Anniversary Discussion

We rcferred to Mr. West's renmrks in our ; last. ín the eveninp, the following resoluj tíons werc discussed : Jirsoh-ed, Thnt it' ony elmrcli or congreg-a■ tion ins its poace inarred by the discussiou of 'ubuütiou principio?, it conclusfvély shows that It has a prncb uilhout pxrity, aud without "good will to man.'' Resolved, That ministers of the Gospel are Jnid under most uc ighty responsibilities to sonhd ioud nnd ihe trnmpet of liberty to thcir respeclive flocks; declaring in the most emphatic ttiauner their hiiti'd &l opposition to a systcm 5ir nearly ollied to the kingdom which tliey aro kboring to extermínate. AlK. Uirnky liaving been called for, commenced his remarks by adverting to ihe positiou of Rev. Mr. West, of Monroe, that ministers of the Gospel ought not to enter j liücal conventions. It was not aüeclged that Í there was ay rnorul wrong in the net. JButit was said tliat public opinión was ngainst if, and the minister who pcrsjsted in it would lose his influence, and consequcntly would loso a portion of his means of Co'ing good Noiv he would osk how a minister could gain ilie truc nfluencc which he ought to have wilh liis people, by rmbraciug their prejudices, inslcad of steadily pêfsUting in the truth? But if the ohjeclion be avoiluble to the minister, it is not less so to ihe deacon and the eider. They, too, sustaiu official relations to the church. They have influence to lose; and why should they not be as careful n liusbnnding it ns thcir pastor? The reason was just os valid forthem as for him. Private clmrch membei s also have their influence; and how important it is that each member should avoid every occa.-ion bv which his influence mifht be impaircd. He certainly ought not to diminish his religious iuflucnce by mingling in poüiicalnominations in opposition lo public prcjudice. Thus, !et the validity of this excuse he established in the case of the minister, and every pious man in the land will be exclu ded from all participation i:i makingünns for office. The consequence would be tliat the wicked and proflígate would have the j exclusive right of ht-nuinating men of their I nwi) stamp for every office, and the whole duty of the reügious part of commiiniiy would consist n choosing which of two unprincipled proflignfes tliey ought to suppport. A political convention need not neccssarily be corrupt. The way to keep it puro uill be for nll good men to tnke n part in its proceedings, and withsUnd ihè Jnfluences for e vil by whicji it is beset. Just in proporïion as good men leave polilical conventions, jtist so fasl wil! they become corrupt. Ministers are now confincd in their sphere of operaties to reügiotis matters. This ought not to be so. They sbould bo able to enter into all iheintercsts of their people, and be ever ready to givc their frank and honest opiniois upon every subjret concerning their wel fare. Let lhem mingle with their parisliioners in al! the aftairs of life. wSuch was the example of Cottdi! Malher, and the best ministers of New England who wcre cotemporary with iiitn. Such also wjs ihe e.xample of their Puntan ancestorp, Every one knows that tht-ij podsessed influence wiih tlieir people to a great exient. But as tlmigs are now taking placp, it is obvious thot ministers, as u classare losing influencc jyith their people; and he would say that eo far as it is diminished because they do not finnly advocate that which is righl and true, it is proper that they should lose t. A larae class are opposed to having ministers take a part in political proceeding3, ! causo it would interferc vvith their own monupoly. They urgue that ministers should j tnind the spiritual interests of men, and support the digniiy of the pulpit, and not degrade their hoJy profession by disturbin them in their dirty work of politics.But it was alledged tliac slavery nction disturbed Uip peace and harmony of the churches. Look at the nature üf Ihis obycN ion. Onr niaiu principie is that elaveholding is sin. Here is a church that is professedly opposed to all sin, and yet forbids the discussion of the subject entirely,lest its pcaceshould be broken np. The peace of sncli a church oug-ht to be broken up; the quicker the better; the more cómpletely