New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-21
RELIGIOUS CARE OF THE OOLORED RACE
ABANDONED.

no particular reason why they should in
sist upon being made parties to the polit-
ical controversy now raging in Louisiana.
Yet they do so. A number of clergymen,
headed by Rev. Mr.. Hugh Miller Thomp-
son, assume that they are bound to
respond to the sea pdrte" report of Re
publican committee presented to the Uni
ted States Senate, and vindicate them
selves against the charge of not having
uttered a public condemnation of the
murder and atrocity" alleged by the
committee. Notwithstanding the scrip
tural injunction about standing meek and
mute when men "despitefuliy use" the
followers of the Saviour, these gentlemen
admit the committee allegation by say
ing that while ''the burden of their
teaching and preaching is in the interest
of justice, mercy, righteousness and
truth, yet to attack specific and indivi-
dual crimes would have been seeking to
attack and condemn" the government Of
the State, which is ''unable to put down
crime" 1t is moreover said that ''to
have attacked specific and individual
crimes might have only provoked resist
ance and have raised the charge of rebel
ioR." There ia in this certainly an
admission that this clergy has uttered ''no
condemnation" of those acts of ''murder
and atrocity." This is all that the COM
mittee report has charged. We are not
prepared to say that the reasons why the
clergy have not condemned these acts are
not, at least, plausible. The State govern
ment can not prevent crime. To con-
denim crime might so exasperate the Grim
insls as to force them into resistance
and, perhaps, rebellion" This clerical
testimony clearly tends to recommend the
recognition and maintenance of the Re-
publican government as the only means
Of bringing 20 justice criminals whom the
clergy will not denounce, and which the
State government can not punish.
We are concerned to see these evange-
lists shrive themselves from "any ap-
proach toward educating in religion,
learning industry or morals" of can
ignorant race suddenly loaded with the
burden of political responsibility" No
step can be taken in this direction until
we have ga government which will not
find it necessary to its existence to poison
the minds" of this race. Now, we had
all along apprehended that the great duty
of a Christian minister was 10 accept
existing authority, and labor to reform
moral wrong under any government. II
this be not a correct view of Christian
duty, what are our missionaries doing in
China, India, Turkey, Mexico, and even
perhaps in Ouachita? Is it the purpose
of the modern as OF the ancient priest
hood to prescribe the standard of politi.
cal administration? Will it be said that
unless Tilden be insugurated, and Pack
ard cast out, that the colored race will be
anathema? Yet it is indicated that unless
something Of this sort shall be done, we,
the clerical gentlemen referred to, "must
sadly look upon them 1.-THE negroesl al
daily deteriorating, their children grow
ing up in ignorance and the race relaps-
ing into barbarism. We look with deer
regret upon this evangelical strike, and
trust it may be in some manner accom-
modGted.
1t is certainly very pleasant comment
airy upon universal religious freedom t.
see clergymen of various denomination
setting their hands to any document bu
there appears after all to be a very signii
cant division among them.
There is codicil to the denunciation o
the Packard government for standing be
tween the colored people and thu
! kingdom of heaven. Certain signatures
, have been withheld from a category b!
! Protestants in chief and eminent Hebrew
, rabbis. These last, headed by the rever
end Mr.. Perche, who prefaces his sigma
ture by an emblem which looks very mucl
, like what we type stickers call dagger
! but which we may presume is typical O
laying over the average clergyman or rabbi
This special illumination gives 20 ooI
E rupt and corrupting press" particula
SCOT, but it begs leave to differ with tn
. category Of the Rev. H. Miller Thompson
1 It declares ''before God that myself an
g my priests took all possible means to Civ
a good advice to the freedmen" Another rev
erend gentleman, who signs himself "Vica
. General, etc., says: zone half of my COZ
gregation is eolored. We give them tn
very best possible advice" In this marke
difference between some Protestant an
Hebrew clergymen, on the one hand, VIII
. refuse to teach the colored people the wa
. to salvation until the Democracy sha
: have been placed in power, and th
Catholic dignitaries, who can be Jul
as abusive Of the Republican press an
party, and yet teach their version {
eiivine truth, and propagandize the colOre
race, we are compelled to award the pail
/. Of Christian duty and worldly wisdom {
the Romanists. It must not be forgotte
that the census shows 3 majority Of Pr
testant Christians among the cOlored pei
: pie Of Louisiana. It would seem, theI
extremely disinterested in those who 81
: intrusted with the care Of Protestant SOU