The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1897-01-30
EMERsON's LIFE OF DIR. MINER

LIFE OF ALoNzo AMEs MINER, S. t. D..
LII. d. BY George H. Emerson. D. d. Illus
trated. Boston: Universalist Publishing House.
In this ample volume DIR. Emerson has
given us the biography of remarkable
man. In the Boston OF the laet half
century Dr. Alonzo A. Miner, preacher.
prophet, orator, agitator and reformer,
was notable and unique figure. seen on
the platform upon every important pub
lie occasion. charged with message of
warning, denunciation, or comfort, as the
case might be. To the movements OF
the world about him he was never indif
ferent. The word of cheer or criticism
was ever upon his lips. and was uttered
fearlessly on occasion. He was the
Christian preacher; he was at the same
time the fearless sentinel, standing upon
the outworks of civilization. with an eye
keen to detect danger from afar and
trumpet voice to proclaim it to the peo-
pie.
OF this stal wart and irrepressible man
DR.. Emerson has drawn a faithful and
full-length portrait. He painted from
nature. We have the subject in youth.
in mature life. and in advanced years
the evolution and completion of the
man. Each period has for us it's inter
est. The home in the I.smpster hamlet.
under the brow of the hill beside the
lakelet, with the small church and the
little red school house. where the lad
and his young sweetheart learned to con-
ing picture of rural life in earlier New
England. We watch with interest the
departure of the young couple for their
new home in Methuen and the transfer
of the youthful pastor to Lowell. But
the narrative takes Oh an added interest
when. in 1848. Mr.. Miner became the
associate pastor of the Second Univer-
salist Church in Boston. Boston had
new tests for his powers; Boston opened
to him, also, new opportunities. He per-
formed agrsat work as pastor in shep-
herding and improving his flock and in
promoting denomi national interests be-
You'd his own charge. He was an in
SEPARATION to the denomination in the field
of education. Through his influence
was the founding of Tufts College and
Dean Academy in Massachusetts, and
Goddard Academy in Vermont. His in
terest in education was deep and intelli-
gent He knew its value and Importance
to the denomination. For many years
he was an efficient mem Der of the Boston
school board.
But the outside public knew DIR. Min
er best as a reformer. While he gave
much thought and energy to many lines
of public improvement, he became con-
spicuous in the advocacy OF two or three
reforms, especially antislavery. temper
ance and Americanism. When DIR. Min
or came to Boston slavery was in saddle,
ruliog the political parties the marts of
trade, the institutions of learning, and
in too many instances the churches. He
had it understood, when he settled. that
his lips could not be padlocked on any
of the great evils that affiict society. He
should feel at liberty on any suitable oc-
casion to speak his mind. But it required
not little courage in 1848 to denounce
the encroachments and wrongs of slav
cry. The slave power had its hand at
So u
the liability, but he never hesitated to
strike, for he feared neither men nor dew
lis. In 1855 he was invited by the
Boston city government to deliver the
Fourth of July Grafton. The position
was delicate one. The Fugitive Slave
Law had been enacted; Thomas Lewis
and Anthony Burns had been surrend-
cred in Boston to the slave hounds.
Ia the face of all this iniquity DIR.
Miner proclaimed the higher law and de-
clared boldly that legislation in conflict
with the laws of nature and of God is
necessarily void. He quoted an act Of
parliament to the same purport and
Covenants without natural justice are
nothing but mere words and breath,
aud therefore they have no force to OBJ.
lige." But DIR. Miner lived to see the
thunder quite knocked out OF the slave
power by the cannon of the Civil War.
But he was not 80 fortunate with the
liquor traffic. After many hard blows
the huge iniquity still survives to defy
the best public sentiment of the country.
Faint-hearted advocates are ready to
give up; but such was not the view of
DIR. Miner. He had the boldness of a
lion to denounce the wrong and to gather
up strength for fresh blow. He ranked
with the foremost in favor of prohibi
ton. He denounced every license law
and shouted on every prohibitory meas
ure. He sided with the Republican
party a good while. till he found too
many men in it in favor of rum, when
he went over to the Prohibitory party
and was twice it's candidate for governor
of Massachusetts.
In his last years he made war on the
Pope in his attempts to NEEDLE with the
political affairs of the country. With
Romanism as religion he did not inter.
meddle; but when the priesthood inter
fered with the public school and politics