New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-12-10
Res.rning after NJany Days.

240GU40A08 01t6E ND0oy 1S~JOs
The recent address of the handful o.
preachers and bankers in the interest Of
the Louisiana Democracy has reached the
columns of the Northern press. and comes
back with comments like the following
copied from the Providence Journal:
The name of Rev. B. n. Palmer, pastor
of the First Presbyterian Church in New
Orleans, which is signed to the address Of
certain citizens of the Crescent City to
their fellow-citizens of the United States,
printed in this morning's Journal, recalls
to mind an incident, for the truth Of which
the Hon. Miles Taylor, United States Rep.
resentative from Louisiana in l860-6l, has
been cited az authority.
1t seems that in November, 1860, the
Union sentiment in Louisiana was go pro-
nOuuced that Robert To0mbs, Of Georgia,
although still holding, in obedience to q
nice sense of duty, his seat in the United
States Senate, was dispatched in company
with kindred spirits to New Orleans with
3 view to convert the nngodly from the
error of their ways. So unsuccessful,
however, we're these disinterested poll.
ticians in their efforts to persuade their
hearers that regeneration c0nld only be
looked for through baptism OF blood, SO
coldly we're the words OF these gentlemen
received, so eagerly did the people demand
that the new gospel should proceed from
the pulpit and not from the stump, that it
was finally agreed to call into consultation
q minister Of that gospel. The result of the
consultation was that the Rev. B. NJ. Pal
mer, a. consulting phi hysician, agreed to break
ground publicly ct an early hour in favor 0f
this reverend gentleman entered with
religious zeal, with pulpit e!oQuence,
and with all the arts of his profession. In
other words, while Alexander Stephens was
impl0ring the South not to raise its little
finger against the Union, DR.. Palmer was
prOclaiming in hoarse and lusty notes the
right and necessity of resistance to the 'sov.
ereign law. the States collected will" He
whose mission it was, like one whom he
called his Master, to preach peace and good
will among men, heeitated not to den0unce
the Union Of our fathers and to welcome war.
He, from whom better things should have
come, took occasion to arouse the passions
of the people in . Thanksgiving discourse,
delivered November g, 1860. II throw of"
said he, 1.-The yoke of this Union 80 readily
as did our ancestors the yoke of King
George ILL.,, and for causes immeasurably
stronger than those pleaded in their cele-
brated declaration. The position of
the South is at this moment sublime" }" and
country and the world" On later ocea-
aion this distempered apostle of religion,
slavery and reform" declared that ''reli-
gion herselfshould with gentle voice whisper
benediction up0n" the Confederate flag"
that the war of the South sgainst the Union
was "a war Of defense against wicked and
cruel aggression-a war Of civilization
against ruthless barbarian which would
dishonor the dark sges-a war of religion
% >,
depotism "the most absolute and intoler-
able, q despotism more grinding than
that of the Turk or Russian, be-
cause it is the despotism of the mob,
unregulated by principle or precedent
Warming to his theme, DR.. Palmer
proceeded to "invoke the blessing Of Al
mighty God upon the honored flag" which
waved in support of '.holy cause" Nor
did the reverend gentleman forget, on an
other occasion, to speak of the 'imbecil-
ity, usurpation aud tyranny of Lincoln,
Thus did DR.. Palmer, three weeks before
the secession of any State, seek in strains of
eloquent treason to accomplish the ruin of
his country. And now this man cemes to
the front, and while discoursing of the situ-
alton, prates Of the wickedness Of the poll
ticians. whose functions he usurped in the
year 1860, who seek to array ''section
against section"
As q minister of the gospel, the Rev. B
NJ. Palmer disgraced his trust before the
war. As q citizen of Louisiana, what title
to confidence in the fairnees of his opinions
can he now claim in view of the fact that
he once 90 willingly lent himself az ready
and supple tool in the hands of such de-
generate and interruptions politician as
Robert Toombss Is there any reason to
believe that his vision of the truth il clearer
now than it was when he sought to usher
in the millennium by advocating the destruc-
ton of the Union2