KY <eo. W. BOWaiAIV.
NEW SERIES.
Select Poctrrf.
From the Doylestown Democrat.
A I T I JI N A L MUSINGS.
•V 3IAKV MORRISON.
Nature's scenes are ever changing,
As the restless ocean wave ;
Now adorning, now deration.
Forming beauty for a grave.
Man exults in hope, then grieving,
Finds his hopes a ruin made ;
So beauteous morn ami noonday bright'ning,
Soon decline 111 deep'ning shade.
Spring is fresh with life and gladness,
Fragrant flowers and balmy air;
Now fond hope dispelling sadness,
Views Earth robed in verdure fair.
Summer comes with glowing brightness—
Golden harvests—sylvan shades;
Confidence in her uprightness—
Now iorgets—Earth—beauty fades.
Autumn rich in fruits and treasures,
Calm in modest homely grace ;
Storing goods for winter leisure,
Greets humility and peace.
Fall has still a vernal feature—
Beauteous flowers while leaves are dry;
So Hope, o'er weeping nature,
Views the rainbow in the sky.
Faith di-eerns through winter's sadness,
Beauty shining through decay ;
Confident she breaThes in gladness—
"Night foretells a coming day."
Thus to Reason Nature's lesson
Taught us by eternal love;
l'rnve< all change js bidden blessing,
Leading us to God above.
Thi* iiotir of Braver.
Mv God, is any hour so sweet, -
From blush of morn to evening Star,
As that which calls rue to thy feet— '
The hour oQiprayfer !
B|et be that tranquil lipim of morn,
And Ide-t that solemn hour of eve,
When on the wings 01 faith upborne
The world 1 leave !
For then a day-spring shines on sap,
Brighter than morn's etberild glow ;
And richer dews descend ire*
Thau earth caw-Sfceviiw ■*—
Then is mv strength by thpp renewed ;
Then are my sins by thee forgiven ;
Then dost thou cheer my solitude
With hopes of heaven.
Words cannot tell what sweet relief
Here lor my every want 1 find,
What strength lor warfare, balm for grief,
What peace of mind.
Himhed is each doubt, gone every fear,
.My spirit seems in heaven to stay,
And e'en the penitential tear
Is wiped away.
INTERESTING LITTLE TILE.
THE ELEVENTH COBIMA3IEISEKT.
T. S. Arthur lulls a good story about a loving
couple in New Jersey, u bo belong to the Melh
dist church. A new presiding elder, Mr. N.,
was expected in that district; and as the min
isters ail stopped with brother \V. and his wife,
every preparation was- made to give him a cor
dial reception. The honest couple thought that
religion, in part, consisted in making some pa
rade, and therefore the parlor was put in order,
a nice fire was made, and the kitchen replenish
ed with cake, chickens, and every delicacy,
preparatory to cooking.
While Mr. \V. was out at his wood pile, a
plain looking, coarsely dressed, but quiet-like
pedestrian came along and inquired the distance
to the next town. Tie was told that it was
three miles. Being very cold, he asked j**r
mission to enter and warm himself. Assent
was given very grudgingly, and both went iri
!•> the kitchen. The wile looks daggers at this
untimely intrusion, the stranger had on cow
hide boots, an old hat, and a threadbare, but
neatly patched coat. At length she gave him
a chair beside the Dutch oven which was bak
ing nice cakes lor the presiding elder, who was
momentarily expectpd, as he was to preach the
next day at the church a mile or two beyond.
The stranger,after warming himself, prepar
ed to leave, but the weather became more in
clement, and as his appetite was roused by the
viands about the fire he asked for some little
refreshment ere he set out for a cold walk to
the town beyond. Mrs. W. was displeased, but
on consultation with her husband, some cold ba
con and bread were set on an old table, and he
was then somewhat gruffly told to eat. It was
growing dark, and hints were thrown out that
the stranger had better depart, as it was three
lonr miles to town. The w ite grew petulent
as the new preacher did not arrive, and her
husband sat whistling the air of "Auld Lang
Syne," while he thought of the words of the
hymn—"When I can read my title clear,"and
felt as if he could order the stranger oil without
any further ado.
rhe homely meal was at last concluded—the
man thanked him kindly for the hospitality he
had received, and opened the door to go. But
it was quite dark, and the clouds denoting a
storm filled the heavens.
