Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1863-09-09
BENEFIT OF CLERGY.

! gans, Jews, or Christians, has the eXemp-
ton OF the public ministers Of religion
from bearing arms, been disregarded.-
! The LlncolnSeward attempt al admins
tering the functions of government, has,
in this as in other respects, sunk out Of
reach Of the fathom-lue of civilized his
tory. The Hebrew Scriptures tell us how
their priests and levites were exempt from
military service. They tell us, likewise.
that even the Philistines, though OF the
cruel and acGursed race of Ham, respect
ed the school of the Prophets at Gaba, be-
cause they were men devoted to the Di-
vine service, a" 1t has been the custom.
IN all tine" says Grotius, "among all peo-
piles, to exempt this class of persons from
bearing arms De Rel III, llth. We
find constantly recurring instances among
the pagan Greek and Roman writer's. In
the Christian religion, from the earliest
times, the clergy were prohibited from hear
ing arms. So soon as the Empire became
Christian, they were, by law, exempted,
and this privilege OF exemption was con
tirmed and extended from time to time,
I'LL, in the eleventh century, we find it an
accepted canon of tho Church that the
clergy, and all who were specially conse-
Grated to religion should not meddle with
matters OF war, nor be meddled with by
helligerenls.
1t is true, as BarbeyPac we'll remarks.
on this canon, tina its foundation is or
the hypothesis that these ministers of re-
lgior remain within their proper sphere,
but that " if an ecclesastic drops his Bre-
wary TO busy himself with councils of
State-if he Stirs ur and promotes a war,
if he goes into campaigns, to raise or to
lead troops, directly or indirectly, he de-
serves by so much the less TO be spared as
he acts against the obligations of his &C.
clesiastical character" Here lies tho
true discrimination to have been made in
III the present conscription, putting out
CT view its general violation of constitu-
tional rights. in regard to real or profess
ed ministers of religion. Those who made
political aboltionism the hobby Of their
Pulpits, and taught dissension, and ha-
tired OF the South, in the name OF religion,
ought certainly, to be made to bear a full
proportion Of the burthens they have
helped to create. But respect for religion
required that this should have been done
by way OF exception, and because these
preachers had openly departed from their
calling as ministers of Gospel of peacc,--
In like manner, IT is meet, Just, and every
way appropIiate, that all real or protesting
ministers OF religion whose heads have
been turned by the war--who have
preached it. and advocated it in its meas
ures, in a public way, should be e1ci,,ded
from the privileges and benefit Of cler-
gy," ON the ground that they have openly
abandoned that exalted character of
ministers in. the things Of God, which,
among the nations, had secured them
their immunity.
The operation Of this CONSUMPTION has
been singularly opposite to this rule of
Justice. Confessed!y the Cath1Ec clergy, to
a man, were innocent of having instigated
this war, or brought it about. With eX-
ceptions SO rare as to prove the rule, since
the war began, they have kept their heads
free from being heated with the vanity Of
its vulgar pomp and noise, and have not
promoted it. Yet the conscription has
been so framed as to fall upon them witha
severity greater than on any other class of
citizens, The very selEdenial to which
their vows of coiibacy bind them, has been
! The occasion for far larger proportion OF
th5m to be drafted-viz those from thir.
! ty-five to forty five. Their religion f0rJi1s
] lhSLA ~ Nahc VI arms ueN bDl al ullIl-
/ l,ters OF religion, in all civilized countries.
have been counted exempt from the op-
CITATIONS of war. This pegro- Lincoln Ham
| lin Administration-tru to the instincts
Of the degraded race Of Ham. in whose
consanguinity they glory--has lapsed into
utter bOTbarlsm in refusing respect TO the
ministers, and altars, and temples Of God,
The ancient Romans called their generals
to account whenever they ventured to
show dsrespecl TO the religion of the va
riouS peoples with whom they might even
be irrying on war The Lincoln-Seward-
| Negro Administration cannot show n de
cent respect even to the religion of the
soldiers on whom they have to depend for
their corporea safety. But the Romans
wore q noble race, made to govern and fiji
for their destiny. The New England and
/ Negro Administration playthings of for
tune for the punishment of q boastful,
shallow, and corrupted people--krow not
the elements OF gov ernment, but act like
inebrlate slaves in Saturnalian debauch.
They sink into the depths of iguominy,
even while they are lifted up by reason o
their Office dejecich COS dirn eleparsntlir. -
They avail 10 have on them the damning
mark Of atheists and contemners of religion
Where, else, except in the orgies of athe-
istic revolution, can an instance be found
Of thing calling itself a government levy
ing MS blood-money from a single parish.
and 1t without funded revenues, alta single
blow, the enormous sum OF niHe hl9sdred
dollars 7 This was doEe, nevertheless, in
the instance oi st. Paul's parish, in the
loyal city OF Pittsburgh, where three OF
the clergy were drafted, and. as their sa-
cerdolal obligations prohibited them bear
ing arms. the poor people Of the parish
FASTENED TO ransom their clergy from tho
gripe of the blood-suclers.-Ffseman'a
Journal.
psS-It was solemnly funny joke, that
of the bonviant whosaid there weraonly two
occasions when gentleman could drink
brandy without a sacrifice Of dignity and
self-respect, "when no has had salt fish for