the better. There are tvvo kinds of peacc: one is that quiet vvhich attends on undisturbed compromise with error aj;(! wrong; while the other is the peaco which comes to communitieá and individuáis as the result of i.'ie consistent and faithful advocacy of truih and justice. Thiá last is tJie onlykind wortli hav.:ug; and it cannof be attained j without a strujrglv. A true minister can nev{ er have peace, white error prevcils in his churclvf nay, he cannot qrant peace to a single individual in his coi.regraticn who is wrong. It is impossible to propágate any grent leading trulhs without exi-Mting Jioatilitv and destroyinnf the peace ol" the vorld. The doctrines of Ohristianity destroyeil he peace of Pagan Ronie, and those of Luther bi ke the peace of Papal Rome.Mr. B. then spoke ofthe necessity nf polít ical action. What ve proposc s to uso the powers of government for the overthrow of slavery. Hedesired to fcnow how this couíd be aceomplished except by a politica! party. - He calletí on objectors to point out a better way.' lie bad, imieed, beer cited to the resolutionsonslavery lateíy adopted without a dissentingr voire by the Legfelaturo of Vcrmont. Tliese it was said, covered the ivhole gro'jnd we aahed for; and what more could a Lrberty Leg'tslature Iidvo done? But he wished gentlemen to reniember tbaf íhe same i Legwlatürei had1 electedf pro-sfavery Senator to Ccngres?; who vvill not enfoco thow, but U'iJl tuffcr tliem to be ignominiouy luid on the tublc. Tlie object oíthe wholetioii was to break down the Liberty purty by passing a bet of resolutions whjcfa thfy knew would rol Iw carricd out. Tln's accounts lor theinmanimity. Tiic same policy had been pursöêfl for years. When we are askedw!iy' wc j n eed a Liberty party in Vennont, we may truly anawer, we need one to displace recre ant and unfaithful Senators, and appoint oth ers in their eiead, who wil! carrv out the Libj erty principies. Rev. J. P. Cleavkland was called forby j the audiencc. He commenced by alluding to thegreat care which it is thought ministers ought to use when tliey speak of Whigs nnd Democrats- or, as the VVJiigs woiild like to have him eay, of Whigs and Locofocos. He did not use the opprobrious epithets of j "Federal" and "Locoibco," because hc con ceived that every body of men should havo the privilege of selecting their own designa. tion. Ministers are usually allowedanunlitnited range in the upper regions of abstrae - tions, of cloud?, and b.lloons; but when they come down to the practical business of life, ii is thought they mast be careful not to go agaiust public sentiment.it is tliought tliat the prrjndices of comjmunity should be regarded; anda minister shonltl be careful not to run against them.- j He had no reverence for prrjudice. Tt had : no nmiable characterif tics. Il is the off.prmg j ofcorruption. Bid the Founder of Christinnj ity yield to popular prejudice? Did he not rather slernJy withstond it? Sa;d Mr. C, Must I bow down to it? Must I be subject to its decisión? If this be necessary to thecharacter of a minister, I givebock my comtnission mto more pliant hands. ]f there is a stigma attached to the advocacy of the rights of mai?, I Jesire it, I court it, and l am ready to say, "Come, stigma, and stick to me till IdicT- [Greal applause."] Mr. C. declared that while he preached the Gospel, he would stand in a free pulpit They might turn him out, it tbey pleased, bot h"e would not be nmzzled wbile he was there.- He had made up his mind to proclaim theuumiiing sin oí Eiavery, cost what it will. Abolitionism is a part of ihe Gospel, wliich shal] be heard tyhere he speaks. Slaveholding belongs tothe kingdom of the Devil, and must be overthrown. The chattelizing principie is most devilish and inferna]. And now he was upon this, he would mention the pain an disgust he had feit at hearing the word "JYigger" pronounced; by professing} Christianp, and by some. too, of well known piety, in a sneeríng and contemptuous marnier, utte.ly unworthy of their profession. It was possible for a person to manifest much of the spirit of ihe Devil, merely by the manner of pronouncingr this word. Mr. C. objpcted to entering a political convention for making nominations. He was not afraid ofdabbling in the