to
society, and to the cause of religion itself. Indeed religion in the
States may be said to have been a source of continual discord and the
unhinging of society, instead of that peace and good-will inculcated by
our divine Legislator. It is the division of the Protestant church
which has occasioned its weakness in this country, and will probably
eventually occasion, if not its total subversion, at all events its
subversion in the western hemisphere of America.

The subjugation of the ministry to the tyranny of their congregations is
another most serious evil; for either they must surrender up their
consciences or their bread. In too many instances it is the same here
in religion as in politics: before the people will permit any one to
serve them in any office, he must first prove his unfitness, by
submitting to what no man of honesty or conscientious rectitude would
subscribe to. This must of course, in both cases, be taken with
exceptions, but it is but too often the fact. And hence has arisen
another evil, which is, that there are hundreds of self-constituted
ministers, who wander over the western country, using the word of God as
a cloak, working upon the feelings of the women to obtain money, and
rendering religion a by-word among the men, who will, in all
probability, some day rise up and lynch some dozen of them, as a hint
for the rest to _clear out_.

It would appear as if Locofoco-ism and infidelity had formed an union,
and were fighting under the same banner. They have recently celebrated
the birth-day of Tom Paine, in Cincinnati, New York, and Boston. In
Cincinnati, Frances Wright Darusmont, better known as Fanny Wright, was
present, and made a violent politico-atheistical speech on the occasion,
in which she denounced banking, and almost every other established
institution of the country. The nature of the celebration in Boston
will be understood from the following toast, given on the occasion:

By George Chapman:--"_Christianity_ and the _banks_, tottering on their
last legs: May their _downfall_ be speedy," etcetera, etcetera.

Miss Martineau informs us that "The churches of Boston, and even the
other public buildings, being guarded by the dragon of bigotry, so that
even Faith, Hope, and Charity, are turned back from the doors, a large
building is about to be erected for the use of all, Deists not excepted,
who may desire to meet for free discussion." She adds, "_This at least
is in advance_