National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1867-06-21
"PuritaniSm. /"

The papers which habitualI,
abuse what they call Puritanism
are very fond Of seizing upon every
unusual and atrOcious crime which
is committed in New England and
declaring that such is Puritan NOR.
ality. The implication is, that the
moral Influences and efforts which
proceed from that quarter are hypO-
critical Indeed, nothing is more
comlcal than to read the objurga-
ttonS poured out upon a New Eng
land SINNER 10y those who COntem.
plated the plantation life of slavery
and the daily history OF Anderson
willie nlIhpelieCt CompidCeucy. We
have been ourselves often favored
/ by the jealous with a list of Yam
kce enoImitles," which they inform
US, with burning sarchasm, that it
would be well 10 illustrate and we
rninSnnlscr - ha~n saau a list of
, some dozen offences which was CIIl
gently published in the rebel and
copperheaG newspapers, as peculiar
Is fit subjects for the arts, s OF Har
per's Weekly. Among these sug-
gestiye subjects. however, we do not
recall that the sale Of ones children
by sinothcr mans wife, or the hiring
out Of other mems labor, or the
/ whipping of women, or a hundred
not exceptions but constant and
characteristic Incidents Of a religion
and system which denied human
rights. We're included.
When, for Instance, we published
q representation Of the Scared and
welted back Of a freedman, it was
not the story ofa single crime, but
OF criminal system, Of horrors
which are inevitable in any society
in which men and women are aban
doned to the passions Of 0thers.-
Now the test Of the moral condition
Of s community is not crime which
is common to all communities, but
the feeling with which it is regard
ed. II there be no especial abhOr
renS6 Of the worst offences. it is fair
to assume a general decentralization.
Applying this test to Il puritan
aud a Cavalier" community, what
do we find ? \ few months since
the sarcastic critics published the
story OF the savage or insane clergy.
man who beat his child to death as
if it were an illustration of certain
state OF society. If he were not ia
sane ii was an unspeakable crime
and it was so denounced every
,,,b1vp M talrA thn l,tn in,
Massachusetts Of Serene Howe, a
; clergyman always Of good reputa-
. ton man OF ability, and mem
Der of the legislature. The copper.
head papers cried cut rs if they had
, at last discovered the real tendency
I OF massachusetts civilization. But
, the truth was that public indigna-
/ tiOn was SO aroused and universal
that Howe was obliged 20 fly on the
very night of his exposure: the next
day he sent in his resignation TO the
astouuded legislature, then disap
peared, aud has not since been
heard Of.
, uowcs offences were indescriba
= bic; but bad as they were, can any
I thing be worse than to seduce other
' mems wives and sell their children :
- When did public opinion in any
( slave state ever exile a man who
sold other mems children The
D reason is, that the Puritan civiIiza.
tioa does not generate criminals
e. like Howe. while those Of the other
Z kind were the natural and necessary
, product Of the southern social sys
+ tenn Under New England inhuenc-
, es the paug5 Of Andereonville are
/ absolutclyimpossible. In the region
. where they occurred they were
p merely natural When, therefore,
. You tind'a paper which gloats over
the icrca punishment of pupil by
a New England Teacher, or the
l poisoning Of the family cVifee by a
/, New England servant, or the over
! wi Ginning shame OF a New England
b clergyman, cyehts wholly exception
i al, ask Yourself what that paper
II used to say OF the daily and neces-
Il Sary crimes OF the slave system ;
IS what il said Of Andersonvllc, what
{ it said OF the Wcnt of the south
y crn negroes after the war. such
!, critics expose every blot in the civ
u iii1ation Of liberty that the toulness
a of the social spirit they defend may
o seem less hideeus.-HW. Weekly