BY E©. w. KOiVIA Y NEW SERIES. Select Poet i n. LITTLE .11 ABEL. I;V MARY ('I.EMJI6S AMES. HPIOVPII little Miibei, She perished in the sprins; When the flowers began to blossom, When the birds b>'san to sing. ()nr precious little Mabel, Hal been lading all the year; For though she was our idol. We could not keep her here. |i,"l von seen our little Mabel. You would have lov'.l her well, For everybody loved her. More than words ran tell. (hir Beautiful, lost Mabel, With eyes of dewey jet, With the voice of rippling music, 1 ee and hear her yet! Our blessed little Mabel, Now I leth fast asleep. In The heart of a green valley, Where the eatly violets weep ; Where the .iglnog tree, above her. Weave shadows o'er her lied; Where the low, sad winds of summer. Sing dirges round her head. Where the lapse of silver fountains Upon the still air flow, And louud her grave the Angels Do sotlly come and go. At home our little Mahle, Shone I ke the morning star. Which lights the mellow heaven, And sends its ravs alar. Our holy little Mabel, W is a cherub from the skv, Whom God had sent to teach us How we must live and die. A Kittle German Slorv. A countrvmatt one d.iv returning from tin* city,look home with him five of the finest peaches one could possibly tlesire tosee, and, as his children had never beheld the fruit Inf.re, 1 hey rejoiced ovr them exceedingly, calling them fine apples, with rosy cheeks, and soft plum like skins. The lather divided them among his four children, and retained one for their mother. In 'he evening, ere the children retired to their chamber, the father questioned them bv asking : '•How did you like the rosy apples ?" "Very much, indeed, dear falhei," said the eldest buy ; "it is a beautiful find, so acid and yet so nice and soft to the tast-* : I have care fully preserved the stone that 1 may cultivate a tffr*. "Right and bravely done," said the father, "that speaks well for regarding the future with care, as is becoming in a young husband man." "I have eaten mine and thrown the stone away," said the youngest, "besides which, mo ther gave me half of hers. Oh it tasted so sweet and melting in mv month." "Indeed," answered "the falher, "thou hath net been prudent. However, it was very na tural and child-like, and displays wisdom enough lur your years." "I have picked up the stone.* said the second son, "which my little brother threw away, cracked it, and eaten the kernel; if was sweet to the taste, nut mv peach 1 have sold for so much money, that when I go to the city 1 can yet twelve of I hern." The parent shook his head reproveinglv, say ing, "Beware, my hov ot avarice. Prudence is all verv well, but such conduct as yours is nnchild-like and unnatural. Heaven guard thee, nay child, from the fate of a miser.— And you, Edmund?" asked the father, turning to his third son, who frankly replied, "I have given mv peach to the son of our ' ■ ighbor, the sick George, who had the fever. He would not take it, so I left it on his bed, and have just come away." "Now," said the father, "w ho has done the 'est with his peach ?" "Brother Edmund!" the three exclaimed aloud ; "brother Edmund 1" Edmund was still and silent; and the mother kissed him with tears ofjoy in her eyes. NO RAIN For. MORE THAN FOLK MONTHS.— r copy the following from the Galveston New> ot the sth instant; "!he Christian Advocate of this morning S| }'s it is now four months and four days since ' v e have had rain in this city, though we have had slight showers in that time, which did very httle good. This certainly is a long time to do Without rain. The principal suffering here re v - ts trom the injury to gardens, and the want "I good water for the oidinary purposes.of life. Cur cisterns are now nearly all exhausted, and ■j>n water lor drinking is becoming scarce. I r most other uses our citizens have to resort '' u 'el!s, which furnish water more or less •ckish, but which answers for washing and ( ier purposes. When we are again to have rain Passes all our power of conjecture. We :u 'e had to pay exorbitant prices for nearly all ' 11 necessaries of life, and now, to add to the o irdens which have fallen so heavily on the p orer classes, they are having to buy even wa '"N yt a price that renders (lie strictest econo -I!'.v in the use of it absolutely necessary." The Wheat Crop. A gentleman who has travelled through a -oat part of the Western States within a few • " ks. says that in nearly every place he has ""it the prospect of a la rye crop of wheal is in he high' si d-gree favorable. ' THE BEDFORD GAZETTE. S£c North-West ern Allies. I conform, however, to your wish the more readily, because I believe that the objec tions to the course of the Clergy referred to, which force themselves upm my mind, are in stinctive with every American. The obnoxious feature of this movement, the one which stamps its whole character, and justi ties the objectionable inferences and implica tions, which may be drawn from it, is that those who made the protest, and signed it, did so, not as citizens,.but us "ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ"—professing to act, not in tin* name, oi in-Lelialf of the American people, or any [ lit oftliem ; but "in the name of Almigh ty God," and "in his presence , " and, in tlwir ministerial character, alone, tin y solemnly pro test against