15V Kit. U . Emi?lAH T . NEW SERIES. KOT-MTOMI! HI IT WIS ST.' WHIT IS IT.' •Vow, That Know-Nothingsm is dead and buried—condemned, desp sod, rejected—we de .'iy the people, in their coo! moments, to exa llP horrible, odious, revolting, anil blas phemous doctrines, as contained in the follow ing OATHS: American Platform; or, Oaths aml Principles of the Order of Know Nothings. i i!o solemnly swear upon this sacred voi , >or cross,] before Almighty God and these wit- K ..r-. that I w ill not divulge any question proposed to me here, whether i become a member of this or ,.rnr not, and that I will never, under any circum stances whatever, mention the name ol any person | naiv see present during any of the meetings, or that I know such an order to he in existence, and that I will a true-answer make to every question ask iuof no',so help me C.otl. Obligation First Degree. | , voluntarily and freely, do Solemnly j,i,iri -c and swear, before Almighty God, and the.-e uiiiiesses around me assembled, that i will not. uti ,Vr any circumstances whatever, d.viiige or make Inowt, to or.y peison or persons, either directly or lalirectlv, or to any human beinc, other than those uiinni I shali know? to be good and true .members of thtsonler, the name, secrets, mysteries, or objects of The same, or cause or allow the same to be done by r■ither#, if within my power to prevent the same: I ruling nivself tinder no less a penalty than that ot feme excommunicated fiorri the order, and having niv name po.-tcit and circulated tlnoughoiit the differ councils of the order as a traitor and perjurer to my (ioil and country, and as being unworthy to he employed, intrusted, countenanced or supported in ar.v btoilless transaction whatever, and as a person ',,'ly unworthv the confidence ol all good men, and ,e at whom the finger of scorn shall ever be point t-l. I furthermore promise that it I should hereafter |,s expelled Jiom, or voluntarily leave this order, I ci.i.-nler this obligation as binding out of it as n tl. Allot which foregoing I voluntarily and iree , - inscribe to, so help tne God." Obligation Second Degree. "I, , do solemnly promise and swear, before Mmigfity (foil and these witnesses, that 1 will not, • It any circumstances, divulge or make known ;,f name of this oner, or its objects, to any person r persons in the world, unless to those whom I mat ktrow to belong to this older, in good and regular standing. -And 1 furthermore promisp and swear that I will wither write, print, cut, carve, engrave, embn-s, slat!-, or"Vnsrk any secrets of This order' on -!;v!h;ng, movable or immovable, on the earth or sea, whereby said-secrets, or any part 1 hereof, the lame of the order, its operations, the names ot its officers, or thp names of its members, or its place ot meeting, may become known to those who have not 'recited the first and second degrees of this order in ie form ; nor will I cause or peimit the same to be •.,f it within my power to prevent the same. "Ami I ,'',:rthermore promise and swear that I will always oonfoncn to the will of the majority oi' the n '.-enter, TPtisaider, in the select urn ol candidates ttif.fl every office ' have been cursed elsewhere with cleri |'■ Politicians. We suppose, that of those who ■ the know-nothing oaths, quite one fourth ■ 'uem from preachers of tiie G rspel. These i'-eacl;-;s coujj scaiceh- ha\e taught the pea- pi'- a more degrading or demoralizing act. The effects of lhe excitement they thus helped to inaugurate will be felt for years adversely to all they profess to teach. Repentance like that of Esati, sought diligently and with tears, will not avail these men. The stigma will attach to them forever, and will giow darker as each year brings cooler reflection to the deceived people. Tim retribution is as just as it has been speedy and signal. The influence oi these know-nothing preachers is gone forever. It perishes with the disgraceful death of the vul gar fanaticism which they have fostered. Here after these clerical politicians—who, for the last two years, instead ol preaching 'Christ crucified,' have been preaching 'Crucify the Catholics and foreigners'—who, instead of in culcating a sound morality, have been engaged in beguiling the thoughtless into secret places arid there administering to them profane oaths to hate their neighbors—will he held up as a warning and an example. Their churches, in some places, may try to shield them from the effect of a righteous retribution ; hut the church es which do this will lie themselves the suffer ers. The age is too enlightened to permit hv poericy to go long unpunished, no matter in how .sanctimonious a shape it may appear." From the 'Louisiana Courier. ARISES OF THE i'FLPIT. The exalted station of the teacher of religion has alwavs been recognized by the American mind. The ambassador from God to man is a being so potent for good—so comforting in the death-chamber—so sacred