The New York herald., 1868-05-13


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We have some forty thousand clergymen of
the various sects, numerous Bible and tract
societies. with extended auxliaries foreign and
domestic missionary organizations, young
mems Christian associations, Sunday school
unions religious benevolent bodies, city mis-
sions, orphan asylums, charity hospitals homes
and places of refuge for the distressed, the
weary, the virtuous, the fallen, the despairing
the hopeful the young, the old, the sick, the
halt, the blind, the good, the bad and we have
our magnificent cathedrals and churches and
synagogues for the afiluent and fashionable
those who would creep into the heavenly realm
through avenues spread with soft velvet cush-
ions and sparkling with glittering worldly gems.
There were received by voluntary contributions
to the principal Protestant societies alone-of
course exclusive of the vast sums collected by
the Catholic churches and the minor weekly
contributions in every city, town and village in
the land-in 1866 FIVE million five hundred
thousand dollars. If the actual amount volun-
tarily contributed in aid of religion and its
charitable works in this country could be OBJ
tanned we have no doubt it would be found to
reach the enormous sum Of one hundred mil
lions annually. This is subject fit for sober
reflection. 1t must be remembered that these
sums are no government subsidies. The paltry
matter of a few donations proposed by our
Legislature the past session in aid of some
Roman Catholic charities are as but drop in
the ocean of the nations individual cOntribu-
benign handmaids, charity and virtue. They
were but as waits, amounting to nothing in the
great voluntary system that maintains religion
here. Upon this powerful religious element
rests the strength, the morality, the prosperity
and the perpetuity Of the republic. II is the
stanch pillar that sustains the tabernacle of our
political liberty, and without its support the
fabric of our free and tolerant institutions
would crumble to the dust and the waters of
oblivion cover II forever. 1t is no matter of
Importance how these religious organizations
live with or fight each other. No matter
whether Roman Catholics ignore Judaism,
Episcopalians rcpudiate Unitarians, Presby-
terians snub the Universalists, or how
any other sectarau taboos his neighbor
Il is sufficient to know that the great,
reliable, Industrious, good, moral and virtuous
masses of society-the widespread, dcep-reach-
ing and inflcxible middle classes-are COM
bined to crush out the works of the Devil and
elevate the standard of morality. Under the
reign of this religious sentiment the country is
safe. II is the sentiment that has controlled
the world for thousands of centuries and
always will control it so long as the human
mind is left free to combat the Vaccinations of
Satan and the human heart strong enough to
resist the temptations of the flesh Opposed to
1t is the rotten and corrupt political element
the Office seeking, backbting, lying and treach-
erous political organizations; the stock job
bing clques, the iniidel cliques, the burglars
ciques, the gamblers cliques, the pickpocket
cliques, the pothouse cliques, the dismal, vile,
detestable cliqucs that control our elections
aud thrust pledged rascals into official au-
thority, into the municipal government, into
the State Legislature, into Congress, aud some
times winding up with the State Prison for all
hands. Fortunately, the Devil is agog and
busily watching these political scamps and
cliques, while the religious anniversaries, the
parsons and the missionaries are doing their
best to keep the good and the virtuous out Of
Old Beclzebubs clutches and bringing sinners
to repentance.