New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-03

0utle4 3uO 1tSpOHSioulN1S VI u4Do, "iCAcu
destroying the freedom of bis viii or thu
, Iconviction 81 his exalted destiny. But tn
the education which is to produce Thu
effect must be . liberal and generous one
Orthodoxy and schisms must be banishet
from the schools and wisdom sought in the
pure fountain Of nature and humanity
Above all things man must be taught u
appreciate his own dignity and worth
The essential prerequisite to this IS th'
consciousness of his free agency and COZ
tidence in the dictates of reason as the so!t
law of his destiny and existence. Mans
will is his power and, reason the guide
which should control its exercise. Reason
Is the iconoclast Of prejudice and superstl.
ton; the futile structures Of falsehood and
error fade like insubstantial pageants as
they are before its scrutinizipg glance; 1t il
the light and champion Of truth, the law
maker and expounder, OF the universe
Reason is wisdom, for it estimates truly the
established order of things and teaches Vi
to Judge fairly of their infinite relations
with us and with each other; it is liberty
for it accords to all things free and un.
trammeled exercise Of their faculties, subject
only to it's self imposed conditions; it is the
soul of nature, free, Doundless and eternal
But, it may appear to some that am
treading upon dangerous grounds, that
stand upon the verges of preclpice. What,
it seems to me l hear the question. al
reason is everything, what becomes OF
faith." If mans will and judgment rule
his destiny, what becomes of the sublime
doctrine of divine interposition?" In plain
Language, do you disbelieve the Revela-
tion and repudiate Christianity" No! /
am ready to believe and willing to be con-
| tent in faith. But religion has been abused
and misused; human passion has shielded
its vicious career beneath its folds; the art
full and the designing have used and still do
use its solemn influence to impose upon the
simple and the credulous; hypocrisy and
deceit have played their willy and unscrupu-
lous parts beneath its desecrated ga,b; and
power. tyranny and oppression have found
. willing and convenient tool in the bigot.
| ted fanatcism Of blinded and irrational
faith. We must take the world as it is-not
as We would like to have it. The millennium
| has not yet come, nsr will
it ever come till faith is puri-
| fed by reason, and religion and
| fanaticism are no longer SYNONYMOUS
| divide the church, its supporters breed dis
| cord and discussion; as long as hum an pre-
| sumption usurps divine prerogative and
and makes articles of faith unwarranted by
| revelation and repulsive to reason or com.
mon sense, the Christian religion will bring
forth feud and bloodshed instead Of peace
and good will to man." ...-.
It is easy to mislead man in matters OF
faith. Oppressed by q sense Of helplessness
and fear. he snatches eagerly after anything
which offers consolation and support. Often
opinion, he submits readily to the dictates
of others. and is happy in the irresponsi.
bility Of his passive obedience. A free and
liberal education only can emancipate him
from this degrading bondage. Natural re.
ligion must come to the rescue OF revealed,
and human reason must purify it of the
human imperfections and contradiction
with which it has been encountered fer
wicked and selfish ends. Thus it will be re.
stored to its original simplicity, and become
recOncilable with those ideas of righteous
ness and purity for which no man need
look beyond the sanctuary of his
own mate, inexplicab.e convictions. Teach .
man humanity to man, and you will instil
into his mind the purest religion. Teach
him to believe in good deeds; to have conf
dence in the Divinity which animates his
frame, to look into himself and there fad
the principles and rules of action which
prescribe his conduct and control his fate.
Let him know that the best service he Can
render to God is to serve man; that he can
not better honor his Maker than by eXalting
himself; not more truly worship Him, than
by true appreciation and exercise OF the
faculties with which He has endowed him.
Then if he errs he errs with the great bene-
factors Of our race, who have, from time to
time, broken the spells of fanaticism. which
perverted mans faculties and established
the foundation Of lis progress. and the firm
and permanent bases of reason, virtue and
intelligence. Such a creed anexist in per-
feet and consistent harmony with the doc
trines of Christianity-.and not until all
mankind shall have become a convert to this
union of reason and fai.h-will the conflicts
which rend the very bosom of the church
be sppeased-discord and discussions end,
and peace and happiness reign throughout a
regenerated universe.
What might not a country like ours do
for itself and all mankind, if its people had
attained such state of moral and intellect
ual culture. The form of government does
not make men free if in their souls they are
slaves; if their morality be tainted by their
passions; their judgment blinded by fanati-
cism; their ambition debased by sordid lust,
avarice and selfshness. Liberty is not a
gift from man to man. Governments can
not give it-they restrict and sometimes
take it away. 1t is birth-right belonging
to every being; an attribute Of every par
ticle OF creation; an absolute right to enjoy
the blessings of nature unrestrained but by
her own immutable and eternal laws. Or
ganiZed society represents man in an artifi-
cial state. For purposes of association and
protection he consents to be governed by
the will of the masses, and renounces q part
OF his natural freedom in exchange for the
guaranty of safety and support which is |
promised him. Wherever in the admins.
tration of q government. whether it be in a
monarchy or republic, powers are exer-
cised which exceed the express or implied
grant. and which do not minister to the hap
piness of the people, something is wrong,
and the wrong is easily traceable to its
cause-ignorance or vilainy, or both. Viii
IN 1al ne,- Torv "a
the masses, which patiently submit to be
made the sports and playthings of the am
bilious schemer, blinded by the fascination
of power and fattered by the sycophancy of
those more despicable than himself, who
"crook the pregnant hinges of the knee
where thrift may follow fawning,' he yields
himself willing victim to the impulses of
his degraded nature, and builds an infamous
immortality on the ruins of his people.
Since the world exists the many have suf |
fered for the few, the innocent for the gull
ty; nations slaughtered, undone, obiterated
from the surface of the earth. sacrificed on
the altar OF human vanity and lust.
'The king of men. his reverend priests defed.
And for the kings otfense, the people died"
We are little better to-day; but not
much. True, we do not SO readily die for
kings; even the old world, in its slow but
steady onward march, has dissipated the |
abuse of prejudice which invested the |
head of royalty with the halo of |
divine origin. But there are other
influences at work now. Our own republic, |
by nature endowed as never nation was be- |
fore-gifted beyond all precedent in wealth, |
in beauty and resources, presents but little !
encouraging or gratifying to the cultivated |
man, the good citizen, the republican of |
nature, who, free from the prejudices of !
cherishes within himself the |
hope that some day truth will prevail and |
consign to ignoble oblivion or henious i'm
mortality the dagrant sins OF corruption and |