Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-10-25
For the BulletiI
For the Bulletin.
The Religions Aspects OF tho Presi.
Dental Question.

The Religions Aspects OF tho Presi-
Dental Question.
When Pres. Mahan some years
ago published little work upon the
mysteries of spiritualism, friend
of mine, a good deacon, having read
the book, handed it to ncighbor
who was a believer in spirit mani
festations, with the request that he
would read it. Meeting him awhile
after he inquired the splritualist's
opinion Of the views expressed in
the book. "Mahan is crazy" was
the reply. A few weeks since the
neighbor, who is now a disciple of
Greeley, having got hold of Pres
M. s peculiar letter upon the i" Moral
and Religious Aspects of the Presi-
dental Canvass" handed it to the |
deacon to read. Questioned the next |
day as to his opinion of the article,
the deacon replied, its author must |
be crazy" Thus upon two separate
counts and by two intelligent wit
nesses, the ex- ii. e., the once excel
LENT president of Oberlin College
stands charged with insanity. And
does this explain why he "who with
others helped to originate, first the
abolition, then the liberty, afterward
the free-soil, and finally the republi-
can party" has now left the latter
to join the confederate alliance "of
which Mr.. Greeley is the visible
representative ?" Let us be chart
table and believe that the deacon
and his "liberal'' neighbor were
right. But the Greeley craze has
not taken much among the ministry,
and now that dog days have passed,
there is little danger from exposure
to the disease. Indeed, several sup
posed to be hopeless cases, under
the mild influence of the October
elections, are reported as in fair
way to recover. Well, who doesn't
like to be in on the winning side,
whether he has money up or not
But to return to the clergy. 1t is
fact, and worthy of note, too, that
with the exception of very small
minority who have declared for
Greeley-of whom Mahan and Den
nison are samples-the body of
the evangelical ministers advocate
Grants reelection, while the reli-
gious press are to all intcnts unit
upon the same side. Now as a
class, no ore can doubt that those
elected to guard the interests of re-
ligion are no unworthy representa-
tivcs of the intelligence, the picty,
and the patriotism of the country.
In conversation with clergyman
recently, ventured the question,
why he and gentlemen Of the cloth
were generally for Grant and Will
son, rather than for Greeley and
Brown. His reply was in substance
this: 'sAnswering for myself, l
shall no doubt give the views and
feelings of many others. We do not
support Grant and Wilson, in the
first place, simply because they are
the nominees OF the Republican
party, though we have the stronger
attachment and the fuller conf
dence in the policy of that party
than we can possibly have in the
confused and contradictory projects
of the coalition Nor do we sup
port the Republican ticket mainly
for the reasons which influence the
leading business men of the country
to favor Grants reelection, because
Il change in the administration
would affect injuriously the financial
interests of the country. But we
have greater confidence in the men
themselves, as viewed from "reli-
gious and moral stand point. True
we do not call President Grant
Christian in the common acceptance
Of that term, yet he is rcspecter of
religion, and regular attendant at
the Metropolitan IN. e. Church in
Washington. Few of his friends
have claimed for him total absti-
nence, yet those best acquainted
with his personal habits affirm that
he is temperate if not . tcmpcr-
ance man while in banishing wine
from his state dinners, he has done
deed Of bravery none of his pre-.
decessors in office have dared to do,
instituting thereby vital temper
ance reform where it was certainly
needed. OF Mr.. Wilson, the posi-
BILE President, IN case the bloody
threat of the Missouri Caucasian is
put in execution, or his superior
should die from other causes, the
invariable testimony comes to us
that he is both q consistent Chris
tian and and earnest exponent and
advocate Of temperance. But how
is it with the other ticket !? Horace
Greeley makes no pretcnsions even
to faith in evangelical religion,
while he is proverbially profane in
his language. This assert not on
the ground of rumor alone, but on
the authority Of Henry Ward Beoch-
er's statement in the Christian
C"eO", IJu AlSO lTOiu Itio GcStlubOny
OF resident Of Brooklyn who is
personally acquainted with the facts
he afiir'ns. Mr.. Greeley is, and ever
has been / believe, a consistent tenn
perancc man, and for this we give
him due honor, as we also admire
his ability as an editor and the gen.
uine kindness Of his nature. But
the man whose name is associated
with him stands before the country, |
first as a schemipg demagogue, and
second as q drunkard. Now why
is 1t that tho loyal christian men
and women Of tho north chung to
and trusted in Abraham Lincoln
during the darkest days Of the re-
bellion, with such consistency and
unquestioning faith; while rebel
sympathizers illuminated and in
temperate zealots abused him?-I
They knew that he was hcnest.
They knew, also, MAJ hp Y4s y mag
Of prayer, and that he had asked
their prayers for him. Oh! how it
aided their petitions when it was
told around that he was 0ccustom.
cd to rise at an early hour that he