North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1866-01-24
The ..Lcyai'' Clergy and the .sPr.ss"

people have become Gained down ana pet
ter enabled to view national questions in q
more dispassionate spirit, those ofishoots
turbulent times, the political war clergy,
have found that their insane rawlings about
war, and slavery have "ceased to draw"
The day is past when half demented, BIZ
goted, in:olerant and fanatical creature,
clothed in the ministerial garb, can mount
the stump and proclaim to mob as drunk
with fanaticism as himself, that he desired
to see the rivers of his country tinged with
the blood ofits enemies, their bodies piled
mountains high, and their cities blotted
from the face ofthe earth. Such ferocious
sentiments are not tolerated nov, and the
dissertations on 'war," slavery" "copper"
heads and "Aboli: i:ionism'' are at a dis
count. The frenzy is past, and'such incOn-
slstencies in men who profess to be guided
by the principle of the Prince of Peace, are
only alluded to now to show how brutal
even preachers can become under the infu-
euce Of the war spirit and the howl for
blood. This class Of men were no doubt
seduced IN great measure to make such
painful exhibitions of their passions by the
fiattcring notices they continually received
from the 'loysp secular press. Those
journals having no other object but TO ad-
vance the prospects of party were
pleased to drag the church into the politi
cal arena and make it and its instruments
subservient to their design, hence, they al
lowed their columns to be filled with war
sermons, and the more fierce, the more in
tolerant, the more brutal and hell born in
their fury, the more they received the fiat
tering plaudits of these politicians. The
Philadelphia Press, edited and owned by
John W. Forney, was notorious in its
praise of the war clergy, and its columns
were always filled with complimentary no
tices of these Boaneges' Of the pulpit. But
it is so no more; the "loyar' clergy and
the 'loyal' Forney have fallen out. The
war on the rebels, copperheads. &c, has
in measure ceased, and these truculent
heroes are now engaged in fierce war of
of rhetoric on each other. Forney,it seems,
feeling disposed to make piety and profits
90 together, has established Sunday
Press" This bold Innovation on establish
ed usages, has aroused all the ire of the
clergy, who demonstrated with him, first, in
gentle tones, and failing in that, have met
in solemn conclave aud denounced him as
the "man of SIM who has pushed ajar the
door through which is to flow all manner
Of evils to fill the land. This "BulP' of
the clerical cen.ors has aroused all the
yndictiveness in Forney's nature. and he
assails these very men whom he formerly
soft sawdered" as the "loyap cleagy, the
models of plenty, and ''exemplers of patri-
otism," as the proscriptive and intelerant
clergy, .cbaracterizing their present efforts
as the Tyranny which makes and lives on
slavery" Furthermore, in addressing them
he says: "Your doctrines would enthrall
and darken the intellectual energies of both
races-would pervert the divinest exam
pies and the noblest maxims to the destruc-
ton OF the spirit of intelligent inquiry and
the paralysis of those natural rights, with
out which no people can claim to be entire
ly free
Consistent with your philosophy, | am
not surprised that Won should set a model
of prescription which may be used by your
enemies to illustrate the excesses into
which even righteous men arc sure to run
who allow their zeal to overcome their judg
meEt."
Just what we said Of the intolerent ia
palical Abolition war clergy long since, but
coming from 'copperhead'' it was de-
nounced as sacrilege, treason, &c, by. the
loyal organ of this neighborhood. But time
makes all thing. even, and it is satisfac-
ton to know that even Forney, who so
fattered AMI fawned upon these political
pulpit despots, has been obliged to admit
that they are bigoted, proscriptive, and dc
sire to institute that Tyranny which makes
and lives on slavery. y."-IntelHgencer.
TAXING national BANKS Ks.-Hon. w. M
Meredith, Attorney-Gcneral of this State,