The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1872-02-23
THE CONVENTION AT CINCINNATI.
Very Interesting occasion.

TO affect the interests of the nation
! the whole people have right to
understand it. The effort to pro-
cure religious amendment to the
Constitution of the United States is
of such character. If its friends
| speak truly, it is a measure vital to
the very existence of the nation ; but
if its enemies are to be believed, it
is fraught with direfnl consequent
ces to the liberties of the people.
The National Convention that met
at Cincinnati on the 3lst of Jan.
was held in the interest of this
amendment. Though prevented by
indisposition from giving an earli-
er report of its dOings, trust it is
not too late to benefit many of the
readers of the NEWS.
ORIGIN OF. THE CONVENTION.
The call for this Convention was
issued by the National Association,
which has been in existence for
about twelve years, and it was
signed by nearly one hundred,chris-
tian Statesmen and prominent citi-
zens in different parts of the coun-
try and belonging to many differ
ent churches. In this call they say:
'"The relations of nation to God
and his moral laws are clear and
definite. l. A nation is the creation
of God. 2. 1t is clothed with au-
thority derived from God. 3. 1t
owes allegiance to Jesus Christ, the
appointed Ruler of nations. 4. 1t is
subject to the authority of the Bible,
the special revelation of moral law.
In constituting and administering
its government, then, nation is I'M
der obligations to acknowledge God
as the author of its existence and
the source of its authority, Jesus
Christ as its ruler, and the Bible as
the foundation of its laws and the
Supreme rule of its conduct,
The call concludes by inviting
sail American citizens, without dis
tinction of party or creed" to meet
in convention. Accordingly at the
time appointed,
THoSI's HALL, ON CENTRAL AVENUE,
was filled with delegates from about
fifteen different States. A perma-
nent organization was effected by
the election of Judge Hagars.
of Cincinnati as President, with
number of Vice Presidents, and
Rev. H. H. George of Cincinnati,
Secretary. The time of the conyen-
ton was employed in the hearing
of addresses on the various phases
of the issues presented and the dis
oussion of resolutions.
AN ISFIDEL PROTESTS.
On Wednesday evening Mr.. Alb
bott, editor of the Toledo 90. In
dex, an avowedly infidel sheet, APP
peared in the convention and de-
sired the privilege of reading a pro-
test against the movement inaugu-
rated. AS this was a convention of
those friendly to the movement, it
was thought doubtful whether. its
enemies should be accorded the
privilege of the floor, and so the
matter was referred to committee,
who reported in favor of granting
the privilege of reading his protest
to Mr.. Abbott and speaking in its
defense. Mr.. Abbott freely admit
ted, that, if he was believer in the
Christian religion, he would take
his stand with the convention, but
as he did not believe in the Bible he
could not consent that it should be
made the standard of morals for
the government. He looked upon
this as tending to unite church and
state and dangerous to the liberties
ofthe people, and warned them, that,
if the effort should be carried out to
amend the constitution so as to ac-
knowledge the Deity and the SUI
premacy of the Bible, it would end
in fearful and bloody strife.
NO ONE NOT A BELIEVER
could hold Office, or, vote, under
such constitution.
Rev. DR.. Mayo, of Cincinnati,
Unitarian, replied to Mr.. Abbott.
He referred to the facts as being
against Mr.. AS position. Many of
the State Constitutions contain the
thing which Mr.. Abbott so earnest
ly protests against, and which the
convention seeks to have inserted
in the U. S. Constitution and
among others is that of Ohio where
AIR. A. lives and votes and holds
Office, whenever elected to Office.
Nobody is disfranchised in those
States; nobody complains of I'M
ion of church and state there; no.
where is such thing more careful
ly guarded against and the rights
OF individual conscience held more
sacred than in such States. And
this is the reason why he wanted
the same feature inserted in our
National Constitution, just as the
great bulwark of the peoples liber-
ties.
DR.. Mayo is powerful speaker
and was greeted with sounds of ap-
plause, as he proceeded with his
mastery address.
/ AN ERRATIc MIND.
The troublesome indiy idual, who
is always jumping up at the wrong
time and proposing absurd things
aud ruffiing the nerves of excitabie
people, was in this convention too.
He appeared in the venerable garb
and patriarchal locks of Rev. DIR.
Barnes, of Ohio, who, it is said,
worships all the Gods he can hear
of, and prays to all the Saints. He
secured the platform and proceeded
on his erratic career amid calls of
order and cries OF impotence until
forced to yield by reigning disorder.
THE RESOLUTIONS
adopted set forth, clearly and can
didIy, the laws of the Constitution.
We regret that want of space pre-
| vents our giving them in full. They
were discussed with freedom and
good feeling and adopted with una
nimity.
! a collection was taken for the
purpose of distributing documents
aud otherwise promoting the inter-
ests of the cause, amounting, in all,
. to about seventeen hundred dollars.
JUDGE STRONG,
of the U. S. Supreme Court, was re-
elected President of the National
Association for the coming year.