Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-04-07
99aiIg gppeal,
MORNING EDITION.
GA.
THURSDAY MORNING. APRIL Z, 1864.
OUTRAGRs ON oUR CEERGY,

The oTdeE which expelled the Norfolk clergy
men from their pulpits, and that which empow-
ers Bishop AMEs, to take charge of the churches
of New Orleans, says the Columbia CGrOliHiaH,
HTe not to be classsd with the deeress which
banished the Hugusnots from France, or which,
ia an evil hour for this continent, drove the sui
len puritan across the Atlantic. The peISecu-
ton Unlisted by the Yankee Government is not
dictated by any religious principle, but rather
by the want of it, Il would be 8 matter of per-
feet indifference to our enemy whether the pull
pits of the South were filed by Turkish der
wishes, HindoO Brahmins, Asbknses priests or
Christian preachers, so that the occupants of
those pulpits would consent to teach Federal
politics and pray for Federal success. The
crime is in consequence much greater than if it
origiLstsd in an honest, Though mistaken, zeal
for q particular creed. OF such feeling, the
Yankees IN their cold and cruel utiliiaIisnism,
sre perfectly incapable. L! would, therefore, be
sn insult to the memory Of BoNEER to mention
him in the sane breath with BUTLER. To find
parallel for the conduct of tha! miseresnt in
his treatment of The Rev. Mr. WISGFIELD, who,
our readers will remember, was sentenced to
work, fsiteTsd By ball and ebain in the streets
of Norfolk, wo know not where TO look IN the
history Of religious prosecutions. The IGquisi-
ton had better excuse for the tortures which
It indicted
Ones indignation waIes still greater when
Que reflects upon the character Of the men VITO
have beon thus outraged by the course which
our enemies are pursuing. As Glass, the cley-
gy Of the South have been always eminsntly
distinguished for that wholesome pissy which is
perfectly free from colSness on the one side and
from fsnsticism and bigotry on the other. They
have never been sllured by any Of those 'isms''
which, in the forms of free love, pantbeism, and
the various shades Of transcsndental iufdelity,
are the result Of 3 not unnatural reaction
agsinst the puritan code sf New England. In
ability in purity Of life, in devotion to their sa
cred calling, they viii compare fsvorsbly with
any similar body Of men in the world. But
what d0es this matter to LINCOLN, BUTLER and
their myrmidons, except that it makes these
reverend gentlemen more dangerous to = cause
with which pieiy, purity and devotion TO any
lofty purpose have nothing to do. They sTe all
the worse Tebsl5 for their virtue. They are q
living testimony in fsvor of Southern right,
breathing and eloquent protest against Northern
wrong. OGt with them, therefore, to make way
for the advocates of q higher Law than the Bible;
thst law being the viii Of the Yankee despot,
who is, at present, playing such fantastic tricks
before high Heaven, ss viii make himself and
his nation 8 worlds wonder to the end of time.
Let the unscrupulous tyrsnts go on. In ct
tscking the eIPonsnts OF that genuine chris
tihnity, from which they have departed, they
have doubled the significance Of the cross upon
cur banner, BY compelling US to remember that
we are doing battle for our religion as well as
for our liberty. Under the inspiration of this
thought, we shall SIGHT As they fight who know
that upon their side is tho omnipotent Lord of
Hosts