The Yankees and the Southern Church.
--The secular papers now and then give us a picture of the evils that would result to our Southern land in the event of the triumph of the Federal arms. It is shocking enough — a loss of every thing earthly that an enlightened and cultivated people can hold dear. But there is one aspect of the subject that has not been presented. What are the Southern churches to expect when the invader has completed our subjugation — if unhappily that day should ever come? And what will be the fate of those ministers who dare to remain firm to their principles and resist the tyranny of the conqueror? We have already published a counts of clergymen on Southern soil seized while leading their congregations in worship because they would not pray for the President of the United States--we have seen how one was publicly beaten, under the eye of a Federal officer, because he would not receive in his house a soldier who sought to intrude himself there. We have heard of others abused, imprisoned and impoverished, by a wicked and rapacious enemy. From all we can gather, we infer that the pulpit and the press will be subjected to the vilest despotism, and free thought and free speech wholly interdicted, in case they get possession of our country.All the labor of years in building up churches free from fanaticism will be lost. Northern missionaries will swarm over the land, and the long arm of the Northern ecclesiastical power will be stretched out over our people, sustained in its by the longer arm of We must all pray at the point of the as our enemies this, or only pray in secret.--Southern Christian Advocate.