the passage of the Nebraska Bill ; a direct attempt to i-> {luetic Congress by Cleri cal dictation. This is a-high and unwarranta ble assumption—first, hecaus" the parlies ciaim to speak in the name of G d, for which there is no autfioiitv : and, secondly, becaus- they seek to control the legislation of Congress, in a par ticular instance, by a power unknown to the Constitution and tin- laws. Not the least sig nificant sign in the proceeding in question, is that the participants in it, do not deign to peti tion, Gut adopt the higher measure of suit-tan protest, plainly showing, that they assumed a prerogative above the r< sort of the people in such cases. It is not surpri/.i.tg that this array of a new power to operate in political matters, awakened opposition and aroused the jealousy (d tile guardians o! the public liberty; tor, if submitted to and sanctioned, it would soon ren der inoperative those wise.and most precious provisions of the Constitonon.' whTcl'T(ff-coniiect Church and State: and would at no distant day, dictate the action ot the National Legislature ; ami we should have the coitnexiion of the two, in its most odious form, which, not being regu lated by law, but managed by an organization foreign thereto, would make the civil the slave of ecclesiastical authoriti. The Constitution ot the United States does not know ministers of the Gosp> ln . such. Thf. can only lie recognized here as citizen!;. In (,\ untries where Church and Stale are united, the case is differ* nl. There they have Lords temporal and Lords spiritual, the Commons ami the People. The Church, as part pt Ibe Slate, may speak potentially. It is not so i:i this bind of freedom and equality.— By our iiistituli ms, all power emanates from life people ; and we are ail the people, ore* com mon people without distinction of classes or special privileges to any ; arid the clergy only Crm part of the aggregate mass ofthe people.— To accomplish any purpose ot political bearing, legaiiy and Constitutionally, they must move with their fellow-citizens, fully identify them seives with them, without claiming any superior influence or prerogative arising out of their cal ling as ministers ot th" Gospel. I his is as it ought to be : and so may it ever remain. Again, church organization* in this Country aresimply voluntary associations, and the pow er and authority of clergymen are conferred by tlie respective denominations to which they he long : and are restricted in their operation to t fiat sphere alone. They cannot go beyond that limit in the exercise of their functions. They are not, nor any one of them, nor any associa tion of them, nor all of thern combined, vested with plenipotentiary robes to dictate the reli gion of the Country, much less ils legislation. But the first Resolution, attached to the Pro test ot the North Western Clergymen, a copy it would seem of the one from New England, is a fair comment upon both ; and sets forth ih<* new power in its true light. It reads as follows, to wit: "Resolved, Ist., That the ministry is the divinely appointed institution, for the decla ration and enforcement of God's will upon all points of moral and religions truth : and that, as such, it is their duty to reprove, rehuke, and exhotl with all authority." Extract the essence of this resolution, and it cones out the old dog ma, of the divine right to rule, claimed for themselves, by the ministry in some branches of the Church, which lias been the nucleus where ver circumstances favored oftlie religious despo tisms (hat have cursed the world. The doctrine ot the resolution, seems to he that by divine appointment, ministers ot the Gospel have been constituted a separate class, endowed with plenary powers, to say w hat the will of God is, anu enforce that will upon State authorities, as well as upon the Ciiuich. A sweeping claim this I .None can he more com prehensive. The error in this doctrine and of the framers oftlie resolution consists in a great misconception of the character and powers ul the Christian ministry. It has not the same au thority now, the apostles possessed. For special purposes extraordinary powers were conferred upon them. In their day, or previous to it, Re velation had not been completed—and they had i to declare and make known the will of God, ■ which had not previously been revealed, though ; its great outlines were contained in the Gospel i of Christ—they were commanded to preach— ami, for the accomplishment ol this great pur pose, they were endowed with plenary inspira tion. Their teachings are infallibly the teach ings of God; and, for that reason they consti tute a part of revealed truth. But the apostolic ministry completed the circle of Revelation, and the will of God is fully declared to mankind in the Bibie. Cleigymen of the present day cannot be said to declare the wiFTof God, in the sense the apos tle* did—they have ucci ss to none now but what is equally accessible lr> the laity. As expoun ders ot the word of God, fully made ready fur them by Revelation : as an instrumentality for the conversion of the world,and lor 'deeding the flock of Christ," ministers subserve a most im portant interest—but they do not inherit the powers of the Apostles: and the plea made for them, as is substantially done in the resolution that, by Divine appointment, they