, 1865-06-22

FEER BPEE OH At TAG 8HUTa.
The recent resolutions Of the Virginia Bap.
lists, Ia general convention In Richmond de-
the "minIsters and missionaries"
who hare bcsn sent by the Baptist Homo Mis-
sion Society. to Gil the vacant chnrches aud
deserted pulpits ofVIrginIR, ,are the renewal of
the sYstem Of ''squelching" ftec speech, which
il a. indigenous at the South as free spcech
itself Is 1t the North True, the Home Mis-
sion Society is An Abolition society, which
has labored long and ca1ncstly to promote
anti-slave1y views among Northern and
Southern Christians. But, II as Is claimed
the Southern rebels concede slavery to be
already abo1lshed, what objection can they
hare 10 the preaching Of Abolitionlsm In
theit pu1p!ts! Why object to a.prcsches who
will rejoice with the black man that he Ia
free, or leaa colored congregation in app7o.
pirate hymns and prayers Of thanksgiving
for their ttctdom, or MD him In procuring
work a. wages rathe. than work for Ills old
maater for nothing!
Tie manner In which they start under the
imposition Of this test, shows that they by
no means eoncle that slavery is ended, but
that thcy are determined, 60 far as In them
lies, that no ant1-s1arery Christianity shall
be preached there.
The proceedings Of tho Homo Mission So.
clety, In sending ministers, under the author
ity and protection Of the Government, to
ofilciate in deserted churches, Is character
lied as "pretentfons and usurrations," aud AZ
~ an edort to create and foster jsalousy and
"dissena.on between e1asses residing In those
Estates, and especially between the colo1ed
IA .kr<N Nnx
" faithfully. md 10 successfully 1abored for
"their congregations" In other words. tho
Northern churches are told to keep tnelr
ministers at home, that they tend to altenate
the affections OF the slaves from their masters
that they Are fncendiasy, and that the South
must still keep It's rotten pro-slavcry Chris
tiauity unaffected by Northern ideas. They
must run In their old rut. They continue
this sublime inpudence In the following cool
language:
"That VIC recognize our obligations ~ Chris.
tasstueion sna ,to1 IN shich w h.Ss %
sueeess, engaged. aad inst wc seconnsnd to onf
zes! il snsneutsung md esr1yiug forward ali III
proper and jnticioua measures for The spiritual
snDsbtenmtn. snd elesatsoa Of The eolosed peo:.
| influences lending to altenate the confidence and
! sNtct,onz OF this c.ass Of our p2op.c from the
s:saas a1se az Z sse
4 ousies and diasenssona between the races"
They first reeolyed thAt Northern minis.
tcrs are incendisry, and then resolved to
"resist and countrTact' their Introduction
amorg Them. Before. our gatrisons nrc re.
owed they demand u Suppression of that
ftec pulpit, and ftcc speech, which are a. Nc
cessasy 30 rpAlntafn the federal authority al
the South, as Is the constitution itselc Wcrs
our trrors removed these ministers would bi
1nobbtd Al Garrison and Lovcjoy we're In tn
olden time, and the work OF .1uctchsnE free
i dom would 20 on nstn at the next Prcsldeu
! tiAl campaign, as AT the two last, no Nort6er,
candidate could be supported or voted 70
. without pistol in each hand, and bowl
| | knife in ones teeth. In view of these fa:t
+ We need 10 impress upon III
Southern mind in the most auttorltatiy
way, by our conduct. that the Federal goy
eminent and the Nostbrrn people will sui
. nit to no dictation on the point Of fre
I speech, o free pulpit and Tree press, from III
! Potomac to the Rio Gtaude. Rscons:ructlo
is Gucc unless the most obnoxious Abo1l
/ tioDist In the North can speak, write, au
: publ!th, In every hamlet OF the South, with On
fear or favor, whatever he chooses, cspec!atl
. upon the slavery and the negro question.
i |. To withhold this power is to withhold from
; the government the power to make th
! Southern people loyal BY appealing TO tho'
seastn, now thtt VIC have conqu 'rcd them i
battle. Itjs to prepare FOR another war.
j Heretofore the States, aud at til
/, | South the mobs, have controlled Ii
r matter OF fsee speech, - While th