in all the tender re lations of life—tiiat reverence towards the min ister and his solemn office springs intuitively from everv breast. His messages to us are clad with all tlie authority "as of one risen from the dead." The mysteries of his teachings serve hut to enhance the sanctity ol his office, it is not strange, then, that in this land, where the people love to se-k out intellectual leaders for themselves, under whose banners tliey may de voutly range, a more than ordinary significance has been attached to the ulterings of the pulpit. II its influence is less tumultuous, it is even more permanent than that of the press. Such a field for power is afforded by neither the Sen ate chamber, the newspaper, nor the hustings, and those who fill the pulpit have not been slow to observe it. So dazzling a sway as the priests of religion exercise in t hi-• country could, hardly exist without turning the heads of many of the filing and frail men who are our spiritu al guides. The transition from the themes ol the Bible to the concerns of temporal life is as easy as the line which divides them is shadowy and vague. The heated enthusiast of religion imperceptibly glides, in the fervor ol the mo ment, to topics that are present, exciting, and of ever'v-dav life. Hence, whet) the pride of eloquence and the warmth of possum has car ried the pulpit-orator over the oft-told tale ol "Christ and Hurt Crucified." he seizes on some new and arousing topic to awaken the flagging interest of his drowsy hearers. It the tricks of rhetoric fail to elicit an emotional sympathy, he knows full well that the tiicks of the great institutions ofthe "stump" will -supply an ex haustless fund from which fie may dtaw a! w ill. Thus, whilst the church-going people oi New England were angrily and unwisely de nouncing Mr. Madison during the last war with Great Britain, the pulpits oi that staid and deco rous community were made political rostrums whence everv lViend ol the war and soldier ol his count) v was denounced and abused. It was a tribunal from whose judgment there was no appeal —to whose arguments there could be no instant reply. And so when (lie so-called "American" party emeiged front the gloom of -dark lodges, a large section of our pulpits wo re tilled by harangues in behalf ol its success, sttr- ting up at once political hostilities against for eigners and Catholics. But, of all topics delighted tn by the church militant, none lias received such undivided :n --t erest as the subject of slavery. The sermons written and printed upon it would dam p the mouth of the Mississippi ; and if all that has been spoken sand uiitMi could have been addressed on pure religious topics to the heathens of Africa, Asia, and A merica, we might well hazard the guess that each of them would know more of theology than some ofthe very occupants of our pulpits til. II selves. From the time of the eloquent but misguided Charming to this hour liter** has been one un ceasing "preach" against slavery. At one mo men! Hah! aknk Mukelwrath Parker has arisen, crying aloud, '-Dead corpses am! wounded hor ses, ihe mixing togetlter of battle and garments rolled in blood." At another, Kettle-drummer (,'heever starts up to "testily" for Kansas, aiteT the style of old Muse Heading, crying out, "Slav and spare not. Woe to the compilers and self-seekers that Haul) over and drown their const iences by complying with wicked exac tions, and giving mammon of unrighteousness to the sons of Helial." And far awav in the van stands lii!h> lleecher, of "pious memory," with his famous gun "Kill 'em," doing God's service in helping to slav the "Philistines and Edom ites" of Missouti. The three preachers who spoke in God's name against the repeal ol the Missouri Compromise close tip the rear of the great army of abolition pulpit saints of the 19th century. Does anv friend of religion, as the "one thing needful," feel joyous pride in tiie glance we give him? Is there aught here to elevate the American pulpit in the affections of men or the sight of God. How compare the teachings of lleecher, and Parker, and Cheever, and Dntton, and Tyng with those Divine precepts of Peter, "Submit yourself to every ordnance of mar. for the Lord's sake?" arid of Paul, "To obey mag istrates, to speak evil of no nan, to he no brawlers, but gentle, showing nil meekness un to n!l men ?" How far rnoie beautiful the teachings of Massillon and Ilossm l than the in cendiary harangues in which our northern ruin- FRIDAY MORNING, BEDFORD, PA. NOV. 28, 1856. isters have so shamefully indulged! The gift ed Chalmers drew the portaits of just such fan atics when he denounced "those men of print, of plot, and of privacy, in whose hands the oth er agents of rebellion were nothing better than slaves and simpletons ; those men of skill enough for themselves to go thus far and no further, arid of cruelty enough for others as to care not how many they pulled