have been erected into a spiritual corporation, through which as its only channel the will ol God can be communicated, is alike unsound in theology and unsafe for the cause of civil and religious liberty. The other point embraced in the resolution, which asserts the Divine institution ol the min istry, to enforce the will ot God "upon all points of moral and religious truth, ' with ils obvious application, is equally untenable. Here a misconception again occurs as to the powers ol the christian ministry in matters ol disci pline, as though, in tliis respect, ihev are tqual with those ol the apostles, which is not the case. The apostles founded and organized the Church, and, by the inspiration under which they acted, laid down originally and authorita tively i tie principles of mora! and religions disci pline for the government thereof". They had a Divine warrant for this, not descending to minis teis by inheritance. In ail properly regulated religions bodies now, ministers cannot, of their , own w ill, and in virtue of their office, enforce discipline upon the people of their charges.— Thev must be governed and guided in its ad ministration hv the regulations f'f the bodv to which they belong. it is evident, however, that reference is not had 'o the Chuah or its members in the ph.use of the resolute n under discussion, nor to the duty of ministers to em pi v, in their pulpit, and other efforts, in the cause of truth, all tin* ingenuity, argument, elo quence. and zeal they can command to lebuke, fearlessly, the vices of the world. That is not the aim of the resolution. The parties to it in tended to administer rebuke in their official char- j acter, as ministers of the Gospel, to the Senate of the United States—a bodv over which, as Clergymen, they had no jui is, diction, for having passed a law obnoxious Ihem: and as their ground of justification, foi.TT.is bold, aiuLJf bad ■ like to have said, arrogant " assumption, advance the doctrine that the ministry is divinely insti- i toted to enforce the will of God ! In this api-; plication of their suppose.! prerogatives, they go beyond ap .stolic authority. The Apostles i never claiuu-d the light to interfere with the ; action ot the authorities of the State.— Such dutv had not been assigned them, it is not con tained in their commission, which onlv com-; roands them to "preach the Gospel;" and no' where in their acts, or 1 hose of their master, is such an attempt ma le. Doubtless, those w iio drew the ievolution had their eye upon the lfith v. of tlie lid Chap. Epistle to Titus, which reads—"These tilings speak and exhort, and re buke with all authority. Let no man despi.-e : thee." But as is shown by the context, and the w hole Chaptei, the re:ort fails them. Paul is directing Titus, the pastor or bishop ot the Church oftlie Cr-tians, liovv to conduct himself in his official relation, and teaching hiiri the Christian and social virtues he is to inculcate ; upon the members of his flock. No fair or forced i construction of the passage ran make it sustain the ciaim here made for ministers of the Gospel ! to meddle with or seek to rule the legis'aliori of Congress. As we have no National Ministry oftlie Gos pel in the United Stales and Gnd forbid we ever may have our legislators would be iri a sad dilemma, it the i.ad to consult the clergy, j lorthe will of God, or the religious or moral! character of measures [rending define them.— Where should they apply —to the Catholic or Protestant side of the question, or to which de nomination, among the many that divide the! Protestant faith ' Each has its ministry claim-j ing, par exceHanc.e, to he the ministry ; and, to ' a greater qr h-ss extent, ruling out or question-j ing the validity of others ; and ail standing up- ■ on the same basis in a civil point of view. The j result ol such effort would be "confusion worse! confounded." The claims for the divine right of Kings and Bishops to rule, generally go together, in our country, the first las been theoretically and practically repudiated, we trust lofev. r : The second has been left to ils own merits, and the discussion and decision of theological polemics. Ofthetwo departments of the "divine right" theory, if either bad to he, I would decidedly prefer to see tlie Kingly enthroned in prefer ence to the Pro st Iv— and why?—because ec clesiastical despotism, is more terrible, greatly more to be dreaded, tiian civil. The former enslaves tiie consrit uce of man, and makes him willing to wear anv chains that may be forged fir him, or do any work his masters nuiv assign him :—it has more oppressed mankind—has fieen more relentlessly persecuting—has shed more blood—has been more hatefully despotic and tyrannical—has done more mischief to the interests of society, than civil despotism ; and, in addition to the direct work of oppression, death and destruction committed by ecclesiasti • cat tyranny—it has been the main support of Jvinglv despots, in their deeds of enormity and cruelty. Happily, in this glorious Republic, we are free from both nor does the corrupting ■ influence of the union of Church and State, mar the beauty of our institutions. Let us keep it , so—and see to it that clerical dignitarips—min i isters oftlie gospel—while they are treated i with respect due their office, he riot