Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-12-10

the HERALD Of the LIST inst. was made q 1
uasntion Of the published opinion Of Bish-
ep Hopkins,-not upon the subject of
slavery, for that was we'll enough known,
but upon the subject of secession. In
answer to the question "whether the south
ern states have right to secede for any
cause" Bishop Hopkins, it win be remem-
bersd, answered that Gin his humble
opinion they have right to secede = and
in answer to the further question, :" if they
have the right, is the cause sufficient TO
Justify It's present exercise" (by the secsd-
ing states the drift Of his argument was
such ~ TO indicate that in his opinion
their justification is sufficient; in other
words, he argued that the southern states,
in their attempt to break up the Union,
are only exercising the reserved rights Of
sovereign and independent states, and up
On a provocation from the north sufficient
to justify them In so dong. This is evil
IDENTIFY nothing else than revival of the
state rights, publication doctrine of Cal
houp, We accordingly remarked that as
the Bishop of Vermont argues upon this
subject, SO argue Rhett and Yancey and
Fernando Wood, and so argued upon this
subject of estate rights" John Q, Cal
houn, but SO did not argue upon that sub
ject Webster and Clay and Benton and
the other greatest statesmen of the coan-
try. su,ks wgrE WSH
Now if there was any error, whatever,
about the above, 1t could only be IN the
report given of the actual meaning of the
Bishop. But we could see no chance
for mistake here, for however much we
might regret it, his language seemed alto
xether too plainly to set him down as a
champion Of the right of secession and an
apologist for its present exercise by the
&
south in short, as secesslonlst IN pr'n-
ciple. I'LL
Still we expected to see some attempt
by his defenders to soften or censtrue his
language into some less fragrant meaning
than that attributed to it; for we could not
believe his defense would be undertaken,
Aereaboat at least, upon any other ground.
Judge our surprise, then, when we see
orrselyss attacked in the last issue of the
Rutland Courier, not fer misunderstood
ing or misrepresenting his language or
meaning, but for abusing clergyman
0who will not adulterate religion by mix
ing it up with politics." "who will not
preach politics in the pulpit" &C., &c., in
the stereotyped clap-trap style. We SAID
nothing and intended to say nothing Of
his preaching in the pulpit; we merely
called attention to the politics that he
preached and wrote and published o@t Of
the pulpit, which is public property. Few
clergymen have meddled more with poll
tics than Bishop Hopkins, and none IN a
worse way. l
And this is the way in which the Cour-
Ter comes to the rescue of the Bishop. II
virtually admits that he is defender OF the
constitutional right Of secession, as stated
and with much zeal it abuses all who disa.
gree with him.
We are therefore constrained to believe
that the Courier warmly endorses him il
such views. We are sorry, but if the
Courier WiU write itself down an arran1
secessionist, as well as copperhead Git has
heretofore boosted of beng the latter, W.
cannot help it. As the right Of secession
however, if established, is fatal to the per
manence Of the Union, the Courier cal
consistently lay no claim, hereafter, to be
ing . Union sheet, in any sense. And Al
in its view the southern states are only ex
ercising constitutional right in seeding
the Courier must Of course be diametri-
sally opposed to the use Of any kind Q
sorce,--to any kind of prosecution Of thu
war,-to debar them from the enjoymen
Of this right, and to maintain the Unior
in its integrity.
Wedo not know that it is our duty to show
the Courier into just what kind Of a box it
own language gets it; but have concluded
to be magnanimous, and do it for thu
once. 1t will therefore credit us with 60
ino aisnassionately through all the aoov '
for its Benefit entirely TO show it that
stands committed to an advocacy ofthe des
tructive and ruinous doctrine of secession
and. that it can now have an opportunity