Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1866-10-20
A QUEsTIONsOF DUTY,

which religion has been brought by the
conduct and influence of abolition preach
e's,, 60 accurately expresses our views
tina, we chcerfully give it prominence in
our columns. The article is as applica-
BILE to every city and town in the north
as in the locality for which it was written:
More than half of the churches in this
country, Of all denominations, except the
Catholic, are simply institutions for the
propagation of political fana,icism. The
gospel is not preached in them. The doc.
trlnes of Jesus are perverted by po litical
priests, and made to serve the purposes
OF faction and OF party. Every democrat
who contributes to the support of black
republican preacher directly encourages
the prostitution of the pulpit aud of the
church erected for the worship of Coz to
a politica! cl.o-room There are thou
sands of democrats in Chicago paying
yearly tens of ,hous sands of dollars for the
encouragement. of such prostiu,ion.-
There are thousands Of democrats in Chi
cego who, by their presence in political
churches on every Sabbath, counteuance
the insult to God which is involved in
the substitution of o rabid, malevolent,
partisan speech for the messages which
Christ has com issioned bis ministers to
deliver. In proportion to the number of
its inh abitants, Chicago is not different
III this from other cities in all the north.
ern states In almost every locality in
the north where a church may be found
there may also be found the brazen cler-
ica demagogue, and demo so eyre
gious'y stupid and 80 willing to submit to
insult that they help pay the salary OF
the priest who is in fact simply an ennis.
sary of the black republican party
Preachers of the black republican persua-
sion draw very nearly half their support
from democrats. The political parties in
this country are not far from equal in
numbers, and there have been but very
few instances in which democrats have
made The habit Of political preach Jog q
reason for absenting themselves from
church or for refusing to contribute to
the support of the men who engage in
that busine IS.
Political priests are doing m ore to
maintain the ascendancy Of the bl ack re-
publican party and to educate a genera.
ton to hate the SOUTH" than are ell the
newspapers and all the other leaders Of
that party. We do no. exaggera.e in this.
In the last presidential campaign as good
authority as John W. Forney, the propris.
tor and editor Of two daily newspapers,
each having wide circulation, and mao
therefore not likely to underestimate the
influence Of the press, declared that toe
republican party in Pennsylvania would
be chiefly indebted for its victory to the
loyal Christian chur CHI It was this
institution which most effectively helped
the designs OF the patriots Forney and
Cameron 10 Pennsylvania. 1t was the
"loyal' Christian church which gave the
black republicans in that state the victory
on Tuesday, and there we're thousands of
democrats in tina. state who helped iber.
ally to pay political priests for doing it.
1t is rot difficult to understand why pc.
Itical teachings in the pulpit are more
impressive than elsewhere. They are de.
livered under the sanction Of religious
forms, and are accompanied by solemni-
ties and circumstances which are we'll
calculated to Assure the audience of the
sincerity of the speaker. We're q pot
house politician, like John Wentworth, to
say in brothel that "lhe fight between
congress and the president is God AL
migh'y's fight, aud it cannot stop until
God Almighty say, enough the state
ment would be considered as the rawlings
OF blasphcmous blackgusrd, but when
the same Language is employed by Rev.
SASha AAatliSiA III anu - pFeccI6U
by religious ceremonies and a formal
prayer to God, it is accepted by o grea.
many as an authoritative announcement
OF "ihe Divine will If the thought is
an irreverent one, and the expression of
II b'asphe nous, = more severe censure
should rest upon him who employs it in
proessed worship than on tho drunken
demagague who is profane from habit.
We think i, is time for democrats seri.
ousy TO consider the extent of the wrong
they are committing in encouraging the
prostitution OF pulp;ts and churches aud
in contributing to the support Of political
priests. Aside from all consequences re-
smiling from such action Of \ political
nature, the spirit OF irreyercnce springing
from the conversion Of the pulpit 10 a
hustings is an evil which should seriously
alarm all who truly respect that which is