across the verge of despera tion ; those men who have made their own liar . vest of the passions of the multitude, and now, skulk in their hiding-places, till the storm of vengeance that is to sweep the victims of their treachery from the land of the living shall have finally blown away ; thos a men who spoke a patriotism which they never felt, and shed their serpent /ems over sufferings which never drew from their bosoms one sigh, of honest tenderness." Rank the names of these pulpit agitators, who have for a year past been stumping the Noj.il) on the subject of slavery—and their name is le gion— with those calm, great old worthies who graced the American churches it) their earlier days. The Meades, and Whites, and Paxsons, and Alexanders, and Bascousto, and Duties, and Edwardses, shine like fixed stars down on this poor shower of meteoric lights and hazy nelmlace. Whitfield's preaching converted one thousand persons in a day, and y t he could "bless Hod that lie increased the number of negroes on his place in Georgia." Did all the three thousand signers of the Kansas peti tion ever nccpnplish so much as he? Kay, has not their political pleaching turned many away from religion in disgust ? Already the few who have kept themselves pure "in the simplicity ofChrist" tell us that the cause of religion in New England is not so strong as it was ten years ago. The New York Observer tells ns that "the tendencies of our times to the introduction into our pulpits of other themes than Christ and his salvation are indications that ministers ate not at heart attached to the doctrines they have professed." W'ith tlie advent of another Sabbath will come peace and quiet over our land. Then those pute men who have kept aloof from this dis graceful political preaching will he rewarded bv a full harvest of success amongst their peo ple. Those who have defiled themselves and their pulpits with the dirty waters of agitation w ill find the stains long clinging to their sacer dotal garbs. "They, too, shall have their re ward." Church historians will record their follies on the same pages that they wrtte ol Salem witchcrafts and Titus-Oat ea conspira cies. The next generation of America will think of Parker and Beecher, Cheever and Dot-, ton, Tvng and Frothingham, w hat we think of Poundtext and Muklewrath, of Kettle-drum mer, and Balfour—that they loved the applause of their people more than they feared God : or that they were crazy Idols and fanatics, a dis grace to their calling and a reproach to the In the "era of good feeling" now dawning upon us, let us not forget those brave men who have withstood the storm which galheted about their heads. When the fanatics we have named shall he returned to their obscurity, and pure religion again resume its throne in the affections of New England and New York, we will all gratefuilv acknowledge the restraining counsels of Bishop McHvaine, Potter, and Hopkins, of the Episcopal church ; of Pise, Puree!!, Spaul dittg, Hughes, and Blanc, of the Catholic, chuicli: of Alexander, ltethune, Si ting, and Humphreys, of the Presbyterian church; of Kavanaugh, Soule, and Longslteet, of the Meth odist church: of Campbell, with his grandest logic and loftiest eloquence, of the Reformed chinch : and of an annv of humble curates and priests who have neve forgotten that to them is intrusted the saltation of souls as the great sin gle work of their lives. And, in the midst of all this returning gond-w ill and peace, let us nevet forget how natch is due to the calm, pa tient forbearance of the Catholic clergy. Al though the persecution lias been mainly levelled at their heads, not one intempeiate harangue to their people—not one ta ; h appeal to a "higher law"—has ever escaped front their sorely beset ranks. With eyes fixed on the ir holy law and the constitution, they have given us ail an ex ample of moderation and discretion, such as commands the admiration of even their oppo nents themselves. I UivceitCy, e* tJic tit'lii-iou* In their true sphere, we have {Treat respect for the clergy. . it is only when they ignore their mission oi pouring oil upon the stormy waves, and put it instead of malignity on the fiery furnace ol hu man controversy, that we become aware how important it is totiie well being ol our If pub lic, to keep the clergv within their own prov ince! What their duties are, need not be re capitulated, the founder of Christianity having, hv example and precept, placed before every one a model impossible to he mistaken. How entirely He repudiated political feeling isappa rent to all, for, certainly, if ever there was a case in which a secular spirit might he justifi ed, ft was presented nt His birth. He came and found His country enslaved by the Romans. He saw that they were Mill greater slaves to their vices! He knew that to take part in the vexed questions of the day, would he to in llatne their passions and nut teach them