The Van Buren press., 1875-12-14
4 CLERICAL CAUCUS.
RnsrnN. Mass. Dec.

| At large meeting to-day of the Methodist
| Episcopal Sabbath School Union and Tract
| Society, and also a weekly meeting OF preach-
ers comprising nearly two hundred ministers
Bishop Haven urged rs n measure OF safety
for the public, the denomination of Gen Grant
for president. His views were adopted by Il
unanimous vote,
While all fair minded persons will free
ly admit that the assumption OF clerical
functions i'll no way lessons n mans duties
and privileges rs citizen, but, on the
contrary, should give to his citizenship q
higher and uabler character, yet an in
teltsent ard impartial public opinion has
very properly condemned all attempts on
the part of the clergy to utilize their sa
cred office for the benefit of this or that
party, or this or that individual In 9TH
er words, while q clergyman net only
has right, but is in honor bound, to
vote ia accordance with the dictates of
his own conscience, he has no right to
make his office a vehicle for political in
huence and prostitute his position as a
religious teacher to electioneering pnr
poses. We are aware that this has been
done by some very distinguished, IS well
as some very obscure, members Of the
clerical profession, but We are also aware
that in each and every instance such con
duet has received the sharp popular re
huke its dement's deserved and that just
in proportion to the energy nd ability
Of the politician, the moral power Of tn,
clergyman has declined.
When, therefore Bishop Haven urges
AS a measure of safety for the public the
denomination of Gen Grant for presi,
dent, Offers a resolution to that effect,
which is adopted.by n unanimous vote ="
OF "nearly two hundred ministers '--the
right reverend gentleman and the afore
said ministers are travelling long ways
out of their legitimate path, and injuring
the cause they profess to love and serve
II great deal more than the, can possibly
benefit the presidential prospects of
Grant. Such action on the part Of such
a body is not merely suitable sui ject
for criticism, but it ought TO be set up H.
Il mark for ridcule and contempt Men
who have no better appreciation of the
fitness Of things than these Massachusetts
preachers manifest, cannot complain il
tiCii VI Ilf0S viz
lash. Did it occur to Bishop Haven and
his associates that the very fact of Presi-
dent Grant well known connection with
the Methodist churuh should have pre-
vented Methodist eonveealion from
bringing his name before the country in
this manner? Suppose Il convention of
Catholic prelates and priests had passed
CT. 1,tts ~, e
vidual as much identified with Catholic
ism as Grant is with NJ Methodsm-Whata II
howl of Indignation would have gone up
all over the land Yet the impropriety
would have been no greater in this ease
than in the other. From whence did
Bishop Haven and the two hundred min
listers who indorsed him derive their au
thority for changing Il Sabbath school
union and Tract society, and weekly
meeting Of preachas, into Il political eau
Gus Who asked them 10 yentiate their
views concerning the third term qncs
ton From what source arc they inspired
to declare that d" the pubic safety de
mands the denomination of Grant
Through what channel have they received
OlbtIS W tlllISHltu iilC iulibH III ltSultl
to the issues of the coming campaign
In what verse Of Scripture. or in what
clause in the Book of Discipline are they
instructed to meadle in "th"r ''"'e'''"' ~
One not very valuable contribution to
the sum of human knowledge has, how
ever, been made by this voice from Bos
ton. We now know what Bishop Haven
and two hundred Methodist ministers
consider the ideal Of presidential excel
lence and the best guaranty of ".public
safety" We now know the sort of gov.
ernment the country would be perpetu
ally cursed with if they had supreme con .
troll of matters. Wenow know the exact
extent of their appreciation of honor and
honesty in hiYh places and can have a
very clear conception of the standard Ivy
which they measure The character of iii
cial personages And we know now, il
we did not before, how completely sec.
tartan prejudice can blind the eyes OF the
elect to transgressons which even the
chief Of sinners can see without specta-
clcs
1t is we trast unnecessary to say that
these remarks are intended exclusively
for Bishop Haven and his two hundred
associates We do not believe that the
proceedings of the Boston clerical caucus
will meet the appreciation of any consid
erahle number Of Methodists elsewhere :
but, on the contrary. we do believe that
a vast majo ity Of this powerful denomi-
nation will regard these proceedings as
utterly uucaled for and meriting The Sc
verest condemnation.
A magnificent line of Clothing,
Roofs and Shoes. inst III hnnd nj