Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-03-04
THE BIGoT,

sSAS "ShAS ekaA
more and more, every year, Is this name
becoming n Of great reproach, in this
country. 1t is so, for the very reason
that bigotry is fading away before the
Light Of Republican civilization, and
the h~ideousness of the creature, bigot,
is constantly becoming more apparent
to the masses. Mere prejudice does not
constitute, or even, invariably, bege.
oigotry. A man may have and confess
the most intense dislikes in directions
where his informed judgment forbids
him to pronounce unqualified and unre-
tenting censure. Indeed, it is one Of
the claimed and conceded triumphs of
true Christianity, that it enables a man
to get the better Off not to destroy
utterly-his prejudices.
It is pretty safe To- place it down as a
general rule, that the Bigot in this coun-
try, the native-born American who has
enjoyed average opportunities for educa-
ton and yet exhibits wholesale ex-
clusiveness Of prejudice, is notably de-
6cient both in his intellectual and his
moral organs. And for the most
wretched Of Bigots, in this land, COM
mend us to the close sectarian. Every
phase and manifestation Of this charac-
ter provokes in the candid mind a seuti-
ment Of inexpressible contempt. It
may not be out Of occasion now, to pre-
sent some illustrations of this character
the religious Bigot; and submit some
general comments thereon.
Our (American) religious bigot is not
necessarily a member Of a Church,
though usually he is one, claiming to
be both "Orthodox" and Evangelical"
You may not be in his.company for an
hour, without he develops himself to or
before you. On any topic he can thrust
forth his opinion-that no man or ma
ton can prosper or be saved except dew
lis be cast out through a certain denom-
national administration. Talk Of the
weather or the market, and he will so
shape his speech on these, the common
est Of topics, that you cannot miss the
belief in him that storms unprecedented,
or financial crashes, are the result Of
non-conformance to the theory or disci-
pline Of his church, his church views;
or they come from direct affirmative ap-
plause and acceptance by people gene
rally of heretical doctrine. But, above
all, you note: the religious bigot is a
great stickler for his own "Liberality,"
"Bresdth of Views" ''Largeness of
Soul" etc. Other men disagreeing
with him are "uarrow minded" 'limit-
ed in vision" "'small souled,' etc.
These are his terms and assurances, in
variably. He and his kind, he can
soon tell you, are alone Charitable"
in the mental and in the practically be-
~nevolent sense. These are of the infal-
lible indications of religious bigotry.
The life exhibitions of men Of this
sort run after this form not a cent for
any object that is not to be sought IN
der the auspices of the creed they main
tain. Not a crust Of bread or a cup Of
cold water shall, with their aid or free
consent, be given one Of the little mes
God has permitted to be thrown upon
the mercy of mankind, except the same
be served on one Of their tract covers.
"Let the sick suffer, let the orphan 60
hungry, unclad, or uneducsted, or be
instructed only in evil F.; if not in the
"hospital where my chaplain prays, or
after the cut and trim Of my sectarian
fashion, o, Lord, they be not relieved
and properly cared for /" At the anne
time the deeds of speech, act, vote, ETC.,
Of the religious Bigot are plentifully in
terlsrded with squealing declarations
concerning his immaculacy as a Glib
eral' man. w
It is probable that in the instance
where he is striving to prevent q COM
munity from giving general aid to an
inaugurated project for charity, started
under a management he hates because
Of its sect, he will lie in this style ''In
my prieate capacity I have often given
to such a chsrity"-snd peculiar cir
cumstances Of the case will be plead to
cover his bigotry. "a cup of cold
water given in my (Christ's) NAME" is
interpreted: "given in my sect's name"
am never permit it to be given other
wise, if l can help it." Not, though
the money ready to provide for its regu-
lar giving is contributed to the Treas
ury oyer which he has a voice, by a
majority who denominationally believe
after the manner Of those whose work
of love it is then proposed to endow.
And very likely on such an occasion
an old bigot, in addition to his usual
proclamation about his own Astounding
''liberality," mental and practical, will
indulge in sanctimonious phrases,
twanged through his nasal organs in a
delightful key. Perhaps, with what to
merely secular criticism might appear
blasphemous license, he may picture his
own certain appearance before the "great
white throne" and his assured welcome
by the Savior Of mankind. And this
might suggest and warrant the privilege
of one who had been listening to him.
(another, and an unorthodoI, perhspsD |
might rise and tell Of a vision that
had been suddenly painted on his mind:
The Judgment place the great white
throne the Judge seated in majesty ;
before Him many women, who on earth
had dedicated and devoted their lives to
the care and nurture of p~arentless little