North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1863-09-02
TUNKHANNOCK, PA. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. g. 1868


self, in substance, just what the Bishop had
SAID, conceding that the declaration rha:
all men are created equar is true only in
the Sense in which Hopkins says it is true.
| and IN the sense in which It's authors used
it. He did not refer to one OF the Bishops
arguments, but made sad havoc with mon
ster phantoms OF his own Imagination, a.
If they had been real obj cts of the Bishops
| creation. The Bishep SAID, I'VE may talk
as we please Of our equality in political rights
and privileges, but in point of fact there is
n such thing" He adds, call uen are hLrn
unequal, N body, In mind, and social priviI-
ege>. Their intellectual faculties are une-
quail. Thei" ed ucations are unequal. Their
| associations are unequal. Their opportuni-
| ii s are unequal" SO IN substance said the
Rev'd Elder But to give you specimen
| of the logic used. Iflt is not true then
| that all men are end wed with certain un-
alienabIe rights, and that among these are
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
then the converse Of the proposition must
be true, that they are not endowed wirh Ger
tain unalienahle rights. that among these"
that is that they are not endowed with, " are
not life, liberty and the pursuit ofhappiness."
Amazing logic A thing is or it isn't; and
| If it isn't, why then it isn't. This is Ger
tainly irresistible. There is no getting
around it or over it, and Bishop Hopkins, we
think, would hardly deny 1t seven if he
were an Arch Bishop" "Ignorant' as the
Bishop may be, and as the elder says he
must hc,we think he would hardly have made
| such use of the term converse or have CIV
en- such an illustration Of its meaning. This
was as new to his hearers as he Bishops
criticisms were to him. Ii seems to have
read his definitions o: logical terms about as
carefully as he did the Bishops letter. We
had supposed that the doctrine that men
are endowed with alielab!e rights was a
most favorlte one with the elder. Unless it
be true We would respectfully ask how it is
| that the people of the South have forfeited
all their rights, and where the Elder would
| find his authority in any possible contingen-
/ cy, for eXterminatmg every man, woman +,
and child of that section of our country. 1t
Is sufficient upon this point to add, that he
had not the fairness to notice one Of the
| Bishops arguments. The Bishop admi S
| the power of this doctrine Of equality over
the common mind for the purpose of excit
| ing di>cnntent among classes, hatred among
individuals and against particular ins;rtl
tions, and of melting to law lesSress and re-
beilon, and the Elder has evidently pro!ited
| largely by ,he hint. And when he PRAYED
God to forbid that any of his posterity should
| be doomed t" bordage, we were at loss to
know whether the man was really insane
| = whether he contemplated practical ANAL
anaticr
nut "uaU was the effect Of this very
! fine sermon 2" He answered me uf the
arguments of The Bishop that he attempted
III reply to- and failed to notice others at all
b The idea of calling such sermon refuta.
tion of the Blshop's letter is superlariveIy
ridiculous. We hoped for argument, instead
of invectIve upon a subject that is so deeply
agitating the public m,nd-that would op
crate as oil upon the troubled waters instead
OF adding fuel to the flames already kinded
something that would convince the Intellect
rather than inflame prejudces anil passions
already over excited. We have no doubt
that many of his hearers, as reported to the
Editor Of the Republican, really believed
that they had heard an argument, and the
| Elder himself may have shared in this cnn-
vction. But, upon reflections, will either
he or they persist in the deusior? They
evidently went from the house of God with
their preudices strengthened, as was mani
| tested by the exhibitions of feeling in the
streets, as they We're going home. We say
| preiudIceS, for we believe that this whole
question is too generally prejudged by the
| Northern mind. What better evidence of
the fact, than this lame attempt to argue the
question, while the institution is so conf
den.ly and bitterly declaimed against O.
Would it not be we'll for us to pause for
momen, in our mad career, and weigh well
our own conduct as compared with that of
Christ, who, while he lived in the midst of
slavery, reproving every evil arouni him,
yet, a. the Elder and the Bishop both agree,
IN spite of the elders determination to disa-
gree, "utiered not one word against it,
Not only this, but many of his ministers
North, whose lives, conduct. abilities and
many virtues entitle their opinions to re
spect, believe that the example Of Christ.
and the teachings of His apostles, justify it,
while those of His followers who, like Him,
live in the midst of it, fail to discover its
enormiies. And where any people becumes
too confident in their convictions upon any
subject to reason upon it, is it no; very prob
atle that they are subjugated by their pref