wis dom, or make them better men. He neither preached rebellion to Cesar, nor war to the Pharisees. His mission was summed up in a few words: "He went abroad doing good " Tt is needless to remark how little his an nointed followers have imitated his example. In every respect, the clergv exhibit the most marked contrast to (lie being in whose footsteps they profess to tread. Admirable in learning and morality, they ig noiv his humility, contemn the tide's and greatness of demeanor. T hey seem animated more with the spirit ol Gregory the Seventh than the Divine Galilecan. They thunder a- Freedom cf Thought and Opinion. nathemas liom their pulpits and not charity. I They seek to array brother against brother in stead of healing the fratricidal strife. We had, some three years since, the graceless spectacle of three thousand ministers of the gospel revolting against its most fundamental doctrine, and supporting the enormity by tortu ring a few equivocal texts which might be e qually available in defence of murder or Mor inonism. Since then, they have considered themselves as especially called upon to interfere in almost every question that agitates the public mind. Religion, that was specially intended to coun teract thy bitterness of political warfare, is now openly riade a rallying cry to renew the con flict. Like the warrior priests of old, our Tyngi, Beecliers, and their brethren, wear ar mor umjer their surplice, and use their bibles . merely to sharpen their bowie knives on their covers. What resemblance has Beecher, pla cing rifles in the bands of infuriated Free-Sutl ers, to Jesus, who told Peter to put tip his sword, and restored the ear his ungodly anger had cut oil ? We maintain that the province of the clergy is to preach moderation and peace to both par ties, and not to become the furious partisans we find sp many already transformed into; and our regard for that part of" the clergy remaining true to the tenets of Christianity, leads us to warn their erring brothers of the perils they run in abdicating their divine mission of peace and good will to man, and assuming the bigot and the demagogue. We have chiefly been induced to make these remarks in consequence of a pa per, notorious!v hostile to religion in every shape, having lately urged the clergy to con tinue the unholy course so ir.anv have been led into by the snaies r f Satan. In some articles lately, the editor has chuckled over the fact with a fiendish delight, "that for the first time in our histoiy, religious feeling has been active ly brought into the field to animate the comba tants." We have no fear ourselves for the re sult: we know the good sense of our citizens will soon put this rampant bigotry down, and it is only on behalf of that misguided part oi the clergy that wv now put forth our warning voice, lest the innocent suffer for the guilty. We shall watch some of our demagogical di vines, and expose their proceedings. rolilical 2 ; riatltcrs. The democratic press in every section of the Utiitfß are administering some wholesome ad vice to the political preachers in connexion w itlKtlie signal rebuke which they have receiv ed alt'.he hands of the people. The Bridge port {Conn.) Farmer says: "No man can or does have the same respect for a,tii;ti.sfer after he enters the political are na, Svjte did when he confined himself gtrictlv to the duties imposed upon him in the Bible. The injunctions of that sacred volume are very explicit ; from the beginning to the end of the New Testament the command to preach the G 'spel, and the Gospel only, is very clearly laid down. But the course pursued by some who occupy pulpits in this city is entirely difl ereiit. They seem to think that they under stand their business better than the great Head of the Church, their master. They may flatter themselves that they do; but it is the wish of every sincere follower of Christ that they preach tin ir modern theology in some other lo cation. In our opinion, ail the corruption in the churches of the present day has been the work of fmlitiral pat sons." The Cincinnati Enquirer remarks: "The political pulpit has received a merited rebuke at the hands of the people which will not, we trust, be sterile of good. The democ racy have vindicated true religion from the re proaches of its eriingand insane professors and teachers. It has said in loud and emphatic terms to ministers of the Gospel: 'Remain in •, our appointed sphere, expounding the blessed truths i I the Gospel, enlightening the understan dings of men on the great questions oi their souls'salvation, illustrating the beauty of vir tue and godliness, and the terrors and evil con sequences of vice and the disregard of God's commandments.