which we are now in
"vited to approach the throne of grace, is that
(which God has Set over us, and which He bids
"us recognize as His, or resist only at the awful
"peril of rendering account to Him. By His ex-
''press command we are bound to make in its be-
"aGlf our 'Suppcatons, prayers and lnterces-
"sions,' and in that way seek the attainment Of
"quiet and pesceable life in all goodness and hon
''esty. Other courses involve us in the con-
'demnatiOn which the Word Of truth denounces
"against those who in 'perilous' times show
t'themselves traitors, heady aud highminded , -
Our duty, then, is ''clear" There can, we are
elsewhere informed, ''be no reasonable doubt
about the matter. All the citizens of MARYLAND
who believe they have the right to resist fanati-
Cal and aggressive Government, which has already
repudlated the Constitution as interpreted by the
Courts, and which has manifested determna-
ton to disregard every other provision Of that
instrument whenever it suits the purpose of an ex-
IRENE faction to do so-all these thousands of hon
est and honorable men are, we are told going
wilully and stupidity astray. There can lie ono
reasonable doubt about their error. And why?
Simply because Mr.. LNcoLN's is the authority
""hlch God has set over u.s." and we can only
oppose It at the peril of our souls We need do
no more than state the argument. The weakest
of 'rhe weak brethren, for whose enliohtennent
the Bishop has prepared it, can readily answer it.
IL is the old form of anathema that was addressed
to the reormers who opposed the Pope, to the sub
Jects who resisted the encroachments of CHARLES
the First and JAMES the Second, to the colonists
who would not yield to the arbitrary will of
GEORGE the Third. We confess, to some little sur
prise, that an ecclesiastic Who ia political con-
troversy, in the nineteenth century arms himself
with the obsolete logic of the schoomen of the
middle ages, should have RETAINED from excom-
munIcating his opponents outright. But perhaps
we are indebted for our escape from this fearful
penalty to the complacently contemptuous opin-
ion Of us which Bishop WH1TTINGHAM entertains
We are, Of course, he thinks, very wicked; but
then he is constderate enough to assume that
we know no better. He is 'fpanfully sensible"
he says, chow largely even honest and pious men,
Tin the pitiable weakness of human Judgment,
hoodwinked by natural affection, social relations
land surrounding influences, may be hindered
''from the perception of the strongest obligations
'of religious duty" and he, therefore, warns all
who may be "sill disposed to cast their lot with
those who are in arms against their government
ito take good heed lest they be fostering in them
'selve9 delusion, the not unguilty fruit of self
abandonment TO the trammels of party. and to
1.-THE voluntary blindness Of prejudice, nursed by
pride ofstation, Of influence, and of connexion.n
If this advice did not SAVIOR somewhat of I'M
chartableness and arrogance we might be thank
full for it. But as it is, we cannot persuade our
selves of the good sense or good feeling of a mon
or Who not satisfied wlh the INST Seede as thf
that hs'opponents are "traitors heady and high
minded" who are on the sure road to perdition
We have referred thus much at length 10
Bishop WHITTINGHAM's letter, because he has
therein endeavored to influence the political
destines of this State and his position and char
acter give to his mere opinions a weight to which
his arguments are in no way entitled. He has
goac outside of the sphere OF his duties precisely
as BEEcHER, and CHEEvER and TYING, and host
of fanatics in the North have done during the
tendency of this unhappy war. We DO not mean
tn fl,,t hn h.,
Vindictive, or as lnsoient as those exemplary and
guleless ministers, but the difference between him
and them is in degree aud not in kind. All have
alike participated in the political controversy of
the day, and all must expect the same treatment
from those whom they misrepresent, that they
would receive if they spoke from the hastings 1t
Is Tor this reason that we have ever deprecated the
slightest interference of cergymen with political
affairs. We have always felt that if ever they
came into collision with any party which was
struggling either for power existence, it would
be the church and her ministers that would suffer
and not the politicians or the people. But if I'M
mindful of this truth, the clergy will so far ming!e
in this bitter struggle as to assail and denounce
those who differ from them, they must take the
consequences. Our dearest privileges and rights
are threatened and we must vndicate them. Our
very lives and liberties are in jeopardy, and we
intend to defend them. We shall not hesitate
then, to do SO with promptness and decision, nor
will we pause to ask whether our assaant wears
the uniform of soldier, the ermne of Judge,
or the lawn sleeves of bishop
ssH<a=sszzss-zaIauaur4---=--s
At the hesd of the leading editorial column of
the New York Daily Ne,Os of yesterday, we find
the following manly and outspoken notice from its
proprietor. No man who has any genuine sense of
right or appreciation of public freedom, can fail
to respond, with his whole heart, to the fearless