"Aou say it is full three miles to D ?"
"I do," said Mr. W. coldly ; "I said so
when you first stopped, and you ought to have
pushed on. like a prudent man. You coulu
have reached there before it was quite dark."
"But I was cold and hungry, and might have
filiated by the way."
rr-~ t - --"■ - - -
1 The manner of saying this touched the farm
er's feeling a little.
"You have warmed and fed me, for which I
am thankful. Will you not bestow another
act of kindness upon one in a strange place,
and, if he goes out in the darkness, may lose
himself and perish in the cold ?"
The particular form in which this request
was made, and the tone in which u was uttered,
put it out ot the farmer fo say no.
"Go i:i there and sit down," he answered,
pointing to the kitchen, "and I will see my
wife and hear what she says."
And Mr. Vv. went into the parlor where the
supper table stood, covered with snow white
cloth, and displaying his wife's set of blue sprig
ged china, that was only brought out on special
occasions.
j The tall mould candies were burning there
' on, and on the hearth blazed a cheerful tire.
"Hasn't that old fellow gone yet ?" asked
Mrs. VV. She heard his voice as he returned
• from the door.
No, and what do you suppose ? He wants us
to let him stay all night?"
"Indeed, we'll do no such thing? We can't
have the likes of him in the house now. Where
could he sleep ?"
"Not in the best room, even if Mr. N. should
not come."
"No, indeed !"
"But, really I don't see, Jane, how we can
turn him out of doors. He dosn't look like a
very strong man, and its dark and cold, and lull
three miles to 1) ."
"Its too much : he to have gone 011
while he had daylight, and not lingered here,as
he did, till it g<>t dark."
"We can't turn him out of doors, Jane, and
its no use to think of it. He'll have to stay,
some how."
"But what can we do with him ?"
"He seems like a decent man at least: and
dosn't look as if he had anything bad about him.
We might make him a bed on the lloor some
where."
"I wish he had been at Guinea before he
came here!" said .Mrs. VV. fretfully. The dis
appointment, and the conviction that Mr. N.
would not arrive, occasioned her to feel, and the
'intrusion of so unwelcome a visiter as thestran
' ger, completely unhinged her.
"Oh, well, replied her husband, in a sooth
' ing voice, never mind. We must make the
•i sjfst of it. He came to us tin-d and hungry, and
jwe warmed and fed him. He now asks sbu l
! ter for the night, and we must not refuse him,
nor grant his request irs a complaining or reluc
tant spirit. You know what the Bible says
about entertaining ang-ls unawares."
"Angels! Did you ever see an angel look
like him !"
! "Having never seen an angel," said the far
er smilinsr, "I am unable to speak as to their
appearance."
This had the effect to call an answering
smile from Mrs. VV. am! a better tee ting at her
heart. It was finally agreed between them that
the man, as he seemed like a decent kind ol
person, should he permitted to occupy the min
ister's room, if that individual did not arrive,
an event to which they both looked with but
little expectancy. If he did come why tile
1 man would have to put up with poor accom
modations.
When Mr. VV. returned to tin 1 kitchen,
where the stranger had seated himse|fb hue the
' fire, he informed him that they had decided to
let him stav all night. The man expressed in
a few words his grateful senseot their kindness,
anrl then became silent and thoughtful. Soon
alter the farmer's wife giving up all hope of
Mr. Vs arrival, had supper taken up, which
consisted of collee, warm short cakes and hroil
:ed chickens. After all was on the table, a short
conference was held as to whether it would do
not to invite the stranger to take supper. It
was true they had given him as much bread and
bacon as he could eat, hut then, as long as he
was going to stav ail night, it looked too inhos
-1 pitable to sit down to the table and not ask hint
to join them. So, making a virtue of necessity,
lie was kindly asked to come to supper—an
invitation which he did not decline. Grace
was said over the meal by Mr. VV., and the
coffee poured out, and the bread helped and the
meat carved.