* These are abundant and prop er themes for our religious teachers in their pul pits ; while, in deeds of charity, of consola tion t.i the afflicted, and a thousand other lorins of active philanthropy, thev v\-lil find constant and noble in|lty for all their time, enej gv, and talent. To disregard these duties, and throw themselves into the angry conflicts of politics, was the most effectual mode which could he imagined lor destroying the proper in fluence of the pulpit, and alienating from it the respect, confidence, and veneration of the people. "Their injunctions in such matters wan Id not be heeded : but. in fact, are always meived with disgust ;.nut how long this may lie continued as a subject of national felicita tion depends more upon the stern conservative sentiment of the people than upon any desire on the pait of the clergy to respect the spirit of our institutions. Look at the facts us present ed in the campaign just closed. Preachers throughout the laud, and especially in the Yan kee States, have made abuse of the democratic party and 'shrieking for freedom' a large part of their business during the past summer. Front Sharpe's-Rifle Beecher down to the smallest pulpit orator who holds semi-monthly meetings in school-houses at the cross-roads, have politi cal harangues taken the place of religions teach ings. How beneficial this departure from sa cred duty has been toward building up the church of Christ may be inferred front a re mark a clergyman of this town made to us the other day. He told us that from the statistics of the church ir. the eastern States, the congre gations of the various religious denominations there had not increased any in number during the past year; that if they were not retrogra ding in piety, they at least had not incased in numbers. Is it a wonder that the cause of true and undefiled religion should be at this stand still point under the ministrations of leaders who thus come down from their high and sacred calling to dabble in partisan politics?" From the Crawford Pennsylvania Democrat. A Political Scrraou—lts Effects. A correspondent informs its that the Rev. Mr. Kinsley, of this place, preached a political sermon at Woodcock Brno' on Sunday, the 2(ith ult., which occasioned much bad feeling among his congregation. Many of his hearers got up and walked out ; one old lady said "it was no preaching at all," and went home. One of the officers ofthe church was called upon to take up a collection, but lie declined and left the house. The people of that section want no pol itics from the pulpit, and this attempt to dic tate to them met with a wry cold reception.— Its oulv eli'ect has been to distract and injure the cause of religion in that quarter. These meddling priests will soon learn, that the peo ple of this day will not submit to their dictation, and will yet require them to quit politics or leave the pulpit. —Since the above was written we learn that this Reverend Politician addressed the Fremont Club at the Court House, in this place, last everting. He referred particularly to Catholic .Yewspapers taking part in politics. Did he ever know a Catholic Priest to make a political speech in a Court House, or from the pulpit?— We think not. That soit of business is left for those libera] and charitable Protestant clergy men who go about filling the Divine injunction "to love their neighbors," K.C., by trying to de prive a pottion of their white brethren of the rights of American citizens! Mr. Kinsley was followed, we are informed, by John VY. Howe, who found fault with those clergymen who did not take an open part in politics, (alw ays excepting, of course, Catholic clergymen ! ) A Withering Rerkkk. —To the charge of the Cleveland Herald, that Mr. Buchanan owes ft is election in part to "a drove of abject slaves to the priestly dictation" of the Roman Catho lic Church, the Cleveland Plaindealer replies ; "Where has been the 'priestly dictation' du ring the campaign ? What priests have been openly in the field of politics? Whyn com menced this priestly dictation, and by whom ? Was it not during the congressional session of 'fi)4, when thirty-five hundred protestant cler gymen of .\ ew England demanded 'in the name of J1 L.M I9 miles be yond Fort Laramie, by a band of Cheyennes, numbering some twelve or filteen, who had watched the party ever since they were scat tered enough to make their game sure. They had stopped to encamp for the night, and were engaged in different directions getting wood, water and forage for the stock, when the Indi ans made their appearance. The Colonel be came very much excited, and commenced fir ing bis pistols before they were in shooting dis tance, and altogether without effect, after which he fought desperately until he was struck by a hatchet fiom behind, which felled fiim, and he was immediately despatched. One of the men attempted to assist him, but ineffectually, as the > liter would offer no resistance at all, until they were built cut down and horribly mangled." DIED, On the 3d inst., Emily Jane, infant daughter of Jacob and Mary Ann Mo.'limore, aged 1 a: , 3 months and I t days.