The gine the people made for their use and only fit to be their slaves. This sentiment they derive from their Gothic ancestors. precept is equal to the example; and, even in infancy, their childdren, who are to be the future priests and rulers of the people, are taught the one and experience makes them masters of the other. In their infancy, they are made to hate and dread the poor as bugaboos, and are frightened to sleep in the name of degraded poverty. "The beggar man is coming!" In youth they are instructed to support a proud superiority over those under them, and consider it a disgrace to speak to their inferiors with common civility. They are separated, at an early age, from the people for whom they are intended to pray and then to rob. They are educated in seminaries decidedly hostile to the welfare of a people and their civil liberty. They see nothing but pride and arrogance at home, and at school have the lessons of their infancy repeated on a larger scale. Thus taught, by precept and example, to fear, hate and disdain the whole labouring part of society, steeled by prejudice against feeling or commiseration for the poor, armed by power and custom, and conscious of ready assistance, they are sent forth from the schools, not to instruct the people; not to improve their minds, or open their understandings; not to benefit the poor, or to add to their felicity, nor to augment the happiness of their pretended cures; but to tyrannize over them, and to cringe to those in power, aid injustice, and enjoy their church or tax-begotten properties. These undeniable reasons bear me out in my assertion, and clearly demonstrate the benefit to society of a Christian priest and magistrate. This is by no means an exaggered portrait of the Christian doctrine preacher. Then, who can deny its vast utility, and are its blessings not visible in every glebe-house in the kingdom? Are not its sainting and enslaving principles discernible at every turning, street, lane, hedge, and common, in this highly favoured country? People must be mad to oppose such a pure spiritual religion, which leads to such rich materialities. We have but little room to spare, and must be very laconic with our second-part Atheism. In the first place, we claim no novelty in our belief; for we are fully convinced, that there was a time when Atheism was common, and the idea has been repeated from time to time. However saints may stare, with their 1800 years of preaching about miracles, and prophecies and evidences of Christianity, and proofs of a God, two-thirds of the present world are Atheists, and all are latent sceptics? for, whatever is undefinable and wholly incomprehensible, if it causes any thing, it must be a doubt; and what we doubt, we cannot say we believe. As for the bedlam ravings of the methodists and their superlatively vain, vulgar, disgusting, fanatic teachers, let them abide in their uncultivated wilderness of spiritual nonsense. Their time will be short, to abuse, lie, 1 rant, and to delude others still, more ignorant and stupid than No * Vide Justin's Ancient History (Historium Judærum.) He says that Abraham not Moses was the leader of the Israelites out of Egypt. They were six thousand in number and all of them lepers, turned out of the land for uncleanness. This agrees with the laws which we find in Leviticus, and accounts for part of the code. S. 1 three or four thousand years ago, and collected more riches, by plunder and rapine, into the sandy desart of Palestine, than the world ever possessed. Virtues must thrive in the absence of all these vices, and men may be happy. To make them so must be 1 the arduous task of materialism. Now to father, son, husband, wife, daughter, &c. I recommend the study of their own happiness, by promoting that of their neighbours; for public and private happiness are founded on the social virtues: these never can thrive where the influence of superstition prevails. Abolish religion and cant, seek truth and be happy. AN IMPROMPTU SHEBAGO. On hearing of the Liberation of Richard Carlile. RETURN, honest friend, in peace to thy home, Come, come, thou shalt find thy days but began, J. B. Little Coram Street Russel Square. * The Temple of Reason, Fleet Street. TO MR. RICHARD CARLILE. DEAR SIR, Sheffield, Nov. 23, 1825. Most heartily do I congratulate you on your release from inquisitorial durance, and on your victory over the slaves of superstition. I received on Monday night the welcome news. As your are liberated, I thought it prudent to close the subscriptions and herewith send you the names and sums. The subscription for the men in Newgate I will keep open a little longer. I shall be anxious to hear when you mean to pay us a visit. Hoping, that the reign of terror is at an end, I remain your fellow labourer, W. V. HOLMES. Printed and Published by R. CARLILE, 135, Fleet Street. - All Correspordences for The Republican," to be left at the place of publication. No. 23, VOL. 12.] LONDON, Friday, Dec. 9, 1825. [PRICE 6d. AN ADDRESS DELIVERED AT THE LAYING OF THE CORNER STONE OF THE BUNKER HILL MONUMENT. BY DANIEL WEBSTER. Boston: Published by Cummings, Hilliard, and Company. 1825. THIS uncounted multitude before me, and around me, proves the feeling which the occasion has excited. These thousands of human faces, glowing with sympathy and joy, and from the impulses of a common gratitude, turned reverently to heaven, in this spacious temple of the firmament, proclaim that the day, the place, and the purpose of our assembling have made a deep impression on our hearts. If, indeed, there be any thing in local association fit to affect the mind of man, we need not strive to repress the emotions which agitate us here. We are among the sepulchres of our fathers. We are on ground, distinguished by their valor, their constancy, and the shedding of their blood. We are here, not to fix an uncertain date in our annals, nor to draw into notice an obscure and unknown spot. If our humble purpose had never been conceived, if we ourselves had never been born, the 17th of June, 1775, would have been a day on which all subsequent history would have poured its light, and the eminence where we stand, a point of attraction to the eyes of successive generations. But we are Americans. We live in what may be called the early age of this great continent; and we know that our posterity, through. all time, are here to suffer and enjoy the allotments of humanity We see before us a probable train of great events; we know that our own fortunes have been happily cast; and it is natural, therefore, that we should be moved by the contemplation of occurrences which have guided our destiny before many of us were born, and settled the condition in which we should pass that portion of our existence, which God allows to men on earth. We do not read even of the discovery of this continent, without feeling something of a personal interest in the event; without being reminded how much it has affected our own fortunes, and our own existence. It is more impossible for us, therefore, than for others, to contemplate with unaffected minds that interesting, I may say, that most touching and pathetic scene, when the great Discoverer of America stood on the deck of his shattered bark, Printed and Published by R. Carlile, 135, Fleet Street. |