There was a fine little boy six years old at
the table, who had been brightened up and dress
ed in his best in order to grace tbe minister's re
ception. Charles was full of talk, and the pa
rents felt a mutual pride in showing him oil',
even belore their humble guest, who noticed
him particularly, though lie had not much to
say. "Come, Charley," said Mr. VV., alter the
meal was over, and he sat leaning in it is chair,
can't you repeat the pretty hymn mamina learn
! Ed you last Sunday ?"
Charley started off without any further invi
tation, and repeated very accurately two or
three verses of a new camp-meeting hymn
that was just then very popular.
•'Now let us hear you say the command
' ments, Charley," spoke up the mother, well
pleased at her child's performance.
And Charley repeated them with the aid of a
little prompting.
"How many commandments are there?" ask
ed the father.
The child hesitated, and then, looking up at
the stranger, Dear whom he sat, said inoocent-
Iv—
" How many are there ?"
The man thought for some moments, and
said, as if in doubt,
j "Eleven, are there not ?"
"Eleven ?" ejaculated Mrs. VV., in unfeign
ed surprise.
"Eleven ?" said hpr husband, with more re
buke than astonishment in his voice. "Is it
possible, sir, that you do not know how many
commandments there are ? How many are
there, Charley ? Come, teil me—you know,
of course."
"Ten," replied the child.
I "Eight, my son," returned Mr. VV., looking
with a smile of approval on the child. "Right.
There isn't a child of his age in ten miles who
can tell you there are ten commandments."
"Did you ever read the Bibie, sir?" address
ing the stranger.
"When I was a little hoy* I used to read it j
sometimes. But I am sure I thought there were 1
eleven commandments. Are you not mis
about there being only ten ?"
Sister W. lifted her hands in unfeigned as- ;
tonishment,and exclaimed : <
"Could any one believe it? such ignorance yf
the Bible?""
Mr. \V. did not reply, but rose, and going
to one corner of the room, where the good book
lay upon the small stand, he put it on the tahlyll
before him, and opened at that portion in whmflN
the commandments are recorded.
"There he said placing his finger upon fhi
proof of the stranger's error. "There! look for ;
yourself." yH
The man cnine round from his side of the ta- !
ble. and looked over the stranger's shoulder.
"There ! ten, d'ye see?"
"Yes it does say," replied the man; "ar.d yet
it seems to me there are eleven. I'm sure I !
have always thought so."
"Doesn't it say ten hero!" inquired Mr. W. i
with marked impatience in his voice.
"It does, certainly."
"Weil, what more do you want?" Can't
you believe tile Bible ?"
"O yes, I believe the Bible: and vet, it strikes j
mo somehow that there must he eleven com- .
mandmeuts. Hasn't one been added somewhere j
else ?"
Now this was too much for brother and sister !
W. to hear. Such ignorance of sacred matters
they felt to he unpardonable. A long ledum
followed, in which the man was scolded, ai
nioiitshed, arid threatened with divine indigna
tion. At its close he modestly asked if he might 1
not have the Bible to read for an hour or two
before retiring for the nigh!. This request was i
granted with more pleasure than any of the pre- j
ceding ones. * fj
Shortly after supper the man was conducted !
to the little square room, accompanied by the !
