The mountain Democrat., 1865-10-07
TIE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT.
state IntsrF.r.ass with Religion.

thera has been Q cd4sultation Of ministers
and a determination fesOlved upon, not to
"take the oath" prescribed by the new
Constitution. Among other reasons for
their action, this Is furnished:
"TO take the oath prescribed would concede
the right Of the State to exact any other coudi-
1ious Tar The privilege Of preaching and teach.
log. Nay, il would sdmit the sovereign au.
th0rity OF TIE State ever relikiOn-its right tO
prescribe creedS, to establish church, u reg.
uIats worship, and even TO abolish the preach
ing Of ths Gospel entirely.
@Ths srrest aad punishment Of minister
for refusing 70 take this oath wOnld reproduce
. chapter OF the intolerance aud iEnOruncs Oi
the Sixtesuth ceDtary. The very duugeons 10
which the nnOHeudssg victims we're incarcer.
Atsd would cry out With horror against the
stranRe esiIh% Sherias and j1ilers would pro-
asst against being forced to participate in the
oOvsl wickedDesS. The State 1T Missnuri would
pTeseut 70 ths WOrld the spectacle If casting
harmless Uea iHto prison for the OHense Of
preacAsg the GUsPel!"
The clergymen Of Missouri, in their &C.
tiOn, ,haSs precedent to sustain and cheer
them. The tyTant James the Second, Of
EngIAad, among hiS other acts Of oppres
SiOn, sOHght TO impose . test oath upon
the ministers Of the Established Church,
which was repugnsnt to their conSciencrS
and feelings. The clergy almost unani
ymOusly declined to take it. aud stood up
for their ancient privileges. The county
became prOdigiOusly excited over it, and
no event did more to create the revOlu
sion Of 1889, which hurled the despnt
from his throne and drove him into exile
The test is really the revival Of the old
doctrine Of the right Of the State to con.
troll the religious communion Of man with
bic God. and If it is not met at the threSh.
old, we shall sOOn See among us religious
controversies and wars and horrible per
seculiOns
The history Of the tyrannicAl Siuarts
seems TO be repeating itself wonderfully at
the preSent time. They had their illegal
courts Of High Commons. We have MIL
itary Commissions They deprived the
people Of the habeas corpus. So do Cur
rulers. They had their plots and conSp.
racies, Eomented and designed by govern.
rnent detectives, and carried through nv
dint Of false swearing and perjury. We
have the same. They had their r, ligiou>
tests for clrrgymen. and SO have we
They overturned the liberty of the press
and prohibited the trial ny jury. They
invaded the privileges It Parliament, AMI
sought to punish men for tIeir sentiments
uttered IN debate W. have had just such
instances within the last two years il our
Congress They sought to rule ny means
of a standing army. But why pursue TIE
parallel lurihery All can see the picture
faithfully reflected back from the United
States. When our forts aud military
prisons give up their terrible and bl""d,
secrets, they will compare ~irh the worst
crueltlcS OF the reign Of both Charles and
James In the roll Of the cycle Of ages,
that dark and dismal era in English his
tory, when the liberty OF the citizen Was
DESTROYED, has visited our once free ana
happy country. .-lCincinnati Enq.
HEGIRA oT SPlA>rERs. The surplu,
sweetness Of Massachusetts, spinStcrhO0d
is soon TO Le wasted on the desert air oI
Washington Territory, for the relief I"
territorial bachelors who now darn thciI
buckskin brrechts and III their hours
Of solitude. A certain DR.. Mercer. n
that Territory, as agent for the suffering
swains Of the Pacific coast. has arrived
in Boston aud perfected arrangements Il
.eiurn at once with q cargo Ot BAY State
virgins, in black stockings. candle wick
garterS, short waists. spit curl<, green
specs, Ialse teeth, and thirst for chew
ing gum. Brl"re coming To Ma>S>achn.
sets, the Doctor had made provisions f"'
conveying his cargo from A>plnWall I"
San Franci>c ), at q merely Honinal rate
Of fare, and from the latter port tn Puget
Sound free Of any charge whatever. he
difficulty remaining to be solved, was i''."
to get them gratuitouS passage from Bo>
ton to Aspnwal. Governor Andre"
suggested that Government vrsS be
applird for. The Dnctor sought Secre
xary Stanton. who referred him To Grne
rel Mrigs. What further difficulties h,
encountered We find in she New York
Express:
"M.iss approved this movement but
unfortunately had no Spa'e boats. and
suggested visit to the Secretary Of the
Navy. WeIles got fairly awake when
the subject was explained. hut tcould only
furnish a man oi war and the AallnIS
might steal the women before they were
presented to the suffering humanity al
Washington Territory. Bnt, suggested
Gideon. there is Grncral H'waid. ~hn,
with supreme control over lre, Omen, ref
ugees and others, Possesses the nrceS'
sary powers. Howard was pleased with
the idea, but the women hr"s white,
were entitled to no mrrcy. lie co1ld ~"
" attend 10 the wants Of our black
brethren and sisters. The President was
suggested aS the Verv man. and M,rrer
full Of compassion fnr his constituents
saw Mr.. johnson. Ills Excelrncy hint
ed that Gen Grant was the very man
and perspirug Mercer went to the crea
hero. Grant asked for iIoward's 'RdorSe
uent Of the scheme, aud got it,"
Therefore it will not be long before th'
bevy Of Massachusetts danSrlS, arme'
With green reticuleS, loaded with catn'p
tin whistles. teelhng rings, blank mar
riage certificates, and photographs y
Ben. Butler To hang on the andirOnS t'
keep their babies out Of the fire, will b,
going aboard . vessel and bounding over
the water infections in search Of n mar
ket for their kisses. We envy DIR. Mtr
eer. See him standing on the pOnp deck
bathing in q sea of luveliness as the inviS
ible hand Of sea sickness lends the rrtch
ed beauties belOw aOd him To reflection
How he can strap trunks. tie old ShOr
strings, etc. Mercer, you are in luck. =
HGw long will these continu'nss he Tins!
And don't you want an able bpdleh jour:
Relics Of motherhood farewell. Nav y"'
find the market stiff, and hanpy hours
when the sun goes down. La Crosse
Democrat
"WEL, Samb", iS your master GOO
E.rnepY" 40 YES lie he n good farInel