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appointments,

Family Notices

TO CORRESPONDENTS AND READERS.

Monmouth Races.-,':!

DISTRICT INTELLIGENCE.

; CORRESPONDENCE.

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CORRESPONDENCE. RAGLAN TEA MEETING.—CHARACTER OF CONTROVERSY. To the Editor of the UaK OBSERVER. SIR,—As a lover of Christian truth, and one sensitive to any deviation from right principle and consistent policy on the part of those who are its assumed advocates, I feel impelled to request the opportunity of a few comments upon ,the controversy which recently appeared in your journal, and likewise in a contemporary, on the subject of a tea party at Raglan. It is not my purpose either to affirm or deny the truth of the paragraph which occasioned the correspondence referred to, but to arraign the repudiable character of those letters, signed W. P. W. C. P. &c., &c., as coming from men avowing themselves to be the advocates and de- fenders of evangelical truth. I must say that a more undignified and deplorable exhibition, both from a religious and intellectual point of view, I never before noticed in your columns, written as those letters were in a spirit of vindictiveness and voracious malignity; therefore utterly at variance with christian virtues, and calculated only to induce scoffers to point to their professions with just contempt. That'the paragraph was written at least in a tone re- spectful, with candour, must be conceded, tar why was it that so much of the proceedings was commended P and if the criticisms contained therein were just and called for, then common sense must commend the writer too, for his boldness and honesty in discharging what he might have conceived to be a duty. Many might have made a similar complaint in private, Without having the temerity to do so in public. There is nothing more contemptible than the pitiful sycophant, who would either sacrifice or hold in abeyance a truth, for fear of disturbing the equa- nimity of others, when its avowal becomes a duty. But the paragraph is alleged to be false. Well, if so, why was it not rebutted with facts, and replied to with decorum and in a spirit exemplary of the christian virtues? Had the writers no reliance on the potency of such weapons? Evidently ao Although the REAL author, as is well known, is a minister of the gospel of twenty years' standing, yet by this simple test his inconsistency as a professor is at once laid bare. The writers (W. P. & Co.) prefar dealing with the subject at issue upon the method AD CAPTANDUM VUEQUS—playing the game of detraction— thus "Sceptic," "Son of St. Crispin," "Knight of the Lapstone," Ghastly, sepulchral-like looking visage," Bare-bone broth," and such like other low, vulvar epithets and inelegant phraseology were, by the self assumed representatives of evangelical truth, brought into requisition against the alleged sceptical writer" of the offending paragraph. Then a series of apparently gratui- tous assumptions about his heresy were next entered upon, which, even if true, were altogether out of place, and intended only to foster prejudice in the minds of the illi- terate. When professed christians are heard to prate about the Love of God." &c., and at the same time to thus belie and degrade their profession, well may the sceptic ask—Where is now the new heart "—the chris- tian's love "—or the boasted potency of his principles?" True christians, by the force of nobler and purer impulse, always take far higher ground of advocacy and defence than this: such is only the little muddy track of the poor dwarfy and benighted sectary. But again, for another most glaring inconsistency on the part of the real author (D. L.) of those famous letters, signed W. P. W. C. P. &c. Being himself ashamed to acknowledge them, he has affixed a signature noto- riously not his own, but that of a man better known in his locality for his pugnacious and gambling propensities than for his devotion to evangelicalism--one who has been frequently made to write saintly on the subject of, or what would be more correctly speaking, to burlesque, the chris- tian profession—a man who, whilst he is put to upbraid the so-called sceptic for not attending the Sunday school and prayer meeting, is himself more frequently at the gambling table, on the skittle ground, or in a braw], than at a. place of worship That such a man should have been selected to represent evangelical truth is but the very height of absurdity, and well calculated to bring her cause into disrepute. Such waywardness on the part of a christian minister is reprehensible in the extreme, and should be deprecated by everyone. Intellectually, the performance of W.P. W.C.P. &c., is also most unsuccessful, imbecile, supercilious, and ridiculous, possessing neither tact, relevancy, coherence, nor constructiveness, but only ill-nature, petulance, rant, cant, and tattle, and a string of silly, childish creations and vague assumptions, worthy only of the antiquated dame of L-y, of whom it is proverbial that she has a singular monomania for throwing milk and water upon unoccupied benches—altogether, a sorry effort for a man set up to vindicate evangelical truths against scepticism, and utterly below comment. Should it be asked why do I thus flagellate the van- quished-as vanquished those emipirics "W. P." & Co. undoubtedly are,-add when belonging to my own camp, in answer—I would that truth should be triumphant and that such persons as W. P. W. C. P. &c.—i.e,, D.L. &c.—should confine themselves to some sphere of action where their services may be useful, instead of employing themselves in thus bringing upon the christian profession odium and ridicule. Further, it is not my province to animadvert upon the letters of John Hall, he not having assumed the religious profession, i.e., the sickly sentiment which the other writers do; although there is no doubt but what a little more forbearance and a little less of the indignant would have been better on his part. He also appears, by the prodigal use he has made of his ammuni- tion, to have both over estimated the importance of the dispute and the STATUS of his assailants, which do not evince a disciplined judgment. In conclusion, I must express my deepest regret that so many of our prominent religious men do rather aim to beat down discussion than to encourage it. Many there are who, when speaking of a religious subject, put on all the airs of ini'allability, and seem to fancy that they possess a sort of immunity from all criticism—whatever they do or say must, as a matter of course, be commended- obedience and submission are the Alpha and Omega of their prosy essays. If those invested with the high func- tions of the christian ministry were to encourage a little more FREE THINKING, in its true sense-exhibit a more practical belief tllenaselves-make a better acquaintance with the moral wants of their flock-devote themselves to their mission as a duty rather than as a ceremonial and a commercial affair-a more vigorous, intelligent and effec- tive advocacy would be induced, and they would thereby give a more practical, hence a more effectual answer to soepticism than by adopting the principle of intimidatiou and detraction. Yours, &c., J. MC.INNIS. Newport, Sept. 23rd, 1863. [We have been obliged, in accordance with our rule, to eliminate one or two personal allusions in the above of a defamatory character.—ED.U-O.] Printed and Published by the Proprietor, WILLIAM HENRY CLARK, at his Offices, Bridge Street, Usk, in the County 91 Monmouth, September 26, 1863.—SECOHP EBISIPN.