Bible. Before leaving him alone, Mr. V\'. felt:
it to be his duty to exhort him to spiritual things,
and !m did so most earnestly for ten or (ilteen j
minutes. Cut he could not see that his words
made much impression, ami he finally left bis .
guest, lamenting his obduracy and ignorance. j
In the morning he came down, and moling
j Mr. Vv. asked him if he would be so kind as to
; lend him a razor, that he might remove his
! heard, which did not give his face a very attrac
tive appearance. His request was complied
with. _ , •
"We will iiave inah tp niMHiti*
said Ulr. W., as he handed him the razor and
shaving box.
The man appeared and behaved with due pro
priety at family worship. After breakfast he
thanked the farmer and his wife fir their hospi
tality, and parting, went on his journey.
Ten o'clock came, hut Mr. N. had not arriv
ed. So Mr. and Mrs. W. started tor the meet
ing house, not doubting that they would find him
there. Hut they were disappointed. A good
ly number of people were inside the meeting
house, and a goodly number outside, hut the
minister had not yet arrived.
"Where is Mr. A?" inquired a d< 7.en
voices, as a little crowd gathered around the
farmer.
He hasn't cnrne vet. Something has detain
ed him. Hut I still look for him—indeed, I ful
ly expected to find him here."
Tiie day was cold, and Mr. W. after becoming
thoroughly chilled, concluded to go in and keep
a good lookout for the minister from the window
near which he usually sat. Others, from the
same cause, followed his example, and the little
meeting-house was soon filled, and one alter an
other came dropping in. The farmer, who turn
ed towards the door each time it was opened,
was a little surprised to see his guest of the
previous night enter, and come slnwlv down the
aisle, looking on either side as if searching tor
a vacant seat, very lew of which were now left.
Still advancing, he finally got within the 11111 •*
enclosed altar, and ascending to tin- pulpit, took
off his old grey overcoat and sat down.
IJy this time Mr. W. was at his side, and
had his hand upon l.is arm.
'-You mustn't sit here. Come down and I
will show you a seat," he said, in an excited
tone.
"Thank you," replied the n an in a compos
ed voice. "It's very comfortable here." And
the man remained immovable.
Mr. W. feeling embarrassed, went down,
intending to get a brother "official" to assist him
in making a forcible ejection of the man from the
place he was desecrating. Immediately upon
his doing so, however, the mail rose, and stand
ing up at the desk, opened the hymn beginning:
'-Help us to help each other, Lord,
Each other'.- cross to hear: -
Let each his friendly aid afford,
And feel a brother's care."
The congregation rose after the stranger read
the entire hymn, and had repeated the first two
lines for them to sing. Brother W. usually
started the tunes. He tried this time, but went
off on a long metre tune. Discovering his mis
take at the second word, hj balked and tried it
again, but now he stumbled on short metre. A
musical brother here came to his ait!, and led oil"
with a tune that suited the measure in which
the hvmn was written.
After singing, the congregation kneeled, and
the minister, for no one doubted his character,
addressed the Throne of Grace with much fer
vor and eloquence. The reading of a chapter
in the Bible succeeded. Then there was a deep
pause throughout the room in anticipation of the
text, which the preacher prepared to announce.
Brother W. locked pale, and his hands and
knees trombled. Sis t er W.'s face looked like
crimson, and her heart was beating so loud that
she wondered whether the sound was not heard
by the sister who sat beside her. There was a
breathless silence. The dropping of a pin might
Freedom of and Opinion.
BEDFORD, PA. FRIDAY MORNING, NOV. 24, 1854.
have been heard. Then, the fine, emphatic
tones ofthe preacher filled the crowded room:
" And a new commandment I give unto you,
fiat ye /ave one another."
Brother W. had bent forward to listen, but
now be had sunk back in his seat. This was
the Eleventh Commandment.
