Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1872-02-21
NO. 225S CLEARFIELD PA, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY d. 1872

bOohS shy lnclr lit'lu NSSeVi '"""V
land" on cold, bleak, unfortunate
December day, at place which they
named Plymouth, because of its fan
cicd resemblance TO the town Of that
name in England, from whence came
many Of our pious pilgrims, which
place it is said il bears almost tho
same resemblance to that an elephant
does to saw horse. There, on a
barren rock, they landed, chow much
boucr had il been for the peace Of the
'wofid~fmd they stranded), and there
they planted tho poisonous vine OF
Puritanism, the prolific mother Of all
our woes, religious and political, past,
present and to come. That rock has
become moro famous than the cole
brated Blarney Stone near Cork, and
is more piously licked and sniflled
over, by the winners and canters and
rcformers and seditious scoundrels,
who resort there as to .heir Mecca,
than was over tho renowned capstonc
of the castle named. Meantime, as
fanaticism, like many other diseases
of the body, is alike contagious and
infections, this filthy malady of the
mind, Puritanism, spread over all
England, till at last the entire country
was more or less under its bad infu.
ence and in imitation Of fanaticism
everywhere, IL assumed a political
complexion. Shrewd, calculating dem
agogues disappointed ofiice-scekers
--and ambitious upsiarts joined the
party, as such creatures always do, 10
all countries, using the particular
phase of fanaticism, for tho time pop
ular, as lever for their own advance
ment. And then the most prohigatc
wretches aud VILLAINS put on the hypo-
critical garb and air of Puritans, under
the name Of Roundhcads and Inde-
pendents, TO accomplish their own
selfish and bad purposes.
This much of the Pmtans and Pur'
ilan character may be by the reader
regarded as irrelevant to our subject,
Dat as this Constitution-tinkcring
movement is simply an outcropping
of our carly Puritans, we regard it as
entirely necessary, in order that u
clear comprehension of the situation
may bo had A judge of the Supreme
Court Of the United Stated, who is
| TIC leading character in the Cincin.
matt farce, is Puritan, born Of Puri
tan parents. Another a Governor OF
Puritan State; and another the
President of sectarian Puritan uni
versity, and so on to the end of the
list. These mon, feeling that they
have exhausted every artiiice and
every eXpcdient to deceive tho people
in the politics Of The country, and
knowing that like 0thcllo their occa-
patton is gone unless some now and
startling question is brought before
the people, seek to make Jesus Christ
the shiYbolcth of theirpolilical doihgs.
But we have too much confidence in
the intelligence Of the American poo
pie, toIbelieve that these hypocrites
will ever succeed, and too much faith
| 10 religion TO believe that it can ever
be debhuched to such rascally ypurposcs
as lheIo over-pious Puritans would use
ill., The New York Herald, in ils
issue of February 4th, contains the
lfollowing sound reasoning and good
adyici TO these Jealous reformers
As a harmless amusement. gratifying q human
vanity if druttiug before the public eye fur day
ar 30. VA have no objection 20 this Performance oi
theirs; ku, IL may surprise them to icarn that
there ngt one OF two elements in their proposition
which, their cant and aippaney, they have no'oI
toucbed upon. The iauiarouaile aboni fhe CHRIS
tian chataeter ofour institutions We can pass over
and conb to the avowed oioct OF tue convention
-namcy to place the august naio Of the su'
nreme king 10 the Constitution in other words
natiunaty 10 recognise Goi and the Bible. .s
Now. before advancing further with this proro
sltion ht US recall that was by M accident thai
oyorytmg concerning religion was left out Of th,
! C,nsipbiun as framed by the fathers. solem"
| imprclkd With the nccessifc OF founiir- /. epyc.n
ihcni J,eiug The larscss, ,,vsslblc poliral equal
J ~, ,nty knew that no better means culd be TAX
en- to hat end Than leaving room for The broadcs
religious freedom the world has ever seen. II wa
recognized fully by them as ono of the neccssitici
Of tie liberty they invoked cor mankind. Az,
tho result has justified them. Upon this free lelt
of religious belief or disbelief the country has
piospefed beyond precedent, aud tho people are Al
much Christian to-day and moro proudly 50 iha
there IL no human law telling them in religion e
do this or that. We have given the same right
10 the Jow, the pagan and The mhtcrinlisl rs Il
the Christian, and while allowing the lormer 4
feel themselves free, Chrlsiianiiy has 10 nowis
suffered from the TACT IL Is to force by law OF
/ those nCn WHAT - u sentiment ot tue spui, unu ]
this step once be taken where VIII Il stop Jb'
enthusiastic or earnest gentlemen who atyocate !
may moi iorcstc the consequences, but there IS e
inuca danger In the proposal that IN the namo o
the freedom Of conscience which u our boast, an'
the vigorous tree OF Christianity which has growi
and bossomcd upon that healthy soil We oppos
! the movement
This proposition TO paironiza the Almighty
/ Giscr OF Allby tncking ilis name on our Consli
tuition. after the Glt,cnth amendment, Is one o
ihosc cuIioas iaraloxcs whereby cant, IN It's smil
ing oeotisin, becomes an cntmy Of the rcligiun
sentiment on which Il is a libel. The groun'
from which the matcriallsi hurls bic iconoc'nsh
thunder at the clou may be narrow as q grave
cold ne stone aud hard as hatred bui what i'm
proved idea can hc have OF the Ruler Of The unl
verse when he secs Ills minister's on earth writing
Him down to an election ticket ut ward priinaf,
DO they think that there are nons in the land bu
Jcws, inidols, posityisis and atheists, who woul'
shrink from such M affirmation !--uot thai The,
believe less In the God OF Heaven, bat that th',
respect His nnmc TOO much to link II with every
political nosirum Of the day. Ma crialism II
nothing IL not aggressive, aud the only value o
such Il mu,cincnt would be to conccpifnte and
combine the gafous "scaools' Of that sad BELLE
aud strengthen tlem by the antics OF those VIE
/ propose The amendments.
When We hook back over the turmoils Of The last
century to the scenes which took place in France
In the days Of "the terror" thoso mild white
chukerol wan ffefortt woul1 hardly cSppct TO myul