permitted, ■ by virtue simply of their calling, to control the • civil legislature, and lav the foundation of a Freedom of Thought and Opinion. BEDFORD, PA. FRIDAY MORNING, JUNE 1,-1855. j structure that may again, (as it has in tune past,) overshadow State authority, and thus ob jscure, if not destroy, the light of freedom that gleams so brilliantly over this happy land. In this respect, no less than others, "eternal vigi lance is the price ot liberty." Vou will perceive, I express no opinion of the propriety or impropriety, of the wisdom or folly, the policy or impolicy, of tlie objects Contemplated in life Nebraska Bill. I leave tfiat where the Constitution leaves it. —My re- j marks have reference snjely to the course pur sued and the doctrin.s laid down by the New- England and North-Western Clergymen. I i have no right nor reason to question their piety .or patriotism—and I do not. But I believe, w hntever their intentions wer**. how pure soev er they may have been, and however honestly they may qualify and explain their action— } that it was wrong—threatening in its appear ance, calculated to array the civil and ecclesi ; astical authority in angry strife, contrary to the fundamental principles on which the Republic is based—ominous of evil, and only evil ; and, i therefore express my unqualified condemna tion of it. The rebuke it received was justly merited ; ami I am somewhat astonished that it has not waked up more general and decided , opposition than it appears to have done, especi ally from the clergy. Having, mv (bar Sir, complied with your re- j quest with great pleasure, I subscribe myself, Yours, truly, JCHX. A. COLLINS, j To Gen. Geo. W. BOWMAN, J Editor Gaz-Ate, |> Bedford, Pa. ) VS. X. 11. STEPHENS ON k\OU NOTH LVGIML Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, declines a re-elec tion t > Congress, ami assigns as his reason there for tlie fact that a large number of his old po litical friends (whigs) seemed to be entering into new combinations with new objects, purposes and principles, of which he was not informed, ard never could be, according to the rules of Ifiejr action and tin* opinions In* entertains.— Hence be concludes that they have no further use for him as their representative. Mr. Steph ens then proceeds to give his views at full length as to Know-Nothingism, condemning and repu diating the organization and its ptinciples and objects. Sooner than surrender his national principles by joining the Know- Nothings, lie " fvoiTi a position w ti s plbtrrHrt tirtimTSU as well as his devotion to constitutional princi ' # pies, had so long adorned. We extract the following from his letter : "In mv opinion, no man is fit to represent a free people w ho has any private or secret objects or aim tliat be does not openly avow, ur who is not readv and willing at ail times, when required or asked", candidly and truthfully to proclaim to ' the assembled multitude not only his principles, 1 but bis views and sentiments upon all questions that may come before him in his representative capacity. It was on this basis that representa tive government was founded, and on this alone can it be maintained in puiity and safety. And if anv secret part v shall ever tie so lar successful in this country as to bring the government in all its departments and functions under the bam fill influence of its control and power, political ruin will inevitably ensue. No truth if) politics can be more easily and firmly established, either '.y reason or trom history, upon principle or authority, than this. These are my opinions, i candidly expressed. "But 1 have been anticipating somewhat. I j was on the prelimiury question —that is, the se crecy which lies at the foundation ot the party — I fiat atmosphere of darkness in which 'it lives, and moves, and has its being, and w itfiout which prohablv it could not exist. Ido not, however, ; ; intend to stop with that. I will go further, and ! give now my opinions upon those questions which are said to b** within the range of its secret object and aims. The principles as published (or those principles which are attributed to the order, though no bodv, as an organized party, avow I them) have, as f understand them, two leading ■ ideas, and two only. These are a proscription ' by an exclusion from office of all Catholics as a i ; class, and a proscription of all persons of foreign • : birth as a class—the latter to be accomplished ■ j not onlv by an exclusion from office of all for i eiguers w ho are now citizens by naturalization, but to be more effectually rarrbd out by an ab- j rogation ol the naturalization law for the future, | ! :or such an amendment, as would be virtually 1 tantamount to it. These, as we are told, are the great ostensible objects for all this machinery j ; —these oaths, pledges, secret signs, equivoca tions, denials, and what not. And what 1 have • to say of them is, that if these, in deed and in I truth, be the principles thus attempted lobe cariiej out. then I am opposed to both cf them, openly ariir unqualifiedly. ! "But to pass to the other view of these prin ciples— that is, the consideration ot them as ques ' lions of public policy. With roe they both stand I I in no belter light in this aspect than they do in ; :) the other. The first assumes temporal jurisdic tion in forum