Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 3.
Frank Moore, Ed.

The war among the farmers.--The Dutch Reformed church near the English Neighborhood, in Bergen County, N. J., was the scene of some little excitement on the 4th of July. The church is located in the midst of a wealthy farming population, which supplies New York with no small share of its best fruit and garden vegetables. It has been the custom to ring the bell in the old church on the 4th of July, but on the late occasion the farmers declared it should not be rung. But a man and a woman, (a widow,) who live next to the church, declared it should be rung. This declaration brought the farmers in force to the church on the morning of the 4th, when a sharp word-battle took place between the one man and the widow on one side, and the farmers on the other. The latter declared that “the bell should never be rung on the 4th of July again, until the North has repented of the wicked and abominable abolitionism which has destroyed the union of our country.” The widow declared, that if she could only get hold of the key, and get into the belfry, she “would knock any man down who should attempt to stop her from ringing the bell.” But she did not get the key, and the church was kept fast locked the whole day. The incident is valuable as indicating the drift of public thought among the intelligent and non-political farmers of the country.--Mobile Advertiser, Aug. 2.