The sermon was deep, searching, vet affec
tiona'.e and impressive. The preacher uttered
nothing that could in the 1-a t wound the broth
er and sister, of whose hospitality he had partak
en, but he said much that smote upon their
hearts, and made them painfully conscious that
they had not shown as much kindness to the
stranger as he had been entitled to receive on
' the bread principle of humanity. But they suf
( fered most from mortitirati >n of feeling.—
!To think that they tteafed the Presiding Elder
of the district after such a fashion was deeply
humiliating; and the idea of the whole aflair
getting abroad, interfered sadly with their de
votional (Velings throughout the \\ hole period of
service.
At last the sermon was over, the ordinance
j administered, and tiie benediction pronounced.
I Brother W. did not know what it was best for
him to do. lie never was more at a loss in his
life. Then Mr. X. descended from the pulpit,
but he did not step forward to meet him. How
could he do that ? Otheis gathered around and
shook hands with him, but still he lingered and
held back.
"Where is brother W. 7 " heat length heard
i asked ; it was the voice of the minister,
! "Here he is," said one or two, opening the
; way to wlo-re {be farmer stood.
■ ;he preacher advanced, and catching his hand,
l said—
"How do von do. brother W. I am glad to see
: von- and where is sister W ?"
Sister W. wn brought forward, and the
i preacher shook hands with tlmm heartily, while
j his lace was lit up with smiles.
i "1 believe lam to find a home with you,"
j he said, as if it was settled,
j Before the still embarrassed brother and sis
] ter could make reply, some one asked—
j "How came you to he detained s> late. Yon
j were expected iust night. Aiid where is IrotlA
er E.?"
: "Brother R. k sick," replied Mr. X. "and I
| had to come alone. Five miles from this my
, iiorse gave out, and I had to come the rest of lie
j way on j ot. But 1 became so cold and \ve u rv
I bat 1 found it necessary to ask a farmer not far
from here to give rue a night's lodging, which
he was kind enough to do. I thought I nas
still three" miles off, but it happened that I was
very much nearer my journeys end than I sup-:
posed." *|| . .J
Tfti' rTpta nation wns rrrtofiifffr' w
and in due time the congregation dispersed, and
! !lie Presiding Elder went home with brother and
! sister Vv". One thing is certain, however-p-the
| sturv never got out tor some wars after the
: worthy brother and sister ha-! pass -d from their
! la! rs, and it was then related I v Mr. \. him-
I self, who was rafh-r eccentric in his character,
and, like numbers of his ministerial brt thn-n,
I f-rrri of joke, and given to relating good stories.
,t> : i,D..T aM) S. it
A shocking afliiir, by which a man and wife,
named Smith, were sent into eternity," occurred
.in tire village of .New Windsor, about four
miles from X.-whiirg. on Saturday night last.—
, The husband had been for some lime in a de
pn • sin! state oi mind, and finally wound lip his
earthly career bv murdering Ins wife, and then
| taking bis own life. The first that was known
■ f the occurrence was on Sunday morning,
when some of the neighbors entered the dwell
ing and found the wife dead in her bed, and the
lifeless form of the husband lying in a pool of
blood on the floor, with his throat cut from ear
to ear. But the strangest feature in the sad
affair is that the body of the woman bore rot the
slightest mark oi violence, and appeared as
though she had fallen asleep in death : and
what acids still more to the mystery is the fact
that the neighbors were in the house tiie even
ing previous, and found them both in tin ir usu
al health. The persons who called upon them
s'.a'e that Smith was unusually rude m manner,
and very blasphemous, and upon his wife's up
braiding him, and telling him that she did not
tiunk his conduct a proper [ reparation for 1 lie
sabbath, he remarked that she need not worry
herself about thai, as neither of thern would
ever spend another Sabbath in this world. As
it was bis habit to make reckless speeches, noth
ing serious was thought of this expression, but ;
the' morning's light rewaied a scene that ful
ly realized his fearful assertion. Coroner Par
menter, of Newburg, was summoned to hold an !
