Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1864-01-08
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The Standard, ia late number, noticing
proposed amsnduent % the conucriptisn law,
exemPting clergymeu, says, in substance,=Q
qqete5roT memOry,r , Jhats Hppisters soah be
spared as. wen as any other class society,
and that they have had more to do in bring.
ing about this war than ans other class, and
hence tbey ought not 70 be exempt. Y e'94
Z Il am NOT a-gare that ministers are moro
EaHxious to be exempted from military service
rthan- any other class I think they.hre swil-
ing to serve their country as eopPerhead, ,edi-
toIs TO say the least. Many ministers are in
the field, many have fallen 10 ibis fearful con-
test, many are iaboring as ChapIsins, and
many more AS agents Of the Christian and
7HnlsaEy. Commissions, and these laborers fer
tne moEat and physical well being of our sol
dlers, arc contributing as much to TIE eficien-
cy OF oHr army, as those who are connected
withzit. " Ministers are as willing hs any 9TH
eF class of citizens to- bear their proportion
Of the burdens imposed BY This 5frairicidaL
strife. l.,
| But while ministers do not ask exemption
rom the service Of their country, there are
many who think they ought not To be compel
led TO takeuB arms No aChristatn nation
requires .ror has ever required military service
of the clergy. Indeed no nation whetheE.
Christian or heathen has ever demanded mill
tary service of the ministers Of Religion. IL
is considered but a part Of that homage,
which the world in every age has paid tore
igienf to exempt its ministers from ordinary
military service, Our country js not % near,
IN oyrhor lor. ~ II g.
force into the service, those whom the pnivsr-
sal usage Of the. civilized world exempts.
But the STANDARD, (which in this, as well as
as in everything ese is but the feeble echo Of
the Cincinnati Enquirer) says ministers can
be spared as well as any other class IN sOCie-
ty." This is the general sentiment 0f infdelS;
to demolish the Christian Sanctuary, to silencs
the voice Of the pulpit, to overthrow all the
institutions Of Christianity, is the great object
Of iDfdels.in eVeTylaud We cannot conceive
who, but inidels, caA feel, that ministeTH7 canil
as well be spared as any other class Of society.
Christians are accustomed to regard the
ministry as very important Institution 10
society. The influence of a preached gospel,
lpon5the temporal as well as the spiritual ih4o
eresLs of society, is such thatin the estimation
'f all who love-. or even respect the religion
If Christ, no class, could as. i'll be spared as
he faithful ministers of the gospel.
The reason of the Standards want Of ap-q
,reciati9n Of theomiuistry doubtless is,t that
ilmost all the ministers in the North are1loyalro
@ the Government. Probably not more that,
dozen ministers in Ohio voted fer the traitor
7allandighan H. Such class of citizens could
oubtess, in the Standards opinion, be very
'el spared The sympathies of the Standard
eern to be in the same direction with those Of
copperbead in our neighborhoOd, whe last
sf summer. expressed the charitable wish,
that every - church was burned, and
hat every - preacher was hing"
Butr ministers had more to do in bringing
bout this war, than any other class.v So
lys the Enquirer, echoed by the StandaEd----z
hat have the ministers in the North done
! bringing about this war? Did they urge
le South to secede? Did they counsel the
tack upon Fort Sumter2 No.'" But they 5s
rearlied a6olition and thus goaded the South
no Tebelliou.Y None bat sympathisegsu with ,-
le rebellion will contend that the South, Wers fr
1aded into war by the abolitionists. II il
ere true, The South are right and the North
e responsibIesfor the war, with its dreadful =
ain OF evils. What loyal ci tizeno believes
40 f''-Iy . frI ttfi
1t is true that almost all minister's in the ,-
rh, and an immense majority Of private
risons, believe slavery not only to be,
cia aud political evil, but moral wrong, -7
d they sometimes give utterahce to their
upon shis subject, 10 the pulpit and la
ey semetimes pray in public. and often in,
iyate, that every yoke may be broken and p
G oppressed set free But are those who
us preach and fray responsible for the mad
IS and wickedness OF the South? III 50 Ply
IN was the apostle Paul responsible for therrv
ckedness of Nero, in prosecuting the Church.
In point of fact, however,the ministry and
urch, have been unduly Conservative, lag
lg behind public opinion, rather than leading
So much has this been the case, that the
IRE violent aboIitionists have been IN the e
bit Of f-denouncing the church as fBfoth-sl
cd Of Thieves" because the ministry and the CT
urch were not more demonstrative, 10 the
ldemnation Of the "sum of all villaiDies."
But in nc. sense can it be said with truth,
1t the ministry had more to do with bring 30
about the war, than any other class in 80
ty. @.