Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1876-01-14
SUNBURY, PA. FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY A. 1876


= would be as great a piece Of cruelty as
was to inaame the natural animosity Q
husband and wife on account Of difIerenc
in religious creed. But dare any person
assert that this conflict would have pro
ceeded to so tragical result if nothing haC
been done to increase the madness on botl
sides Left to themselves, they would have
acquired by degrees the temper essential t.
an adjustment. Only fanatical influence:
could operate to render powerless the
effort which was natural to get the better
OF conflicting preferences affecting merely
the form of religious worship. Were these
two victims at variance as TO any one ol
the moral precepts which constitute the
essence of christianity 4? Surely,not. The
man could in virtue of his creed regard
nothing as immoral which the woman's
creed treated as moral; and just as far
was she from rejecting the views of social
life which he drew from his church. 1t
was dogma relating to things of secondary
importance, the curse of church scholasti-
cism, which here, as in thousand other
cases, that lead to no catastrophe, under
mining domestic peace. Should not The
men of God, from such terrible examples.
estimate the magnitude of the error of pro-
noting, by silly prejudice concerning mat
tiers of form, and 6y artificial variations in
the worship of God, differences which give
rise TO worse passions than the "right of
unbelief' could ever engender Is it the
business Of the church to dissolve instead
of strengthening The ties Of human love !?
No doubt Ritter's Pastor, as we'll as his
wife's, can freely look towards Heaven
and exclaim Lord, thou knowest that 1
have had no part in the instigation which
brought about this fagitious act" But
can all those who put forth sectarian acti-
witty, can they, from one end of the line
to the other, say with equally tranquil
conscience, 1--WE are doing what is in our
power to render divisions which grow out
OF our sectarianism, harmless to dsmestic
peace, to soften the members Of our CON-
munion, in the vagaries Of proselyting
zeal ?'' Happy are they who can. We
fear that many cannot. And to many a
one the overflow of sectarian passion is the
only welcome food on which to launch his
bark. The spirit of religious intolerance
rises up in thousand corners, with
stubbornness against which as well the
tendencies of our age as the cherished in
stitutiOns of this land put forth still loud
er and louder protest. Religion and poll
tics have like experience with their profess
sional managers. Party leaders become
demagOgues, and religious teachers become
priests, from a like motive. 1t is because
pensablcness than upon the honorable
discharge OF those duties to the people
which the existence of party and the exer-
else Of religion require. Instead of keep
ingin view, and deeming of paramount I'M
portance the great ends which their acti-
vity should subserye, instead of laboring
with united energy TO promote the civil
and moral welfare of mankind, they are
setting up a. hundred platforms, and
thousand different little heavens, to pro-
vide additional place for infallible prophets
and patriots that lead the fashion of the
hour. Party and sect become abject in
stead of being means. The interests of tie
and of the church associa-
ton eat out the substance Of that for which
alone they exist. Elective franchise and
church organization would appear to exist
only for the benefit of party leaders and
clergy and as the political priest labors at
nothing more earnestly than at the split
ting up Of the people into hostile political
camps, and that through artificial means,
when natural causes fail, SO the church de-
in face of the long recognized
aud harmonizing moral law of christianity
clings to crafty dogmatic Interpretation, or
if need be, even to rituallstic tritles, if by
such means he can only hold possession of
his special kingdom of Gods glory. The
farther from being essential is the dividing
line, which is to serve as the boundary of
his province, so much the more must the
spirit be pricked on, lest the null
titude should some day fly apart, from get
ting view of the artificial barriers with
in which they have been imprisoned.
there is to be found simple
hearted woman or an OverseriOus man,
who believes that limits once set are insur-
and who would rather suffer
his head 20 be broken than make the at
tempt to pass them. There exists now
terrible caricature OF the saying which pre-
scrlbes the exercise of ''childlike disposi-
lion," in simplicity" q thing which no
wisdom of the wse'' can understand ;and
we may well contemplate with astonisll-
ment any such warrant for the magnitude
Of that hallucinaliOn which inhames man
kind with fanatism against one another, in
those departments where fraternity, and
the care of common interests, should cele-
brate their most salutary triumphs. Po-
itical pricstcraft aud priestly demago-
9 ueism are already mischievous enough.
May the inliuerce of the good star of the
Republic so far protect it as to prevent
their appearing arm in arm, as has been de-
signed, in the arena of public agitation.
N \. Stats Zeitcng of January lst
1876.
Do not laugh at that drunken man reel
M through the street. However ludicrOus
the s ight may be, just pause and think.
He is going home TO some tender heart
that will thrOb with intense agony some
ioting mother perhaps. who Will grieve
oyer the downfall of her once sinless boy
or it may be fond wife whose heart will
almost burst with grief as she views the
destruction of her idol or may be loving
sister who will shed bitter tears over the
of her brother, shorn off his
manliness and self respect Rather drop
n tear in silent symDathy with those hearts