Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-02-16
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND
TIKI FRED. DOUGLASS LECTERE

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ssh Cerufeates, $50; Gold, 137X.
THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND
THE FRED. DOUGLASS LECTURE.
The Chronicle continues its abuse of the re-
respectable gentlemen Of the First Presby terrain
Church who deprecate its use as a political
rostrum, and especially the scene for foul
mouthed attacks by a negro orator against the
Chief Magistrate of the nation. Ii suits the
purpose Of the Chronicle in this connection to
make fuIsome laudation of the Rev. Byron
Sunderland as the fearless and thrilling divine
whose imprisoned eloquence against slavery
and secession have made him the mark for the
hatred of the sympathizers with rebellion, and
is the only reason why he has become irksome
to his congregation. Now this is simple trash,
pure unmitgated trash, will be compre-
hended by all familiar with the career of the
dapper little Boanerges of the First Presbyte-
rian Church. We have not the slightest ILL.,
will agains that gushing little gentleman, and
are quite willing to indulge his feverish
craving to figure in print and attitudinize
emotionally before the public unhnd-
cred, but when it is undertaken in his
behalf TO put him up as patriot martyr
who is being persecuted by "secesh'
congregation for principles sake, it may be-
come necessary to strip him of his iackdaw
plumes and show him up in his true light-a
well enough meaning man, but light ballasted,
and OF such Unsuitable thirst for notoriety that
he would cheerfully attltudinize dangling from
balloon if thereby he could figure before a
crowd, or get his name in print. He would
willingly split himself up to his clerical neck
cloth to be able to straddle wide enough to
tread in the sensational footsteps of a Spur
geon or Beecher. Does not every nearer Of his
recognize this as true picture of the man
lie devotee to anti-slavery principle, Why
it is notorious that less than the Chrouicle'e
''fye years ago. judicious members of his con.
gregatlon, averse to pulpit politics of any kind,
had to hold the erratic Byron back by the coat
tails to keep him from rushing into politics TO
give abolitonism "jesse'' from a conservative
standpoint. The plain truth is, that the dis.
affection to him in his congregation originated
long prior TO his abolition shoot Its members
had come to the conclusion that while he
could pray with the beautifulest cadences
and display his white handkerchief, and pass
his white hands through his classic locks with
languid grace not easy OF attainment, that as
a religious teacher he was the most unmiti-
gated humbug that ever walked. His insati-
able all absorbing craving for notorety took
him 90 continually from his legitimate church
duties as to make him the most unfit person
imaginable to sustain responsible pastoral
relation. How this itch for notoriety led him
10 Paris, where he proved such dead failure
on the hands of the American church that his
New York sponsors were very anxious to
return their /" elephant" to the Washington
congregation some time before his two years
engagement had expired, and how precipi-
lately he was hurried back to be thrust upon
an unwilling congregation, are matters afford
ing rather piquant chapter, which we have
not time to enter upon to-day. It is sufIi cient
to say that his Paris American con gregation
displayed the same bad taste, and want of
good judgment in disappearing the style and
caliber OF the Rev. Byron that has been
displayed by his Washington congregation.
We do not see, however, that it is branded,
therefore, as s'secesh." That style Of treatment
is reserved by the Chronicle for Washington
congregations.
In this connection the Chronicle makes much
parade Of the " card" ito be found elsewhere)
of the lady managers of the CoIored Home, in
which card the ladies-Mrs. Senator Wade and
others-raise their hands in pous horror at the
allegation that the lecture of Fred. Douglass
although ostensibly to obtain funds for the
benefit Of the colored orphans" was, In re-
ality, to enable certain political parties to pro-
mitigate their peculiar doctrines, in opposition
to the views Of the President Of the United
States and large majority of the American
people"
The ladies say that their purpose was TO
raise money for charitable purposes. and that
" one Of the means resorted TO was to have a
lecture from Frederick Douglass, not on po-
litical or party topics, but in reference TO the
assassination of the late President, an atrocity
which they supposed all mankind condemned"
The authors OF this statement being ladies' IT
is hard TO characterize it in fitting terms. Is
1t within the bounds OF possibility that these
ladies' had not seen aught, or heard aught OF
this Douglass lecture as delivered by him
through all the North, and reported in nearly
every paper in the country Were they not
aware that 1t abounded in the grossest attacks
upon the Presiden, and his policy In the lee
ture as delivered here some of the m ore offensive
attacks upon tie President were suppressed Tor
some reason, but enough Were retained TO show
the unftness for its delivery In any honse
of Divine worship, especially when it put the
congregation in the attitude of thrusting these
offensive uterances directly upon the ear OF the
President Even az toned down by the rhro,i-
Gle, that paper reports Douglass as styling the
President the Pharaoh who is prosecuting the
black race. and as saying:
Il he crime of crimes which now threatens
this nation is not one that kills the body. but
one that murders the soul of the nation. 1t is
one that strikes at the national honor is
one that must bring upon the nation the gath
cred wrath OF God and man. In Washington
TIC crime # crimes ,chteh OrerhGE9s as and
threatens as as nothing less than he base, the lrdu-
ton betrayal Of this RspGblic by the rtda-by The
re1y ia wdOm HiS generous notion has con-
fded Tie core Of ats honor; the bose and rcantoa
surrender 81 all The ef0TtS Of NiS terrible udr Jrcl
Ggoia into The hands Of The rcry men tpgo ,rjfi
breed blades and Gloody hands, hare sought 10 de-
sfIo y tie nation"
aud ii is tor directing 10 have their pulpit
drsecrated by such utterances these that the