The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-09-18
THE RELIGION WE PROFESS.

The New York Independent is noted,
among other exceHencies, for some of
the most stirring papers every week
from some of the most stirring men
and women in the land. Last weeks
paper has an article on "The Religion
We Profess" by Mr.. Garrison, which
utteTs some wholesome truths, and
suggests some wholesome reflections.
Starting out with the claim that the
religion we profess is the only true
religion, lie shows Enthusiastically that it
is a religion which, in its outward
utterances at least, has always been on
the side of oppression, OF the strong
against the weak. and is to-day one OF
the chief upholders of that aceursed
spirit of caste which esteems and treats
one man better than another on ac-
count of the quality Of his clothes or
the color of his skin.
every occupant of the pulpit, who
means to be faithful to his trust,
should at the present. time set forth
with special emphasis and frequent
iteration, this inhuman spirit of caste,
as yitiating all just claims TO Christian
character, and fundamentally at war
with Christianity itself. At the South
it is revealing itself in every horrid
shape possible. Born of Slavery. it
survives the dreadful system which
gave it birth; and, though it may
despair of rc-cnslaviHg the millions
who have been set free, it has both the
will and the power to inf1ict all manner
= H., 4
1t finds constant utteTance in great
swelling words of blasphemy'; its
rhetoric is that of the bottomIess pit fit
audaciously robs; it stcalthily assassin
atcs; it openly murders; it demands
the subjugation or the determination of
the objects of its fiendish hatred; it
sets OH fire of hell all the evil passions,
and eXults in making the South one
vast pandemonium. And the end is
not yet in that section. At the North,
it is the animating spirit of powerful
party, whose democracy is demoQ-oc-
racy, and whose success is vauntingly
proclaimed to be the warrant for the
Inauguration of such q reign of terror
at the South as only the horrors of st.
Domingo can parallel. 1t symboliZes
and embodies, in an organized form
whatever has been rebe1lious in one
with the rebellion on the other. 1t is
not only to be periodically resisted in
every lawful manner, but religiously
denounced in the name of the living
God. 1t puts darkness for light, and
light for darkness; it calls evil good
and good evil; it clamors for the re-
lease of Barrabas, and the crucifiXiou
of Jesus. Give it but the reins OF
power governmentally, and mems
hearts shall fail them for fear, and fol
looking after those things that are
coming upon the land. There are fifty
thousand pulpits that ought to make il
the one great religious duty of the
hour to confront it as the ANTI Christ
of our country. There are millions OF
church-members, in whose hands is the
controlling electoral power, and whose
votes should be consolidated to smitt
like a thunderbolt the heathenish polit
zeal combination calling itself the
white mans government party.
Every religious journal should bt
swift and strong in its condemnation
of such conspiracy against justice
against humanity, against religion:
and civil liberty, against the kingdom O.
heaven and the government of the
Most High God. Let the trumpet Civ,
no uncertain sound; let the banner o
universal brotherhood be unfurled Il
the breeze; and let it be glorieusll
decisive conflict with the powers o
darkness at the approaching President
/ ial election, so that our land may hav,
rest, peace and prosperity may prevail
! throughout our borders, the rights o
all be vindicated and assured, and TIL
RELIGION WE PROFESS be made worth,
of all acceptation by its sympathy for th
| oppressed and its adherence of what
ever seeks to desecrate or disown tia
Divine Image"