The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-05-21


Lands OF the united people of these ntatea, not
perhaps, to an easy but to a certain and not dis
tant tutuie.p In the struggle ofio-day the party
OF the Constitution is the party OF the future.
But, meanwhile, as we are men, and have
human sJmpa hits it is not possible for US
not to be shocked and startled by the demorali.
zation which radicalism is bringing upon the
people OF the sectiCn in which il. lust now
wields 90 portentious an influence 1t is not
only in the gross and fragrant instances of Off
c1al dishonesty, carried on under the cloak of
extTemism IN politics, that this Generalization
is TO be seen. II Is not such revolving speeches
as those in which the radical leader Mr.. ste.
vens, invokes the "renitentiary of he'll" for
millions OF his feow-meh, that we are to seek
ITS evidences. 1t reveals itself far more lament
ably to the Philosophical eye in the acts and
words of those among the afflicted who may be
reasonably presumed to be in the main honest
rather than dishonest, ignorautly humane rather
than deliberately devilIsh.
Take, Tor instance the case of General How
ard passiona'ely asserting the absolute inno-
cence OF whole department of the Freedmen's
Bureau, not only in advance of all investig alton
into the case, but actually in the face of the re-
ported adverse testimony of men whom he knew
to be officers and men of honor. Can one ina
gine MOI melancholy spectacle? What must
be the extent to which radcalism has debauched
the intellects and the consciences OF its more
ienoble votaIles, when it can thus poison the
very springs oil right reason and sound udg
ment in the nature of a religious and respecta.
bic soldier?
Or, take up one OF the prOteSSedly religious
organs of this party-for example, the New
York Independent, which may be fairly con-
sidered the highest possible expression of the
religious culture OF the radicals. In this weeks
Issue OF this journal we lind an account of a
meeting to raise money for building a Congre-
garional Church in Washington" winding up
with threat that the piety OF the builders of
this proI osed church shall be carried to the
polls two years hence TO put Governor Buck
ineham, OF Connecticut into the seat of Senator
Dixon" Fancy such a turn as this given to a
meeting OF the apostles in an upper chamber at
Jerusalem! Here are men actually assembling
to promote the worship of God as subsi iiary to
Connecticut election Can the human mind
conceive Of anything more ludicrous at once and
more revolving? Again, of the financial results
OF the convocation we are informed that "Mr.
Beecher, that most accomplished of beggars
performed the operation OF blood-letting IN so
easy way that the people who emptled their
pocket-books said inwardly, as Tom Moore
sang:-
" If this Is ruin, then undo mep"
Once the Christian Clamp of Sacrifice" as
Mr.. Ruskin terms ii, was led by such sacred oil
as that which ran down the beard of Aaron. In
the radical churches of to-day, the altar, it
seems, is supplied from the toilet-table OF Ana
creon. The radical Christians give their money
to build churches-not In the fear of God nor
because holy tervOr OF sacrifice is upon them
but precisely as the ladies in proscenum box
throw ther bouquets to a tavorite tenor, and
'clap their hands before the Lord, !" to acknow-
sensibihtes as can only be adequately illustrated
from the leTOtC pages OF the late tom Moore ~
How utterly must the foundations of all re-
spect for things human and divine have been
shaken in the nature of the "religious writer
who can thus couiound Salem with Sybaris:
thus eXult in pastor gifted to convey the souls
OF his people iuXurousy to Heaven on "iowery
beds CT ease ~ ..... ....
The an, mphis Riots" pass under review by
this same journal; and the first heated reports
which radical correspondents have made OF
scandalous and lamentable riot-the history of
which is now actually under official inyestga-
tlon-being calmly assumed to be entirely true
the affair is made the text of vehement and
vlrulent attack upon the white population OF
the South. That politician should do this
would be dishonorable enough; but here is a
Journal PROCESSING so 10 speak as pleasing not
men, but Cod which makes haste TO bear
against its neighbors witness which 1t cannot
possibly know to be true, and which may at any
moment be proved to be false To what dis
ea'es Of the soul shall we send missionaries to
min ster il not to such as these
Again, IN the same journal we find letter
from certain General Fisk, radical officer,
who. commenting, from NashUHe, upon stories
which have reached him from Memphis, lifts up
his voice, and eXclaims:-" so prosecuted they
the prophets In the spirit of our Master let us
continue 10 spread Christian civilization over
the entire land.r ..
Let ''lS" continue; as upon whom the Divine
Benlgnity has conferred monopoly OF the said
Christian civilizaton!" Is it possible for
worse spirit to enter into any people than the
audacious sell righteousness and Pharisaic as.
sumption convey ed in such language as this?
Observe that the "whole land" thus spoken of is
the entire region peopIed by the American race
"a region in every section of which Christianity
has been established ever since il began to be as
a CIVILIZED Slate! What limits can be set to the
inevitable decay of morals and ofintellect which
must set in upon the people of the North were
this binding, corrupting, corroding spiritual
vanity TO become their universal tyrant, as 1t
alreaQy tVrQnQlZcS nnhannV m i'm
whom the radical electors of politicians like
phaddeus Stevens, and the readers of religious
journals like the Independent. put their trust?