New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-05-26
CURSE YR, NEROZ!


brethren in Philadelphia have assuredly not
forgotten their ancient battle-cry, Mercz"
being still, as of old, The Scarlet Woman on
her seven hills, whom they by no means
agree with Carlyle in writing down an extinct
Satan. This sect our readers will remember
as the one who lately brought themselves before
the public in their dispute with DIR. George T.
Stuart anent the diabOlical proclivities of
hymn~singing. The Synod is now in cOnven-
ton I'm the City of BrOtherly Love, and Occu-
pied as a Synod or any religious body should
be- in discovering for the world evidences of
Gods watchful care of His children, and
subjects of thanksgiving for His infinite
mercy. An ordinary spectator would suppose
that out of the national history of the past few
years. with its chartered judgments and vast
results of moral power, a history in which each
man there present had his share OF thought or
feeling, cause for gratitude might have been
found; that indeed they need have gone no
further than the soft Spring sunshine and the
buds on the green waving branches outside OF
the church windows to know that God still
held the world secure in the hollow of His
hand, as in the day when He first smiled
upon it and pronounced it good; that out OF
these simple daily miracles if they went no
further they might have carried home lessons
to their people of the love of our Elder Brother
to us all, the evil as well as the good, and the
infinite charity taught thereby.
But our reverend friends were in no mood
for sunshine or Spring buds and blossoms, any
more than for universal brOthery love. After
short glance over the worlds history, they
appeared to find nothing had occurred worthy
of commemoration before or since the days of
Knox, and consequently formed themselves
into committee of the whole, and Resolved,
That this Church, represented in General Synod,
return their devOut thanks to God this day
for the life and labors of the great Scottish
refOrmer.
De qatstibus, etc.-even in the matter of
saints. This saint was an honest Christian,
and Jealous, if narrow and crude; and we would
suggest that republication just now of his
famous philippe Against the ungodly regi-
"men of women over the country" might be
seasonable and wholesome The Synod, how
ever, fell back from John Knox on to the con-
sideration of the Massacre of st. Bartholo-
"mew,o which was, as everybody knows,
brutal and terrible tragedy enough. Why,
however, it should remain, in the eyes of GER
tain otherwise healthy and sensible people,
perpetual blood-spot to make them color-blind
to all other phases of history, passes ordinary
comprehension. The Synod proceeded to
resolve that they rejoiced in that the tri-cen-
tennial anniversary of this feast of hOr-
rors would occur in 1872, and finally, in
solemn conclave, pronounced that the
blood of the saints massacred on that
day was at last avenged, while, by re-
quest of the Synod, a solemn prayer OF thanks
giving was offered that Paris had met her de-
serts. However cOnsOatOry it may be to hu-
man nature to curse MerOz, it appears to be
a still more grateful task to rejoice that the
curse has fallen.
1t. requires an eye as keen as KnOxs own,
perhaps, to trace the connection between
starving and murdered wives and babies of
Partisan workmen to-day, and the bloody cru
elites committed centuries ago by the De
Medicis and the Guises; but our reverend
friends speak with oracular authority of the
ways of Providence and it becomes us to be
silent. But are their own skirts quite
clean Of the blood of the innOcentsf
If due-bils for murder can thus be
brought in against church after
three hundred years have passed, and blood
for blood be required with interest, onght they
not to be looking into the doings of their
progenitors when they, like Catharine, were
drunk with power1 There is that massacre
at Tredab under Cromwell, yet unpaid for,
as bloody as st. Bartholomew, and only
shorter in duration because the supply
of victims gave out sooner. That
OF the Pequod fort i'll Connecticut,
burned when filed with sleeping men
and helpless women and children to the mu-
sic of resounding Coyenanting hymnsf Can
it be that our friends OF the Philadelphia
synod have vet TO DaY with their respectable