inquest on the bodies on Sunday: hut the result j
of tiie investigation had not transpired at the
time our informant left Newburg, yesterday I
noon. It is supposed, however, that Smith ad
ministered to his wife some kind of poison, |
which bad ari immediate and deadly efket.— '
Y. Tribune.
The Mohtaeity in London. —Another epi- :
demic, in addition to the cholera, is said to be
fatally prevalent in London. It is called the
"Black Death," after the appalling plague j
which visited Europe in the fifteenth century, j
Whether is is really that awful disease is not j
known ; but it i 3 supposed to be (lie same by |
many, and the explanation given iri London ofj
its prevalence at this time, is that two grave j
yards, containing the remains of the victims •
of the former plague in Westminster . and
Hackney have been dug up to lay the founda
tions of a church and baths and wash houses.—
The New York Daily Times expresses the opin
ion that it is not the plague, as it is rarely found
in conjunction with the cholera, but says that
it is what is railed bv the Germans and En
glish the sweating sickness.
An advocate having lately gained a suit for a
poor young lady, she remarked, "I have notli
ing to pay you with hut my heart." Hand it
over to tlw Clerk, if you pease. I wish no ;
fee fur myself," replied he.
From the Dubuque Miners' Register.
HEAD! PAUSE!! REFLECT!!!
MOW ITiliira REPIDIITED
By a Methodist Clergyman.
Wilds of Checaajque, lowa, Oct. 7. 185$.
Jtly Very Dear Friend: —Before I left Du
buque yourself and several of her gentlemen of
various Christian churches requested the publi
cation of my sermon delivered on the 4th inst.
A long habit of speaking extemporaneously
made mt careless of tin- preservation of either
sermons or speeches which I am called upon to
make from time to time. Therefore, to give
you my language or to transfer to paper my al
lusions to civil and religious liberty would be
impossible. But, with every possible desire to
be brief, I shall give my qpinions to youtself in
regard to the right of every man worshipping
i Cod according to tiie dictates of his own con
! science, ami just as freely express my fears of,
and opposition to, every organization either se-
I cret or open which looks to the abridgement of
this great principle, which is essential to the
very existence of republican Government and
, the uncorrupted worship of the living God.
Yon, sir, are a Catholic: I am a Methodist.
Your faith I believe to be the result of a delib
| crate judgment formed after a careful investiga-
J tion. Your convictions and devotions are con
| srientious. Just such are my faith and my de
| votions, and the faith and devotion of every true
• Christian everywhere. I suppose you could
\ not forsake vour religion and remain an honest
man: I am equally clear that I could not aban
| don my principles and retain for a moment my
; self-respect and enjoy the approving smile of
my Holy Maker and Judge, who kindly regards
the infirmities of his creatures, and scrupulously
abhors pretence or deceit. Then, my dear friend,
what are we to do ? On the details of our respec
; live religious creeds we can never agree. Shall
| voti, therefore, destroy me? or shall I, with a
superior charity and enlightened faith, seek
your annihilation, because we differ concerning
j matters which none but the wise and eternal
God can correctly determine! I? it an injury
■ to either of us that the other, standing upon his
' responsibilities to the Supreme Judge ofthe uni
verse,, chooses to consult him alone, and riisre
! gard tf ie,opinions of men, merely relating to
things not of this world? It would insult' your
good sens" to tarn !v answer these inquiries in
: the negative, \ :>u had anticipated them all.
There is only one answer which,has been con
clusive to every reasonable worshipper of God.
"Let every man be fully purstiaded in his own
J'PpA" The Constitution of the land, wisely
pi • : "ng i >r tie* p ditlcal agreement of a multi
farious religious sentiment, has guaranteed to
eve; v man a right to worship God according to
i the dictates of his own conscience. And, for
the v v first time in the history of modern civ
ilization, otir national government has not onlv
permitted, hut has encouraged, by her liberal
1 legislation, the growth of every sincerely devo
ted body of Christians, irrespective of their
name or formulas. It is with .regret that I see
an attempt mad" in various portions of the coun
try t create midnight censorships and star cham
bers, for tiie avowed object of disfranchising the
Catholic population of tiie country, and waging
a war of all others the most fearful and vindic
tive—a warfare against religion. In the whole
history ofthe world there never has been a time
when such, secret organizations as the know
nothings were left with so shallow a pretence
for their enmbinati: :i as at the present: never a
time when so little has been threatened by any
organized form of Christianity as now.