dirly waters'' of politics. But he had a djsjike to caucusing. He thoughl his respected friend Mr. Birney would agree with him that ministers stand in a peculiar relation to their people - a relation different from í hat of elders or deacons. Thoy were officialhj teachers of religión. This rehtion was official and special, and a minister 6hould not engnge in any business that would nterfere with its duties. It was said that ministers should confine themselves to the duties of the sacred calliug; and speaking' on political subjects was a neglect of official duties. But it was worthy of notice that it was not considered out of place for a minister to lecture on Hieran topics - O no - the eame persons wonlt perhops be the first to ask him tó give a historica! lecjture, orsomethingofthekiiul. All the dineri encc was, that one kind of lectures might tfj fect their political party-the other would not. When men are a etrait between tïuty and inclination, they often ask themselves, what will be a safe course? The only true policy is to do right. The case of Daniel had been re ferred to. There was a time when the middle of the lions' den, surroundedby fhe fierce & growüng crealures, was'the only' saje place for Daniel in all ihe crealton oj God.ut her place coiild not have been found whcre he would have been secure. In referencc to politics, Mr. C. said thot any one might shift j irom the Whigs to the Democrats, and vice j versa, and it is considered all well enough, bul when he bocomcs a Liberly man, it seenis to bc considered aJmost a crime, and is sometimes a cause of personal abuse or alienated feeüngs. Now Mr. C. said to every Whig- say wimt you please, good naliiredly and truly, about abolitionism, and let others have the same right in reference to your own party. With regard to the rea.' character of the Wliig and Democratie parlies, the blackness of depravity manifested by each is well displayed in the columii3 of its opponent, and it is certain, either that both parties are as bad as they can be. or they both lie- under a horrible misfakc.But (he olti story is süll repeatcd ihat abolitionism is "dyng off '- Well, f t was dymg, this denseJy crowded Ijouse showed a very respectable funeral concours?. He well knew that a considerable part of the congregation were not Liberty mon,but if abolition had been dying they would not have cared enough to come in to wilness its decease. Nobody cares vnythmg about a dying party. Bying RWa ! O,r said a lawyer to him the other doy,- we shall hoe you oul rext fali !" Mr. C. eaid jhe useá to Jjnow eomethinr about hoeing out. He supposed aboJition woiild be hoed out very much as pof atoes were; by putting j one in the Spring-, vou might hoe out fifty in the fall! [Lnuglifer and applntise.] Mr. C. adverted to the political hearings of the Slave Power, Uk supremacy, and the I possibility of seltling permanently wiiat are called tljc great inferosts,'1 until jt should bc oYcrthrown. He gave a detailed lmtory oíI the elcction of Speaker Johri White, {ofuliicli we did not take no:c5,) showbg hcnv complctely fervile and submistivc thc Northern men of botli parties Lave become. lie closed by remarking that bowever gentlemen and íadies inight difler now. amidst tlie excitements ofparly feelinrr, yet the lime was coming when the satisíaction of havin aüed in nny manner, however feeble, ín liberatinff nnd elc valing an oppressed and degraded port.on of mankind, would añbrd more real eatisfaction in the iHjfing huur, tban the most splcndid sticcesses of a triumplmnt but unprincipled party. Mr Fitch, of Marshall, made some I marks on the effbets of slavery o producing bimkrnptcy and ruin at I lie North. Id a slave" liolding community, only a part of the peoplo are producers, while all ore consumera, and it ís found that those who live by the robbery of olhcrs, are gencrally lavish in tíieir j diture of that which coets them nothing Consequently the south would soon become hopelessly bankrupt, were it not for the incessant contribulions they levy on the free bborersof the North. Mr. P. mentioned somp, instances of the ruin of who!esalechonta ín N. York by Southern customers, which had come to his knowledge. Southern tradors nsoally made Jarge bilis; aud