conscientia. —to which lam quite j i as much opposed as I am to the spiritual powers : controlling the temporal. One is as bad as the other—both are bad. lam utterly opposed to j , mingling religion with politics in any way what ever: and especially am I opposed to making it a test ill qualifications for civil office. Religion is a matter between a man and his Creator, with which governments should have nothing to do. In this country* the constitution guaranties to 1 every citizen the right to entertain whatever creed he pleases, or no cieed at all, il lie is so . inclined ; and no other man has a right to pry I j into his conscience lo inquire what he believes, or what h<* does not believe. As a citizen and as a member of society he is to le judged by his i ads, and not by his creed. A Catholic, there- fore, in our country, and in all countries, ought, as all other citizens, to he permitted to stand or fall in public favor arid estimation upon his own individual merits. 'Every tub should stand upon its own bottom.' " The Examiner on Pollock Again! Tlie Independent Whig took tlie Examiner to task tor criticising Gov. Pollock's appoint ments : and alleges, on the authority of the Har nsburg Herald, that Mr. Darlington was himself an applicant for office, and leels sore because of his disappointment. Of course this is all gam mon—and tlie Examiner of Wednesday tast pitches into them, Governor and all, in tlie following caustic strain : The Harrisburg -Ueruhl is published by the Rev. Stephen Miller, Gov. Pollock's Flour Inspector, and. is regarded as the Governor's organ. We now pronounce its assertion that the editor of this paper was an applicant tor office uuder Gov. Bollock, a wilful arid deliber ate falsehood. If tlie Herald spoke by authori ty, we extend tlie chaige to its master, although we can hardly be brought to believe the Gov ernor has r*ent incumbent info the executive chair. When these gentlemen were all passed coldly by and the most lucrative office in the Govern or's gilt (leather inspector) bestowed upon a vankee, hot a few years resilient of the Stale, and unknown as a politician—when the inspec torship of ffuiir was given to a canting, hypo cutical preacher like the publisher of the Her ald to the exclusion of meritorious practical men—when other lucrative offices were bestow ed upon loeofocos who left their party because they were not considered worth the fodder for which th<-v incessantly bawled—we lelt vexed and mortified, and as is our custom, expressed or's organ can onlv reply hv fabricating the mean falsehood that our remarks were owing to disappointed personal aspirations. It the publisher of the Herald holds the flour inspectorship in consideration of "bearing false witness" against those who dare to speak boldly their opinion of the acts of his master, it is perhaps well he got it. A high minded man would not hold (lie office on such terms ; and tin* Governor probably knew he was getting a prop er instrument for tie duty required to he per formed. Inriilrnls of Steamboat Travel. We find tl.e following interesting incidents that transpired recently, in a letter addressed to the Louisville Courier: The passengeis ofthe far-famed and sun p!n ous Eclipse were transferred, alter waiting about fifteen hours at Paducah, to the States man. This was necessary as there was not wa ter enough for this monarch of steamboats to reach Louisville Among this large number was "a new comer," w*ho had been ushered into this world of toil and sorrow a few hours he fore the Eclipse landed at Paducah. His par ents were deck passengers, and hence his ad vent was unknown to the officers and passen gers of the b at. After a few hours this cir cumstance was made known, and tin* young trav eller, with his mother, found in a suffering con dition, were brought to the ladies' cabin, where every provision was made for their comfort by the ladies which humanity and sympathy could suggest. Dr. Palmer, of Washington county, prescribed the proper medicines, and a few hours of proper attention and care saved the life of this emigrant women. in a short time these facts were known to all the passengers, and a general interest manifest ed. It was gratifying to witness the sympathy, because it proved that hard times cannot dry up tlie fountains of humanity, and that strangers become friends when summoned together by the call of charity. Trunks were sp-edily opened bv the ladies, and soon the distinguished guest was provided with appropriate clothing, and made as comfortable as if his advent had been made in regal splendor. Such dispatch and in eenuitv under circumstances of distress are pe culiar to woman. The necessity and the means were perceived simultaneously, and the execu tion oi a charitable work was accomplished be fore a man could have ascertained whether it was his duty lo do any thing at all. The stranger was exhibited with feelings akin to maternal pride, and took his journey around the ladies cabin with composure, "the observed of all observers," and yet without "a name." Certainly none are so |>oor as not to he entitled to a name. It was proposed by some that a name should be given him : by others that a contribution would be better, and finally that he should have both : but no one should give the name without ten dollars paid over in