Jh the first place, there is not a majority of
the United States in communion with any
church. There is a very clear majority who
are not members of nnv religious body, and this
majority would resist to the death the least
squinting at an encroachment upon their right of
opinion. In the second place, the government
<loes not, directly or indirectly, support bv gitts
or fees anv one denomination of Christieus, and
of course can have no preference in her choice
among them. Moreover, the numerical strength
of the communicants of the several denomina
tions is very nearly the sarr.e, and kept in awe
by mutual watchfulness. A mutual forbearance,
continued since the organization oi our govern
ment, has created a Christian fraternity of feel
ing among conflicting opinions unknown before
in the history of Christianity.
The population ofthe United States was in
1 Sf>o, *23,1 9 1,91S and is now about 2(5,000,000;
of this number about 1,(500,000 are Methodists
of every order, 1,200,000 are Baptists.
Who, then, tiiat is not afflicted with a supor
stition's monomania, can offer a reasonable pre
tence for a formidable organization of religious
power it! the United States ? Indeed, sir, if
there ever has been a time when infidelity and
contempt for all religion had an ascendancy,
that time is now.
Hut, should a time ever come when religious
intolerance threatens the existence of free in
stitutions, and resistance to ecclesiastical power
becomes necessary, even then know-nothitigism,
oranv other secret political organization, ought
not to receive the countenance of any lover of
free government. Secrecy and hypocrisy are
the favorite instruments of kings and desjwts.—
No country can long remain free alter its great
principles are abandoned, and the government
itself becomes the spoils of the tricky, skulking
politician. I conceive the know-nothing organ
ization of this character, or why the organiza
tion at all in a country like ours, where every
man has a voice in the legislation ofthe land
Where no privileged order is established or
countenanced by law, 1 cannot conceive of a
single thing affecting those gentlemen as citizens
which does not in the same sense affect every
other man in the counfry. If their designs are
just and patriotic, they are surely sustained by
reason: and I think the same reasons which
have convinced thern will also convince us of
the same things, and there can In* no necessity
for secrecy in the prosecution of honorable pur-
TERMS, S3 PER YEAR.
VOL XXIII, NO. 15.
post's.
But there are evils resulting from Mich asso
ciations which ought not to be overlooked, in
a republican government the basis of our se
curity is public confidence. Whatever strikes
at public, confidence, strikes at
When the whig party beats the democratic [w
ty upon an issue made public, the defeated par
ty gives up the contest a honorably settled.—
In turn he openly gains for his own party an
equal triumph, and the opposition as quietly ac
quiesce in their overthrow. It was done open
ly: they saw how it was done, and are satisfied.
But in the success o ( secret political societies
public confidence is undermined; it gives way:
a reign of terror commences; another SECBI:T
organization, know-somethings, are organized;
and they, too,may triumph, and the dismayed
know-nothings may not so tamely submit.—
They, in revenge, apply the muni'ions of se
cret warfare. Long before the charter was
granted to any of these organizations, midnight
was deemed an auspicious time lor secret de
predations, and no more powerful means than
the spark of fire, or the simple modern inven
tion appropriately called Incifer matches, would
be needed to assist in secret resistance to the su
perior trick of the victorious party.
No less sacred a citadel than the temple of
worship and family altar will be lighted up and
illumine the earth with their fires. Aye, sy,
already lias this infernal work begun under tlljib
auspices of this modern institution of
already have Catholic churches been burnetr to
the ground or battered down by the hands or
the lawless, irresponsible mob, patronized hv
those graceless demagogues who would reform
the world and maintain the super-excellent
character ol Christian gentlemen, whilst they
use for rrK st enormous crimes minions heated
by mad fanaticism, the worst and basest of the
w hole family,of man.
