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Great Excitement In Napoleon

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Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
July
Year
1847
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

"Many fie rond 's t'tvij Look, the plans tïiey ti tid. I ui alt n rain." Mr. Editor : It may not be uninteresting to the anlislavery Prienda lo hear what has transpired ín this place recently, as it is calculated to encourage and anima'e thc friends of the llovó. A bout the 25th of last rnonth Mr. S. T. Creighton carne (o this place and favored the people here with n course of lcclures on the subject of slavery. He exposeJ, in a convincing manner, the pro-slavery character of the chiu-ches, especially the Presbyterian and Methodist Episcopal Churches. The M. E. Church in this place was greatly exasuerated, and in their undivided strength, prodaimed a holy (variara aga;nst Mr. Creighton and all those who tolerated ana countenanced him. With worlliy promptness, andeommendable zeal, they waited upon the Rev. I). Jacox of Grass Lake, and obtained 1is efficiënt services in the important duty of annihilating the nnli-christian impression which Mr. Creighton had made upon the mindsqf the good people of Napoleon. In due lime the moral chieftain carne. Last Saturday evening and the following Sabbath was employed by the Rev. Jacox in eradicating from the minds of his hearers, the laat vestige, of what he denominalcd " Ecclesinstical Abolitionism." - Some perhaps may wonder why such a flood of moral light should be poured out upon such an obscure and barren field. Bul we receive it as an efFusion of benevolence, and by its inspira'.ion, we would maka it as expansive as the Iight of day. We therefore notice a few of the mo;t radiant portions of ibis luminous exposition. From numerous Greek 'evicons ; from Gibbon, and numerous otlier authors, he estabhshed the fact that slavery did exist in the days of Christ and the Apostles, and proved (to his own satisfaction) that Masters and Slaves were received into the church as good christian tnembers, and by a logical deduction, he proved that God ordained and sanctified American Slavery. He then alfirmed that the M. E. Cliurch was nriti-slavery, and had been. from its organization, in proof of which he presemed the action of the churcli from its or;anization to 1301, and then affirmed that she had mnintained a uniform anti-slavery position up to this time. He proved the church anti-slavery from the fact that the touth had drawn ofl'; and from thc fact that the South had declared theni so. He next made an exliibition of the Bishop Andrew case ; onJ virtually juntified his holding slaves. He next made an expo.-Jtion of the action of the church upon what he denominated the famous "Black Resolution" excluding npgro testimony, and by mucli sophistry, divesed that act of its.native deformity. He pallisted Methodist slaveholding, by presenting the insuperable difficulties which the lnws of the Slave States imposeó, &c. &c. He then with grent pathos nnJ eloquence besought his nudience to beware of the seductions of infidelity. rnd marked or,t a sure path by which it mighl be eluded, viz : an unwavering adherence to the M. E. Church ; and then gave the people of his charge the fuilest assurantie, tiiat Mr. Creighton was an bireling of the Baptist Church in this pla e, pvocured for the purpose of ec'ipsingthe earlhly glory an J eternal reward of his belovod bre'.hrcn, &c. On Sunday ho presentcd a synopsis of his previous locture ; scrutinized tha position of the various religieus deoominiiions ; and e.xcoriated the whole group of Abolitionists, especially the vain, conceiicr!, self-important fe-.v, wlio had ra omov fi'om the M. E. Church. In tho latter part of the d iv ho chnnted the high praises of the M. E. Church, and mi glowing exposition of the rapidiiy of ils ulerease froin n vcry snuill rxumber lamore tlian 1,200.000, and expatinted upon the sure prospect of its ultímate grandeur and tfiumpb. Por the benefit of those who may enteriain despondsnt fanrs of the permanence of the Epscopa-y, I will givo an extract. "Tha M. E. Churcli reaits upon a basis as linn as the ihïone of pod, and all a!teiTipis to nunihilata it, will prove os l'utile,as woülü some small insect, ifitahould mount upon a pebble ; direct its nro! toward tlie =i ftnd ri ff to 1 lw "il o it. Mr. Jdcox clotod his locture by a sv ing denunciation öf every ona who boW any connesion with pccleiiaslir.al abolííionism, and boldly declarad tl:oin "Inffdels in disgüfse," o.nü pledged liiinrelf la prove, iliut "Every argument vvhich tJiev used against slaveholders, was Brrnvd frotn the writiwgs of l};iyno, Hume [taire-, ond the Gernrmny Itlumirtrti ntfl utteredhy l!ie cold tnngiic f Mi. ' i, huving bi .f the meeting, was presci.l, añd pol
requesteii Mr. Jacox !o meet liiin in diseussion of the qufstioñ, uIsthe M. E. Chureh nnti-slavery .?"' Mr. Jacox replied in lus ministerial uignity, '[ wil] notmeet .1 layman in discussion, more especially a transient person, who miglit be a vagabond or a villnin." Mr. Creighton gave nolice that he shoulil leolurc on Monday. and Tuesday cveningb last, and should investígate the character of the M. E. Churcti in reference to slavery, and requested any one to meet him in discussion who might choose to do sr. On Monday evening Mr. Burnett of Grass Laké was introduced by the Melh odists to deferid their church. Mr. Creighton reviewed the argument of Rev. Mr. Jacox and divested him of all the glory he had acquired in this place. The church was unmasked ; the pro-slavery logi; of the Doctors of Divinity and the Professors of Thrology was severely tested and exploded. Mr. Burnett i m pro ved one half of the time in a pretended reply to Mr. Crejghton, but made scarcely an allusion to the argumenls wliich were adduced. ITe seemed to think liimselfmore fficient in personal abuse of Mr. Creighton, and in denunciaron of every one who dared say aught against even the slaveholding clergy. Arrnngements were i!ien made for the discussion of several defiied propositions, and Mr. Burntt asured tlie audience he would discuss the question honorably. On Wednesday evening Mr. Burnett dirt not nppear, but Mr. N. B. Lemm of this town stood up to defend the church from the charge of heilig pro-slavery. - Ma Creigliton opened ihe discussion. Mr. Lemm then commenced a personal nttack upon the Baptist church for Mr. Creighton's return to this place. [Ie was called to order several times, but he prosecuterl hs course until the meeting was broken up in great confusión. Mr. Creighton then gave nolice he would lecHire last evening. We had the pleasure of listening to a well arranged ehibition of pungent facts, wliich carried an irresistible conviction to cvery mind, that slavery was incompatible with religión, philanthropy, or even the feelings of common humanity. Many in this place have made tlwir solemn pretest against the principies of pro-slavery politicians and pro{lavery churches. Great excitpment prevails, and we feel assured that the cause of liberty has received an ímpetus in this place, that no power but death will extermínate. Napoleon, July 16th, 1847.

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Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News