The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-03-21
Religious Decline.

For tie Republican
Under this head the Detroi, Free Press Of
the llth inst, contains an ar .c.s perfectly .
characteristic Of il and III party. The .
Yree Press quotes from The \. Y. IHysHI- .
enfs correspondence from New Haven Ct, !
"that there are over seventy sllp-ts in that 4
State having neither pastor nor stated .
preachers" The Free Press goes on to .
state that, " il IS O Ialpal'e lcr that the
sanctity Of tie day sci apart l9r the obser-
vance OF religious rites has lost, measur- F
ably. its hold upon the minds Of 4 large
class OF people all over tle land And
then goes on with double fling a. The pull
pit and the Republican party; An ac-
e0mpiished writer and thinker declares.
that religion and politics. ara constituted
here AMI hereafter on tie Two -reat objects
Of tits lie 1t may be THAI the greed
for tie one has been absorbed ia tie ex-
element @. tue other which Las engaged
so closely the attention VI Tie American
people for me past four years. IL may be
that the desa.-i0n OF Tie House OF God has
been f0llowe- from disgust AZ the lowering
OF the one 10 the familiarity OF tie other;
from 0versha50Wlng the higher authority
by the vuIgarl.y OF human passions That
desertion may hl.e followed ig0m the nat
ural feeling OF resentment to political teach
ings, from those Who We're supposed to
have laid aside the concerns OF this transit
tory state How much the decline OF re-
/ leious feeling ia ihe country Is owing TO
the condition OF things 10 which we have
limited. it's moi ourparpose TO determine -
whatever elseis cA4rge ao.e with tie decline,
whatever is within the churches themselves
that may Doe responsible Tor something OF
the present state OF affairs, We, of course,
must leave to those who are more directly
Interested aud better versed IN the facts.
tits certainly more liberal in the writer
OF the above than we should have expected
to " leave to those more directly inter
ested to say, if true. how IL come 10 De.
or the cause or causes mat produced It, We
believe that efeci follow causes, that GER
tain liae of conduct In an Individual or "a
q
Democrat said To Us not long since, that he
knew OF but two preachers in Michigan that
belonged 10 our lhis' party. and De hoped
to God they would leave il, 10 which senti-
ment-ieeling the consistency and proprieiy
OF the thing responded. \ men. Bur that
a religious decline should surprise AN editor
Of the Free Press, or any other Democrat.
surprises me. The Democratic party, the
Democratic presses the Democratic speak
ers. have for the last fifteen years through
their press, their speakers. and in the high
way, public and private upheld the institu
ton OF slavery, in every reasonable ana IN
reasonable wav;-an Institution that can
not exist were Christ H.
They have rilicuel and sc3lei 1T the
idea ofthe higher law doctrine. OF conscience
in man; they have. through all agencies.
sought TO bring contempt upon the churches.
pastors and teachers; they have opposed
as party ali laws for thc suppression Oi
the traffic in intoxicating drinks: they are
to-day.-where they have the power. "a in
Detroit. Using an their influence 10 blot
ont the sabbath. by opening ali the
rum holes in the city ON the sabbath; well
knowing ii they succeed IN doing 50. that
they will bc sure - recruit their ranks.
TEis is true il must 'e t-oe.-ioI 10 can
not be that party who advocate temper
ance; who stand az the heal OF all our in
stitutons Of learning. vino til our pnpIt~ !;
who constitute o. por cent. of our sabbath
school teachers: wIo take nine-tenths OF
all the religious journals. and -even-tenths
o,l i'm tLe land: who uay thrrc-fourfhs Of the
taxes of The country; furnish over eight
tenths OF all school teachers. aud ssh la-
sist that all men shall stand on au equal
footing before The law;-it cannot be that
the teachings OF such of a party woull
empty the churches of any Dul natural cop
( perheads that theit principles should in
duce decline in religion. Is 1t surprising
or rather is il not surprising that there ex-
f lists as much Of the religions element a.
does exist, when we reflect upon the mum
her and power OF the Democratic party Tor
the last fifteen years. and the principles
f they have so diligently inculcated. " By
their fruits shall We know them We know
that Democratic States rebened- we know
/ they tried TO destroy the nation; we know
they assassinafel Lincoln: $50 know the
( only rebel svmpathizer- in the North were
not Republican, " Rv their imits shall 10
know them
Whatever else is clargeable with this
decline, surely the Republican party is
not chargeable with II: II is not the effect
Of their causing, it is the natural fruit
None other could in nature, have been
looked for as the direct results OF the
teachings Of the Copperheal party. And
to-day in tins nation would have hecu PEE
peated the scenes I'D France under the Jac-
Obn rule, could that party have succeeded
in obtaining power during the last four
years for as now organized under present
leaders, they arc in perfect accord with the
sentiment of The Richmond Enquirer.
O. that We viii ron back ,he mistaken tide
OF the civilization OF the ace. anu in the
place Of Liberty Fraternity and Eqaality-
We have deliberately substituted Slavery.
Subordiuation and Despoticl ~ Govern
ment.' rTu
Pro Bono Publico