Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-01-07
BELLIGERENT CLERGYMEN.

| We doubt not that many among our readers shared
with us in the hope that the amendment to the enroll
ment act proposed by Senator DIXON for the purpose of
exempung cergymen from the operation of that law,
should nave found favor in the of the Senate instead
OF being rejected by such decisive majority friend
who marked that vote has called our attention to the fol-
lowing considerations, urged with mingled psasantry and
argument by the Messenger Franco Amsreaia, French
Republican paper of New York, when arguing in defence
OF the policy of the law now stands We translate
from its number of the 30th ultimo;
Many have been surprsed not to see the clergy ann
merated in the category of citizens be exempted from
military service by the conscription law which Con-
gress has beep lately revising But who t,
due account the political Institutions of this country would
the contrary, have been SURPRISE with more Just rea
son to mud priests and preach ncld in the list Of
exemps LII 1t 49, IN hGe ef the BEAUTIES of the Con-
stituTon of certain European Governments not 10 rscop
nse State religion 1t is Of the eories Of he Federal
Constitution that IL establishes difference betwren the
clergy aud the faithful whom they direct To make at
this Gay dstncuon between the pastors and their ck
would be consequently to create precedent against The
Costuion and to go estray in that unhappy direction
which, IN Spanish America in the British Empire, and in
almost all The countries OF Europe, has led the most
sorroWful abuses Congress- moreover would have been
much embarrassed to draw proper line of
lhe different FRO estant sects which thrive xuriant
tho American soil may be divided into two classes
That OF the orthodox sects such the Catholic church
the Episcopal persuason the Presbyterian tho Baptist
the Dutch Reformed the Lutheran, and two three other
persuasons, which have their priests and minister's while
Judaism has It's regular rabbns Hence The distinction
would have been eary make between the eccrs
of these several churches and the faithful gather
around them But the heterodox have an equal right
to the favor Of Congress- and among thest latter there are
several which consider each of their COMMITMENTS min
lister Of God. We may cite, among Others the Shakers
the Quakers the Dunkards and many the Uniyersast
and Methodist congregations &c To make exception
oi minister's would have BEEN therefore, necessarily to
exempt military service all Potes stans of these diff
erent heerodox persuasions. 1t would have been in
word to make iav"rtes OF considerable portion of
popua ion at the expense of the other sect and We should
also have found ourselves under the ecessy OF establish
ing tribunal charged with the duty Of nlerrogang each
citizen his religious tenets and of aniug truth
OF his assertions.
We do think it necessary to push any further the
enumeration of The unhappy consequences which clause
I" exception IN favor OF ministers OF religion would draw
after it,
We may remark, in passing that if Congress shouId
ever deem it equitable TO make such dtnctou it should
at once exempt the Shakers the Qusker snd the Dunk
ards IRON service because among all Christians with
out excepting the Catholic pests persona of these
three the only who consider war to
be horrible n and who carry so far their respect for
the precepts OF Jesus Christ that they only r the
left cheek To HIM who has us smten them on the right
but they would not deal blow with their is to
prevea robber from picking their pocket an assassin
from taking their lite. We well conceive an The bor
ror with which these unfortunate Quakers inofensve
Shakers, ard pacific DuDkards must seized when Gun
ia put IN their hands TO kil young people against whom
they bave no personal grievance and who in cAres
defend the root beneath which they first light from
invasion by the arp,i<s oi the North.
q
ton Of CalheI5 priests Episcopal ministers P
preacheys,or or Reverend Methodsts. These e. ia 6ne
oecose than pacific they constantly incite to war
they have more aith in the discharge Of a cannon ,hsn
i. long prayer, aud If custom or deoorum kr.Ds thsm
fro p ctng To-, they take their reveaee without stint hv
exciting with gesture those who run &, meet
danger and by beratng peaceabe people prefer to
stay at home By what right for example, should the
Rev. Henry Ward Beechrr, the Rev Dr. Tying and four
htths of the preachers of New England exempted from
military service--men who by their sermons have con
trbutrd than the Northern press by it's arces to
the revolution Of which The present the conse-
quencef
"1he persons who affect 10 be surprised at the
harshness OF Congress regard members OF the clergy
hope thai the National Legislature will least have the
To make exception favor If Cath ,c priest
mood. On what tins hope founded it is difficult for us
discover The Catholic clergy, fact has ver dis
avowed War Without gong back to the Crusades which
we're organized by priests without recalling the less
mote times when he Popes f,th with b, llnet On
heads and sword in hand the Conquest of the
Italian provinces, have not days great
dgnltaries OF the Catholic Church levy regiments de-
feGd the patrmony of ST. Peter, aud recc even from
the OF the pdceabe inhabitants f the city of
Perugaf Does not Monsigneur do Merode tske delight
~ donnng military uuorm aud in manouverDg the
mead 81 the troops o the Holy See7 Do priests
sing Tie dens alter every victory o the cause
they espousei do 10y not bless the sandards soldiers
who flying to the combat aud do they inspire
from the top Of the pupt7 And lately has not Bar
rios the hapess President Of St Salvador fund in the
forests Of his country Catholic priest clothed ia sacerdo
tai robes, mounted on charger with sabre in hand
chasube on ls shoulder cartrdRebox by his sde aud
bands hanging from neck suddenly stoppns him in the
road the border and crying, he himself ia the
meiee. kill them, kill them, u the Last man
"Why then should wish that the ministers of God
whether Catholic or Protestant should not rick their per-
to hasten the end OF the present Already many
IT them putting the Bible their havesack have taken
their musket and distinguished themselves on the fields OF
battle The most renowned Of all, the Right Reverend
Major General Leondas Polk, among the first change
the white crava for the apangIed collar cf the Con-
federate officer not the less consider himself the
model bishop Of Louisiana, though he may have conducted
hs herolc divisions 10 tu many bloody encounter Let
hope that all the eccesnstcs OF the North who shall
tall victims to h'e viii do themselves honor by Initiating
50 glorious ~ example"