wheti a fine gentleman calis in mid orders twenfy thoiisaod dollars worth of goods put up by the time he comes back from the Springs, every clcrk is sure to be on hand, and every accommodation is extended to siich a generous ctistomer. The industrióos economical Yankee, who saves every shilling, and is earefitl to by no rooregoods than he can punctually pay for, is cast into the shade by tlus Southern gentleman. His custom is but a secondary object. Wel I thn gentleman comes from the Springs, and takes his goods lióme. At the end of a year he returns, bringing five thousand dollars in cash, and wants twenty thousand more. He is accommodated, and the folio wïng year he pays ten ihoiisand, and that 3 a very handsome sum. Thus he conlinues from year to year, buying murh more than he pavs for. The wholesalc dealer looks at hie ledger and finds a heavy balance again?t his custooicr; but the largeness of his payments blinrs his eycs to the actual stale of case, and lie is unwilling to drop a custoiner who buys so largely, ond pays sucb hondeome instalments, To supply hiro with goods, heoiiciiiiua nis iinji ujcuu iu me iiLinosc. vvnen lie can go no farther, he calis on the Southern gentleman fora general settlemcnt. Ho is perfectly willing to givo Iiis note for the whole balance, and the wholesoler lias the salisfaction of f.qim ing his ledger by n note for fifty or sïxty thousand dollars. Afier waiting a ycar or two, he sends it on for colleclion and finds that not a single dollar enn be obtained of his valuable customer. The consequence ís that liie New York merchant becomes a bankrupt; and perhaps involves somo of his t'riends in the eame misfortv.no. In this way immense sums were annually abstracted f rom the hard earnings of northern freemen to supply the wasteful prodigality of idle and dissolute tlaveholders. The audience was tiien addressed by Mr. Lambert of Detroit, on the senliments embraced in the followiiiff resolution: Resolved, Tbat an important duty rests on abolitionists to proinote the elevation of the colored people ai the North, and tlius disprove the allegation of the natural inferiority of their intellect, so frequently made by proslavery advocates. The rcsolulion was adoptedMr. Bjunkv Uien spoke upon ihe topics embraced in h:s memorial to the logislature, showino that the Northwestern States are not Jegnlly bound to deliver up fugitivos from sla very escuping from the .Vtw SJave States, and that the ogreement to deliver them up to the Original States, was contrary to justice and liumanily, and thould tlierefore be disregarded.ítIn the Navy are sixly nine captains. - Mr. Cave Juhnson rccently stated in Conjrcss that their pay is four thousnnd five liundred dollars per year, besides daily rations. Tliis is nearíyjijteeii dollars a day. Suppore tliem to be paid in wheatat 40 cents n busiiel, which is perliaps the present average price of the Northwest, ond each captain will reccive 11,250 bushels of wheat for his year's work. - Suppose the work of one man will raise 2íjO bushels a year, and we have forty five farmers of iheNorthwes-'t at work cont'nually to pny for the cervices of one captain in the Navy. To pay these sixty nine captains for one ye:ir will require 776,2&0 bushels of wheat, and the entire labor of ö, 105 farmers. How many of these captains are from the sluve States, we have no means of knowinir, but we presume a majority. Whcreas two thirds sho:ild be from the free States. Is it wonderful that times are hard with farmers?(HAlmost every prominent whigf paper in the country is for IJenry Clny as the Wliig candida te for the Presitlenc y . We have no objections to this issue. Now .gjve us Mr. Cali'inun on the Dem.icrntic noniination, and ' taking the senüments of the candidates a? expononts of the views of the respective partiese thoso who vote lor tbetn wil] support these j principies: The LiBERTr Party will advocate the equal poiitical rights of all men. The Wuigs will advocate the continuance of slavcry as it now exists for a hundred and fifty or two hundred years. The Dkmocrats (!) will advocóte the absolute enslaveinent of evcry laboring person, black or white, through all coming generations! 'íVho can hesitate, when such au issue is preseuted? '