The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1866-12-03


crs regard as the sanction of sacred au-
thority. While the war was going on,
these same clerical vendors of partizan
nostrums, were constantly encouraging
the work of devastion and slaughter,
and were laboring to intensity the bit
terness of the strife. Under their di-
rection churches which had BEN sol
emnly dedicated to God, and altars
which had been consecrated to prayer,
were placed under the ominous shadow
of the standard of Mars, and the
notes of praise and thanksgiv-
ing were mingled in the temple with
the battle chant"
With Bible and torch and halter,
And hymns to the sound of the drum,
They preached the gospel Of murder,
And prayed for luSts kingdom 10 come.
When the long and bloody struggle
was closed with honor 10 the Union
arms, and the integrity Of the Republic
was finally guaranteed, these same cler-
rv who had assured their hearers that
soldering was no less Christian than
a patriotic duty, We're found melting
their congregations to deeds of Ven
geancc. The ancient virtues of forbear-
ancc, pity and charity, were subordina'
ted to the teachings of ecclesiastic bru-
tally. The usages of savage ages and
races were revived, Christianity was IT,
constructed on basis of barbarism and
Radicalism, and rG rictis was adopted as
the business motto of the clerico-politi-
cal partnership. A little later, the va
rous church judicatOrics, assemblies,
conferences and convocatiops delibcr-
atcd upon subjects of a purely political
east. debated the various questions OF
suffrage, amnesty, and governmental
restoration. and denounced and damned
all heretical dissenters from their views
with an energetic zeal that seemed dis
posed to
Decide all controversies by
Infallible artillery
And prove its doctrine orthodox
By apostolic blows and knocks
Thc uttcrunccs of many of the North
cru clergy, Oh last Thursday. show that
they are disinclincd to abandon the
realms of politics, and confine them
selves strictly to topics connected with
their vocation. The suffrage question,
the amnesty question, the representa-
tion question, and all other phases of
the nigger question are presented with
an earnestncss and unanimity only
eqUallcd by the vigor and severity with
which the salvation question is let
alone. We do not propose to reiteratc
for the hundredth time our dis
appreciation of the introduction of
politics into the pulpit. We only de-
sire to inquire whether to this introduc-
tion may not be attributed some of that
popularapathy toward religion of which
the church press complains. Wcdo not
say that such is the case, because we do
not know. We are not going to initiate
political preachers, step beyond the linn
its of our profession, and assume infalli-
blc wisdom on subjects of which we are
totally ignorant, and we therefore mere
ly submit the suggestion. Our reason
for so doing is that, so far as our obser-
walton. goes, those churches that have
always vigorously excluded political
discussions from their pulpits, have
1ourished in healthy prosperity, while
congregations that have made partizan
tcncts part of their religion. have in
many cases been rent and torn by the
violence Of internal dissension, and are
now giving signs of dissolution and de-
cay. The Baltimore Gazette refers the in
creased popular indifference to re-
ligious subjects, to the conduct Of the
class of clergymen to which we have
referred. 1t says:
We have said, over and over again,
that if the Christian religion is ever to
cease temporarily to exercise n control
ling influence in this country, it will be
because hundreds of those who specially
profCssed to be its ministers insisted on
il in mems minds with what
is false, impure and brutal. We be-
lieve that the clerical politicians who
discoursed so glibily about the vices of
the Southern people, and who encour-
aged Northern men to prosecute the
work of slaughter and devastation, have
done more to unsettle the faith of thous-
ands than have the writings of all who
have assailed the Christian creed.
In every State throughout the North
the evidence is to be found which in
dicates widespread decentralization
among the very individuals who assem-
BILE at the New York anniversaries, as
they are called, to make the loudest
about the indifference of the
public to religion. If these men go on
in their present course, nothing but un-
mixed evil can come of it. In this coun
try an intimate alliance between any
church and political party can have
but one result. The church will not
elevate the party, but the party will
assuredly bring the church into
disrepute, if not into general con-
tempt. But the leaders of many
seem madly bent on con-
trolling both political and spiritual af-
fairs, and are laboring sedulously to
achieve their ends. If their movement
be not speedily checked by some vigor-
Gus action on the part of the more SEN
sible and conscientious clergymen of
different denominations, We may wit
ness, before many years, the advent of
one of those epochs, of which history
has recorded many, during which men,
breaking loose from all religious re-
straints and convictions, have, for the
time being, abandoned themselves
wholly to the pleasures and passions of
the hour.
American intervention in Mexican at
fairs is considered by all resident for