The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-09-18
The MeunOnites.

Cudt inc SluuellG Oh contemporary morals
would go for protestant evangelization or
dissent. The telegraph announces that an
of Russian Mennonites have
arrived in New York. Who and what are
these? The Mennonites are that denomi-
nation of the sect Of Anabaptists who de-
rive their name and creed from Memo
Smonis who was born in Friesland in 1905
and died in IIolstein in 1861. The sect of
Anabaptists is recorded in history as hay
ing been originated in SaNony in 1921, by
those who disagreed with the general doc
trnes of the Reformation in the particular
of infant baptism. The Mennonites, how
ever, have traditions and histories reach
ing back to the earliest Christian times, of
persons and sects under different names,
holding to the same doctrines as their own
The Waldenses and Albigenses, whose
prosecutions in the times of the lnquisition
are recorded in history, We're of these. The
peculiaritics of their doctrine and the
tenacty with which they held to their be-
lief, in spite of their mobtrusive and in
offensive character, made these sects the
special objects of persecution, and from
apostolic times until the recognition of re
ligious liberty by the nations of Europe,
they have felt the penalties of non-contor
nifty The Mennonites now are scattered
ovnr Gor,,onv Svrit1orlanI Gonna ,,a,dS of
France and Russia, Canada and the United
States About the close Of the seventeenth
century, a number OF families emigrated
from Germany to Lancaster county, Penn
Sylvania, where they established themselves
and founded a church This for a long time
was the only one of their societies in the
United States, but now the denomination is
represented by societies and individual
families in New York Ohio, Huntingdon
Carroll, Elkhart, Porter and Lake counties
in Indiana, and perhaps few other places
The fundamental doctrines in their belief is
the entire separation of the church from
the world though they are classed with the
Anabaptists on account of their rejection
of infant baptism, and Of every other save
that administered by their own church
Both in doctrine and life they profess to
initiate the purity and simplicity Of apos-
tolic times In carrying out their doctrine
of the entire separation of the physical
and spiritual world they refuse to bear
arms, to resist injury offered to their per
sons or property, to vote or to take any
part in the affairs of the general or local
government They, however. pay taxes
as rendering unto Caesar the things which
are C;psar's and obey all laws, as an an
ticle of taith save when in doing so they
would violate what they believe to be the
provisions of the higher law In dress
and manner they are plain, wearing clothes
cut in style similar to those of the
Quakers, and rejecting all ornaments.
They look with suspicion on learning, re-
gard.ng it rs an instrument OF evil and
choose their preachers more on account of
spiritual than mental qualifications. SO
much stress do they put upon the points of
variance between their doctrines and those
of other Protestant denominations, that
they consider all other churches to be in
fatal darkness and error. They have been
employed in this country principally in
agricultural pursuits. and are known in
the communities in which they live as sim
pie. quiet, honest and inotf'ensive people
The term of the Supreme Court for
Knox County began on Tuesday Miss
Mank. charged with the murder Of DIR.
Baker, will have her trial at this term
She will be defended by +. +. Pillsbury,
Esq. of Augusta, and L. NJ Staples. Esq,
Of Washington.
The Boston and Maine railroad has sued
the Maine Central for its refusal to connect
ut Portland, laying the damages at 80,
600 The plaintiffs will hardly recover
enough to pay for the extension of their
line to the natural seaport.
Mayor Young thinks that genuine tenn
perance men are about as scarce in ELS
worth as were the righteous in Sodom.
Still, rs the days of the immediate inter
position of Providence are past, it wouldn't
be worth while for the wicked down there
to get ready their sheet iron umbrellas
The Machias Union, dissatisfied because
the democratic candidate lacked seventeen
thousand Of an election last year, has this
year given its support to Il new party
which is over lorty-two thousand removed
from success. AS good DR.. Watts sings
''What timorous worms we mortals are
Speaking of the late election in this
state, the kennebec journal says
The election just passed has afforded these
croaking prophets Of evil very little upon which
to feed themselves
But a good deal will be furnished out of
the public crib to feed the truly loyal, to
which croakers and everybody else will
have to contribute
The Portland Transcript publishes the
story of the man who, after the premature
explosion of a blasting charge, rode
through the air on Il half ton fragment,
and says it would be incredible if it hadn't
appeared in the Journal That shows
what it is to have a reputation for veracity.
A Bangor poet has rendered into verse
the incident of the girl in this city who
got into trouble by too much study of as
tronomy, He sends us copy for publica-
ton. The production opens thus
"Ihere young female of Belfast
Who travelled the road down to hell fast -
But as the poet presently grows indis-
Greet, this is all Of the production that we
can give in these columns.
Mrs. Livermore broke one OF her legs in the
White mountain region last week. Portland
Press.
A bad break that for the lady, as sur
geons find it difficult to apply splints and