Over the brink of it: Lave in it, drink of it, Take her up tenderly, Ere her limbs frigidly Decently, kindly, Smooth and compose them; And her eyes, close them, Dreadfully staring Through muddy impurity, As when with the daring Last look of despairing Fixed on futurity. Perishing gloomily, Into her rest! Cross her hands humbly, Over her breast! Owning her weakness, Her evil behaviour; And leaving, with meekness, Her sins to her Saviour! SPIRITUAL TYRANNY. The Chaplain of the Massachusetts State Prison, whose office it has been to administer spiritual gruel to the "Convicts," and to examine the food which other persons might volunteer to furnish, having looked at that furnished by our friend Charles Spear, and found that it was altogether too nutritious for prisoners, has forbidden them to receive any more from such hands. It might make them discontented with their position, and ungrateful for their privileges! It would certainly unfit their stomachs for the theological slops to which they had been accustomed. I think, therefore, that the Chaplain acted wisely. His act was one of pure self-defence. Charles Spear carried those poor fellows the Gospel, the Glad Tidings. Their Chaplain had "filled their belly with the husks that the swine did eat; " and he knew that if once they got the taste of any decent food, if once they heard a syllable of true doctrine, they would reject his unwholesome messes like so much poison. Why then should he not act the priest, and forbid their receiving any food except from his porringer? People appear to be astonished at his conduct. How blind! What is there to be astonished at? Is such tyranny confined to Prisons? Would that it were! It is just fitted to Prison-atmosphere. It "wouldn't do" to preach the Gospel in a jail yard; for the spirit of the Gospel is a spirit of freedom. The Prison is in direct opposition to the Gospel,-violating all its commands. If I were teaching convicts, therefore, I should tell them not to do another hour's work for the State. I should advise them to run away, the first chance they got. I would help them run away if I could, just as I would assist any other runaway slaves. If I could, I would leave the door open behind me, to give them a chance; for every soul of them is wrongfully imprisoned. Two out of three, were sent there by the rumseller, and are now expiating the crimes of the rumseller. The other third are suffering for some body's sins besides their own. Their Chaplain will tell you that they are suffering for Adam's sins—and not only deserve temporary confinement, but everlasting hell-fire, because of that ante-diluvian young man's iniquities. Well, the Chaplain preaches wiser than he means—and I am glad that he is willing to admit that, at all events, the poor fellows are not jugged for their own transgressions. That fact ought to be enough to blow all the prisons to fragments. I think the best thing about the popular theology is, that it traces man's iniquities back to his progenitors and if it would only be consistent with such an opinion, it might do some good; but the fact is, after admitting his entire innocence, after not only conceding, but contending that his iniquity is a legacy that he received direct from the great-grandfather of the human family-it then proceeds to damn him inwardly and outwardly, in this world and the next, for having dared to have such a wicked old reprobate for his ancestor! But I have wandered. I said that the spiritual tyranny which called forth these remarks, is not confined to State Prisons. It is the natal atmosphere of our churches. A viler tyranny never crushed the spirit of man, than that of the American Priesthood. I know there are glorious exceptions; but standing out, as these do, so prominently as "to be known of all men," they afford irrefutable proof of my position. When I speak of the priesthood, I mean those who claim to have authority over the souls of men; those who, like the Centurion, say to their hundred soldiers, Go, and they go; Come, and they come; and to their servants, Do this, and they do it. How many men, and especially how many women, are, all their life time subject to this bondage! Why, the bondage which those men are under in the State's Prison, is nothing to the bondage they are under in the Chaplain's Prison. It is the parson not the turnkey, whose tread should send terror to their souls, and whose voice should sound to them, like "a voice from the tombs." If it were not for him, they would have a freedom beyond the constraint of stone and iron, and on which no warden might turn his key. If it were not for such as he, they would not be in prison. The Prisons, Jails, and Insane Hospitals, look to the popular theology and its Institutions, as to the great reservoir from which they draw their supply. Once dethrone the "unknown God" which this nation worships, and every prison door would be opened, and every priestly mouth would be shut. The Prison And, Let us not complain, then, that the theology which furnishes the Prison cell, should also furnish the Prison altar. cell and the Prison altar are one. Let them remain so. meanwhile, we will protest against both Priest and Prison. How? Simply by preaching the Gospel;—by showing a more excellent way by telling the world not to imprison its enemies, but to love them, and to feed them; to return good for evil, blessing for cursing, kisses for blows; by calling upon the people to rally round the LAW OF LOVE, which is the LAW OF GOD, and to refuse allegiance to any Government, which is not based upon that. The call of the age is for such a stand. The white banner of love is now trailing in the dust, and from every citadel, waves the red flag of force. This flag must be struck, if so be, we are ready to hoist the other. Many of us are ready, and are now sailing under the Gospel Banner, acknowledging nobody's stars, and fearing nobody's stripes! The only star which can lead us, is the star of Bethlehem -and the only stripes which can incite us to action, are those under which humanity lies bare and bleeding. CORRESPONDENCE. Perhaps the following correspondence may interest my readers enough to warrant its publication. Mr. Hamilton is an Orthodox clergyman from Mobile, and a slaveholder. He recently preached in two or three of the Salem pulpits for the purpose of raising funds to erect a Seamen's Bethel in Mobile. My friend James P. Boyce, feeling indignant that a trafficker in human flesh should be recognized and fellowshipped as a Christian, wrote a scorching article upon the subject, which happened to reach Mr. Hamilton, and drew from him the following letter, to which I append my reply. To the Editor of the E. C. Washingtonian :— Boston, Sept. 24, 1844. SIR :-By the politeness of W. Lawrence, Esq., of this city, I obtained sight of the very courteous notice of me taken in your paper of Thursday morning, Sept. 19, 1844, and headed “Orthodox Thief—Dr. Hamilton—Clerical Impudence." I write, therefore, to request the favor of six copies of the said paper of Sept. 19, to be sent me-directed to the care of W. W. Stone, Esq., No. 85 State Street, Boston. At any place in Boston that you may appoint, the aforesaid "Orthodox Thief," will try, for once, at least,—to pay honestly the price of the article he wishes to obtain. Your humble servant, REPLY. WM. T. HAMILTON. LYNN, SEPT. 25, 1844. SIR-In cheerful compliance with your request I mail herewith six copies of the last Essex County Washingtonian and cannot forbear commending them to your thoughtful perusal. You seem to feel hurt that my worthy correspondent “ J. P. B.” should have dealt with you so roughly; but I am sure if you knew him personally, and could appreciate the deep hatred of slavery which prompted him to speak thus plainly of the enslaver of his brothers and sisters, you could have no other feelings toward |