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Show sptCAivi.xa ti r ix mkktikc. Salt Lake City, Juno 17, 1S71. Editors lit raid.- The question of religious toleration is one of vital importance; butlike other reat questions it needs much enlargement enlarge-ment and enlightenment of mind to i-omprelieud it in all its bearings. D ie- it give one man, under the clo;ik j 'd' religion, the riyht to stand up in public and villify the character ol another man in a personal manner, without fear of contradiction, there and then? In a controversial meeting, -uch as was held last evening in the .Methodist camp meeting, does it preclude pre-clude thn right of the man assailed to ask a question or solicit the privilege to reply? Sir, I hold that religious toleration protects man in his sacred worship ot his ; deity ( but not when he violates its saucity by abusing his fellow fel-low man. In such a case the person i mali -ned has the undoubted right in ! the church or the halls of Congress to ! seek explanation, and the merest jus j lice in the world would grant it. The righteous man will exchange ten I errors tor one truth at any time. ' That system must be poor indeed, that will deny the right to question under such circumstances, which was ! done last evening at the camp meeting. 1 held that to question was my right, persouaiiy, as my faith aod morals were personally availed; but my real object was to ask a question ou point vt' Christian faith and practice, which the speaker had been controverting. 1 wi-iied to obtain information honestly, honest-ly, if obtainable in that quarter; and I certainly thought, and think so still, that the rules of controversial meetings adowed that privilege to aoy one without with-out fear or Question. We do not agree with our corres-poudent, corres-poudent, for even if a speaker chooses to give his rem a rks a controversial bearing, and to attack tha belief of y.ii-:: who differ from him in opiuioa, we boid that his so doing gives no warranty war-ranty lbr any iu bis audience to claim the ruut to tpvak there and then in reply, fcueb. a right admitted and acted upon would immediately transform trans-form any meeting iuto an arena ofcon- trrversy; fir no person speaks in pub lie on points of religious or political ! Itlii'f without negatively or directly attacking the beli-f of some other person. per-son. We learn that some are aniious to vet up a discussion on matters re-ligiotis re-ligiotis with the clergymen now here, but to interrupt a speaker, or even to -Lik the privilege of putting question when he is through ib not liia proper, nor by any means a polite, way of doing so. unless the privilege is given to ask questions. Our position is to sit and listeu quietly and respectfully; aod those who cannot do so should stay away. |