Where is the church-burning to end under
thp auspices of such an extended, and powerful,
and slv, and heartless hand ? All of your
churches may lie in ruins upon the earth.
Then may your monasteries and nunneries share
the same fate. By U.is time church-burning
may become fashionable, and the hand long
tiained to incendiarism may with the same fa
cility try his experiment upon the Methodist
churches, which, like Catholic churches, may
be devoured by flames. Rot the dwellings cf
priests and the houses of Methodist creachers,
may endure a similar fate, as they become sub
ject to the overruling mandates of King Mob.
Indeed, the forebodings to one accustomed to
melancholy feeling are truly frightful. To the
sober-minded the fearful results of stjch oSgahT- .
zalions promise no less than the overthrow of
frde government! If was their secret political
reformation which preceded the French revo
lution, and contributed to the trophies of Marat
ami Robespierre. The results are plain and
natural, and it requires far more of fortitude than
wisdom to foresee a nation of Christian repub
licans giving way to vandalism until she is
overcome with a pure barbarism, and seeks pro
tection and pleads for quarters beneath the hos
pitable throne of an absolute despotism. Tt
surely requires no vast stretch of imagination
to travel hack to the reign of our Catholic and
Protestant English Kings and Queens, who have
left nothing to posterity hut a loathsome memo
ry of their persecutions inflicted upon conscien
tious men lor no other crime than the volunta
ry worship of the living God. Indeed, sir, the
memory of the illustrious Calvin has been soiled
hv the reflection of persecutions inflicted upon
his dissenting contemporary, Servetus. New-
England, both the cradle and the grave of true
liberty, destroyed the portrait of her Plymouth
landing by interposing the frightful spectacle of
hanging Quakers and Baptists for their opin
ions: and who that has had absolute power has
not thus appropiiated it? and with a generous
forget fulness these our mutual wrongs and mu
tual sufferings are consigned to oblivion.
What high-minded, intelligent Catholic or
Protestant would see these scenes re-enacte i
upon the continent of America, though th> v
were regulated by law ? W ho, in the name oi
liberty, would seek their introduction by mob
violence, under the sacred garb of n-iigio' ,
wearing the sacerdotal robes of the temple <d
God There may he wrongs in every ecclesi
astical organization. If they conflict with the
rights of citizens, the law under our constitu
tion is abundantly able to correct the evil : U
they do not conflict with these rights, it remains
a question with man and his Maker without an
intervening power.
There may be a wrong in our law s which is
not sufficiently scrutinizing and severe in the
prohibition of the emigration of fnflign pavpers
and foreign criminals : if that be so, let those
laws be amended, and every honorable foreign
er will rejoice in the distinction which is made
between virtue and vice. That would he a
levelling blow, indeed, which at one fell stroke
struck down the good with the evil, the wise
with the foolish, indiscriminately. But such is
know-nothingisin in its inception. God only
knows the end, and may He in mercy forefend
us the' worst !
I am your sincere friend and fellow-citizen,
hound hy the fiaternal feelings of u liberal ami
holy Christianity.
HENRY CLAY DEAN.
A. P. Gregoire, Esq.
The famous Brigham Young, the Governor
of Utah,and Grand High Priest of the Mor
mons, came near having an inglorious end put
to his career, in August last. He went down
into his well to recover a lost bucket, when the
kerbing tumbled in, and the earth followed, and
Brigham Young became, for the nonce, a sub
tenant an Saint. But the zeal of his followers
would not permit any such finish to the life of
this most faithful shepherd. Spades and shovels
were brought into requisition; the harem of the
buried Governor .assembled in force to aid the
saving efforts of the male members ol the flock,
and, in about two hours, they had the gratifica
tion of pulling him out, like a forked radish.