The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1868-12-05
(From the Charleston Courier,l
PuFitaniSn.

(F'rom the Charleston Courierl
PuritaniSn.
ITS INTOLERANCE, BIGoTRy AND HYPocRIs
s. This malady, which has been the curse
Old England in times long past, which h,
been so terrible curse to New Englan,
!. from the beginning, and from thence has sci
h its virus, in greater or less degree, tbroug
all the States of. this once happy Unio1
where it still spreads the poison, cannot we
= be said to be dying out in New England
e but we do happen, now and then. to fin
= some bold and just expression of Opinion
upon it in the region which still entertain
it mostly. and which encourages US to hop
, that the season rapidly approaches when ou
political, social and moral atmosphere ma,
be totally purged and set free from the pes
thence.
4 Very recently, in an grafton delivered b,
the Hon. w. Austin, of West Roxbury
Mass, We find him using this language
Speaking Of Governor Dudley, Colonial Gov.
ernor, he says: That he possessed all the
attributes of q sturdy Puritan, class of peo.
pie who were never happy except when they
had somebody to quarrel with, or somebody
to oppress.'
Kindred with this is the following passage
from the same oration:
Ages ago, in the time of Esop, an at
tempt was made to wash the biackamoor
white. but the blackamoot. died under the
operation. Experiments Of similar kind
are now under trial, to fail, as all others have
failed before. The DEGREES of the first great
cause cannot be overturned, cannot be set
aside by man or devil Satan tried the frst
experiment. That failed, as all such expert.
msnts maaek .x.a.s.-,s..s-...x-,,s-s ss.s
..S .s-ssEdsy sEdsy. : r =,
"These are all Puritan experiments. and
the devil is understood always to have shown
himself a. Puritan, when it became his pol
icy to play the hypocrite."
Elsewhere, the same orator. speaking Of
one Of the great moral deficiencies Of po!iti-
clans and so-called statesmen, in our day,
and especially in our country. uses the fol-
lowing language:
"The want Of courage in avowing opinion,
lis vice Of our times. Too many conceal
their opinions, when they happen not to be
| 10 harmony with the masses. They thus
contribute to aid the masses and perpetuate
their abuses. He who is capable Of forming
an opinion, but. forsaking manhood, and
renegade from prinoiple, falters. whether
from fear or interest, either in politics or re-
hgion-acting contrary to his own deliberstt
judgment-in opposition to his
cons'ueleu oo"s,Sf'Pfu Puritanism, in its native
sen, 1As ttS render this rery sort of treacberv
and hypocrisy the absolute necessity Of
society
The same writer says:
"They (the Puritans) if they cannot hate a
man for his vices. will certainly do so for
his virtues. Hate is the aliment upon which
envy and hypocrisy thrive most, and thew
must hate in order to be reasonably happy.
This is, perhaps. some excuse, referribie to
that peculiar demon which tortures them"
In the little old volume, called /" Cabala -
aud containing the Table Talk Of King
James the First, we find passage which
ftly belongs in this connection:
IL never knew (said King James, that pu.
ritan, that spake well Of any man behind bis
back. or took delight to do good to anv
being covetous of his purse and liberal of his
tongue. 50 that be is always IN ill.peiehbor
and false friend"
How true, At this very day, to the char.
acter'st'cs ct this meddlesome people; whose
enormous vanity suffers nobody to be At
peace, If they can mar it; and never beholds
any prosperity. Of which it does not seek -
rob the proprietor. even though thew adj
nothing thereby to their own possessions
Let us look to the SUMMARY made of II.
tribe by one Of the greatest cf The Rr;.;.S
historians Of the present century. We onote
rom the History Of England" !" by the cela.
brated ]. Babington Macaulay.
de writes-speaking of the intolerance of
Pur'tanism. and their envious and malignant
Public amusements, from the m.scu.s
which we're exhibited at the mansions 4 -
yreat. down 70 tho wrestling matches. ana
I.lnn'ng matches on the village green. were
Vigorously attacked. One ordinance directsd
hat all the May poles in England should he
orthwith hewndown. Another prescribed an
heatrical diversions The play houses were
be dismantled. the spectators fined tho
ctors to be whipped At the cart stall. Ronc
ancing, puppet shows, bowls, horse rac;no
ere regarded With no friendly eye. Bns ;
then favorite diversion With
Ugh and low, VAS the abomination vh;ch
lost strongly stirred the wrath Of the austere