The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-10-30
COLUMBIA.
Tuesday Morning, October 80, 1866
Political Priests.

Ihe Chicago Times has the follow
ing chapter on this topic:
Political priests are doing more to
maintain the ascendancy of the Black
Republican party, and to educate Il
generation to hate the South, . than
are all the newspapers and all the
other leaders of that party We do
not exaggerate in this. In the last
presidential campaign, us good au
thority as John W. Forney, the
proprietor and editor of two daily
newspapers, each having wide cir
culation, and a man not likely to
underestimate the influence Of the
press, declared that the Republican
party in Pennsylvania would be
chiefly indebted for its victory to the
''loyal Christian church" 1t was
this institution which most effectively
helped the designs of the patriots
Forney and Cameron in Pennsyl-
vania. It was the '1oyal' Christian
church which gave the Black Repub-
Leans in that State the victory on
Tuesday, and there were thousa&fls
of Democrats in that State who
helped literally to pay political
It lis not difficult to understand
why political teachings in the pulpit
are more impressive than elsewhere,
They are delivered under the sane
ton of religious forms, and are ac-
companied by solemnities and cir
cumstapces which are well calculated
to assure the audience of the sinceri-
ty of the speaker. We're pot house
politician, like John Wentworth, TO
say i'll brothel that ''the fight be-
tween Congress and the President is
God Almighty's fight, and it cannot
stop until God Almighty says
enough" the statement would be
considered as the rawlings Of a bias
phemous blackguard; but when the
same language is employed by n
Reverend Hatfield i'll church, and is
preceded by religious ceremonies and
formal prayer to God, it is accepted
by great many as an authoritative
announcement Of S'the Divine will. ;"
If the thought is an irrevercnt one,
and the expression of it blasphemous,
more severe censure should rest
upon him who employs it i'll professed
worship than Oh the drunken dema-
gogue who is profane from habit.
We think it is time for Democrats
seriously to consider the extent of the
wrong they are committing in en-
courag1ng the prostitution Of Dulpits
and churches, and in contributing to
the support of political priests. Aside
from all consequences resulting from
such action of a political nature, the
spirit of irreverence springing from
the conversion of the pulpit to q
hustings is an evil which should Sc
rIously alarm all who truly respect
that which is sacred. There is not a
preacher in the country who has
made himself notorious by dabbling
IN politics who has not employed
language in the pulpit as profane
and vulgar as that which we have
quoted. The contemplate vanity
which makes this class of men itch
for applause, aud spurs them to the
discussion of political questions,
prompts them also to resort to the
articles Of demagogues, and to at
tempt to create a sensation by pro-
ianlty. The business is demoralizing,
and congregations are taught to
speak of God with fippant irreve-
renee which must diminish respect
for His character. Let Democrats
withdraw their feet from political
churches, and their support from
Black Republican demogogical
prlests-then it will not be long
before we shall have much more Of
religion in our politics, while there
shall be nothing of politics in our
religion