The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1873-09-25
FREE. DISCUSSION.

under the head of "Mountebanks. fin
Critique, upon the lecture of Rev. j. G
White, and also upon the course of tn
Clergymen of this city in reference to it
Now I do not complain of the Editors 70
advising u.s., for We do the same to them
| believe In their cr1ticising whateve
they think to be wrong in US, as in othe1
men. agree with my friend, Judg,
Webster that, mo man is perfect" henc
the necessity for this course of free though
and entire freedom of expression-"Le
there be light" on all subjects. | hold
that no living man is above honest crit
cism preacher, or people This is til,
leading thought of the American mind
free speech and a free press. We hold i
to be an inalienable right all men possess
to examine every subject that comes with
in the range of thought.
The Spirit of the age, is to test every
thing-All old systems are being sounded
to the core; the COED accepted, the baC
thrown away, and 20 far is the worlc
now advanced, that you might az vel
think OF turning back the order of nature
in the revolution of the spheres, as to stor
thougbt-It God says to his erring chill
dren, "come and let us reason together
Shall any of US say to each other Il must
impose my views upon yeu without per-
hitting examination" IF the Pope Of
Rom e Can say to leading American State .
men that "he hopes our protestant people
will yet be brought, back into the true
toldr can he expect we shall first come
without examining the doctrine and
usages of the church? Neoer. And I feel
quite sure that the last thing the Ameri-
can citizen will ever yield is the boon of
free speech and do not believe there is a.
system among us, Protestant or Catholic
but that needs the safek uard of criticism;
and in this we ask nothing for ourselves
which we do not cheerfully grant to our
fellow citizens OF foreign birth and diff
terent sentiments and as public man, I
think can pledge to our catholic friends
that when any of them or any one whom
they may choose to represent them shall
give protestant views, Doctrines, or Pub
locations the most searching examinations,
in any church or public hall they will
ever be treated by US in the true Ameri
can Spirit Their persons will be as safe
there as at any other time by day or night
Reason has triumphe1 over physical force
and that means of settling tenets belongs
to bygone age and can no more be used,
without detriment to the user now, than
you coul use horse power against steam
or electricity-It belongs to rude, phYsi-
cal, barborous age, and I cannot believe
that any American citizen, who pauses
to let reason contro! passion, will ever
resort to means which can only impede
the cause he may honestly love. And ]
here say that were any catholic gentleman
speaking in this city and even saying
things against protestants that were ur-
true and the Protestant people should
attempt violence should say at once stop
it at all hazard for free speech is worth
more than some notion of ours, however
FIRMLY we may believe it.
The Judge says eve do not believe that
my man accomplishes the slightest good
n going around lecturing against any re-
igious denomination or by selling vulgar
for the purposes of making
Now claim that this view of
he subject is wholly behind the actual
feeling of the age. 1t is juGg-'
ng religious men from worldly stand
point. Good men don't go out to lecture
against some denomination but for truth.
It is not hatred of catholics but love
Of the truth that prompts men. Among
ourselves we are constantly sitting each
others systems and views. Men have
often remarked upon attending some OF
the gatherings OF our ministers that they
were surprised to see how roughly we
handled each other in debate without be-
coming in the least tried. This grows out
of the very spirit of Christianity and
now Judge as your article appears to
look toward charity in our dealings
What right have you to call a clergy
nan of the Presbyterian Church, who has
clear credentials, and has had for thirty