New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-01

| COO at all IMAM TO DlaSpnehe tlilh ny
! the atrocious attributes OF Calvin"
| Such utterances doubtless explain the
| frequent charge of irreligion. He never
outgrew the vulgar and ill-bred habit
of sneering at religious beliefs he could
not at the moment share,-neVer
| learned that only boor could insult
| the religious convictions of anybody.
Opinions on Religion.
In 1916, when already out of public
life, he allowed a pamphlet issued by
Dr. Lyman Beecher to draw him into
some remarkable expressions, ad-
| dressed first to an unknown Northern
| corr esDondent. the more extreme state
ments then taken out, and sent TO the
editor Of The Richmond Enquirer"
/ with the request for their publication,
! the authorship to be carefully con-
| cealed In the letter asking this, he
| describes DR.. BeeCher's pamphlet as
| the most bold and impudent stride
| New England has ever taken in AFRO
eating an ascendancy over the rest OF
| the Union" He wrote: 81 am not
afraid of the priests. They have tried
| upon me all their various batteries, OF
plous whining, hypocritical canting,
! lying and slandering. without being
| able TO give me one moment of pain. L
| have contemplated their order, from
the maei Of the East TO the saints OF
| the West. and / have found no differ
ence of character. but of more or less
| caution, in proportion 10 the lntorlha-
| ton or ignorance of those on whom
| their interested duperies were TO De
| paid off. Their sway in New England
! is indeed formidable. The nation must
be awaked to save itself by It's own
exertions OF we are undone.
| hope your trumpet CThe Richmond
ENQUIRER will make itself heard.
Virginia. whose superior religious
enlightenment was Wanted in TINS
| same letter. had early made 1t penal
! in parents TO refuse TO have their chill
dren baptized, had prohibited the un-
lawful assembling Of Quakers, mad
! made II penal for any master OF
vessel 10 bring any Quaker into the
| state. and ordered those already there
and such as came thereafter to be I'M
prisoned until they should abjure, had
provided a mild punishment for their
| first and second returns, but death TOT
| their third: had prohibited all persons
! from suffering their meetings in or
near their houses or importing BOOKS
which supported their tenets. Ihese
| facts had been recorded by JEFFERSON
himself in his Notes on Virginia, and
! besides. II had tasked his own early
zeal TO carry the statute for religious
| freedom in the colony. 1t is idle, tneh'
| to regard these wild expressions as the
serious convictions about religion or
religions of either a philosopher or
statesman. They were merely the pet
ulance and spleen Of man harasseu
| by political attack and newspaper
abuse, or perhaps the pose of a polltl-
| cian-to affect his followers, the same
politician who thought II desirable TO
transform himself from a gentleman
| TO an QnCOuln DOOI III VI uVh w $780,
foreign ministers, in due republican
| simplicity"
One OF the most inexcusable features
in his political struggles was his use
of the blackmailers, Calender, Freneau
and others, in his vindictive warfare
sgainss Hamilton. The most miserable
scandal Of that whole period was
scurrilous attack upon Hamiltons pri-
vate morals and official integrity pre-
pared and published by Calender
Some historians have even asserted
that 1t was submitted by him to Jefrer-
son Tor approval before its publication
as were attacks by other blackmailers.
Mr.. jefferson knew at any rate with
whom he was dealing, for the man had
| already been in prison, and he had par
| doned him. He soon received a just
punishment for Calender turned upon
| him and slandered him more william
ously even than he had slandered
| Hamilton, on the same lines, and with
as little cause.
Personal Relations.