The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1862-06-19
rhe Pulri. ma pntrIotIsm.

/
tho Female School DIR. Schon, of the
Methodist Church, and Rev. - Ford,
Of the Baptist Church, were summoned |
10 attend the Governors room at The |
Capital on Tuesday morning. These |
gentlemen have the reputation of not |
being as loyal as they should be, and of |
scattering the frebrands Of treason
amongst their flocks, instead Of inculca-
ting the precepts of the Prince of Peace,
and the Governor very rightly feeling a
deep solicitude that men holding posi-
ton Of so much dignity and influence as
the pulpit should be loyal as well as
pious, or rather considering the exist
ence of piety and treason in the same
heart wholly incompatible, determined
70 hold spiritual conference with
these shepherds of the flock. lie told
them, much to their surprise, that he
/ must require them TO take the oath of
/ allegiance to the Federal Government
They then asked that further time be
given thcm to consider the matter, and
| their case was continued until yester-
day.
On yesterday the above named minis
ters were in attendance, accompanied by
DIR. j. r. KENpMcK, of the First Presby-
terrain Church, and Rev. w. D, +. SAwRIE,
Of the Methodist Church. Drs. HALL and
FoBD, Of the Medical Faculty, were also
present on summons. The Governor
conversed for some time with much point
and earnestness to his audience. He
told them that the Government had
guaranteed TO them religious liberty and
the right to worship God according to
the dictates of their own consciences. 1t
was privilege enjoyed in no other land
They were highly and peculiarly favor
ed above their brethren. The Govern
ment had given them ample protection.
But The time had come when this kind
and liberal Government was compelled
by traitors TO fight for its existence, and
IL must know who were its friends and
who were its foes. 1t was unreasonable
J. TO suppose that it would suffer rebels and
disloyal men to occupy a position which
offered so many opportunities for mis-
! chief to corrupt and designing men, as
the pulpit. In the hands of men who
! followed the footsteps of their Divine
} | Master it was school of virtue, but in
D Che hands of Iscariots it was den of
d pollution and of vice. AT the urgent re
4 quest of the clergy, he gave them few
D days for further deliberation.
Y Every dispassionate and candid man
4 will admit that the Governor has done
+ exactly right in this matter Certainly
9 the duty of being loyal and obeying the
+ laws both by example and precept is nc
less ouIigaUJry upon ministers OF the
gospel Than on other people. Human
It government is an indispensable instru-
y ment In protecting and encouraging vir-
: tue and depressing vice, and no man can
d attempt to renounce all allegiance with
n ont mourning great guilt, "Render unto
It Caesar the things that are Caesars" is as
Il much command of Heaven as the one
d which follows it-"And TO God the things
n that are Gods" viii any one advocate
Il the preposterous proposition that any
: man, no matter what his calling may be-
Q has a right to mould and form public
s sentiment under a government which he
e detests and denounces, especially if he
: is known to be the partisan of another
Q government bitterly hostile to the first ?
i Certainly not And ministers WELD a
h great influence with the masses. They
:. attend us from our cradles TO our graves
a They tie the marriage bond, and they
: instruct our children. They come in
I contact with the people in seasons of af-
n Fiction and Of joy when the heart is most
s impossible. To the pernicious influence
of rebel preachers is TO be traced the ex-
ceeding bitterness Of the females in
a many Southern cities The tide of troa
4 son has flowed freely in what should
II have been the sanctuary Of God, and
1 multtudes have been poisoned by its
bitter waters. II is no gurgHng, lin
q pid, refreshing stream TO cheer the soul,
Il. no river of Life whose waters purified and
invigorated immortals, but food as
Z inky as the waters of the Stygian pool
whose turbid waves raised a perpetual
4 funeral cry like the lamenting pillows Of
, Cocyius. That stream has polluted the
land more foully than the bloody surges
of the Nile. II has swept away on its
bosom thousands of our youth once
= the hope of now broken-heartcd and
desolate families. Is il not the duty
of all sincere and honest ministers Ia
, endeayor TO save the nation, and save
, her people from slaughter? viii any
+, one devoted TO the sacred profession
/, sacrifice the lives and souls Of thousands
4 to crafty his theories on southern Rights
and Cotton Confederacy? No one
y will pretend TO say that the united cf-
!, forts Of all the clergymen in Nashville
4 for the next twenty years could ooun-
teraet the immortality and wickedness
of every kind which has sprung up
among us as the immediate fruits Of this
. Rebellion. II has been prolific mon