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Political Clergymen.
1
August 27, 1858.
At the request of friends, Rev. Mr. Bennett, of Winchester, delivered the reception speech to Senator Douglas at that place; on the 7th, which was acknowledged by all who had the good fortune to hear it, as most appropriate and beautiful address, it was dignified and eloquent, and made a deep impression upon the audience, as well as the distinguished statesman to whom it was addressed. But the Winchester Chronicle and Morgan Journal don't relish it, and therefore undertake to read the Rev. gentleman a genteel lecture.
Now, we don't like to see ministers of the gospel meddle in politics any more than the Chronicle or Journal but we assert that Mr. Bennet did not meddle in politics on the occasion refered to. His speech contained a history of the earlier days, rise, progress and valuable services of the distinguished Senator to whom it was addressed. But suppose Mr. B. had stepped into the pool for a few minutes, in our opinion, the Republican papers ought to be the very last to complain, when every school boy in the land knows that, two years have not yet passed since seven out of every ten clergymen in all the free states, were found not at political gathering alone, but in the sacred pulpit on the Holy Sabbath there delivering political sermons, shedding tears for bleeding Kansas, and shouting for Fremont and Free speech! But it appears that the boot has got on the wrong foot this time, and therefore don't seem to set well on our Republican brethren. — [Whitehall Sentinel.