It will be gratifying to many in this city and State to hear that
the Rev. A.
Converse, D. D., late of
Philadelphia, has, since the seizure and suppression of his paper by orders of the
Lincoln dynasty, effected his escape from that city and reached this point.
Dr. Converse endeared himself to many in the
South during his former residence with us, and has added to the respect and love then left by his decision and boldness in defending and advocating, in a Northern city, the rights of the
South.
In 1827 he took charge of the
Family Visitor, and was long known as the editor of that paper after its name was changed to the
Southern Religious Telegraph. To give it a wider influence, and secure other advantages effort by the change, he removed his press subsequently to
Philadelphia, where for more than twenty years he has conducted the
Christian Observer, one of the most fearless champions of the rights of the
South published North of
Mason &
Dixon's line.
Its course commended itself to Southern Christians very extensively.
It was the
only religions paper — among hundreds published in the
North--that did not yield, when this war broke out, to the outside pressure, and give its support to the iniquitous measures of
Mr. Lincoln. It was the
only peace paper of any description published in the city of
Philadelphia.
Plough his personal violence was repeatedly threatened by men formerly known as friends of the
South, who were exasperated at the aid the paper was furnishing to ‘"rebellion," ’ and by irresponsible.
Vigilance Committees, the venerable editor steadily pursued the course that duty to indicate, and with daily of
increased influence.
At the time of its forcible suppression, the influence of the
Observer at the
North was believed to be greater than at any previous period in its history.
This not was caused by the steady opposition of the paper to
Mr. Lincoln's war, the views it advocated respecting the questions at issue between the North and South, and more immediately the accounts furnished by its associate editor in this city, presenting views of Southern determination and Southern well calculated (as the results of all their battles which have been so generally suppressed in the
Yankee papers are) to dishearten this money-making race, foreign the conviction that they had entered upon a speculation that wouldn't pay.
Though a large number of papers have been mobbed and otherwise interfered with, this is the only one that has been stopped by the direct authority of
Mr. Lincoln. The Department at
Washington telegraphed to
Marshal Millward to suppress the
Christian Observer, (together with the circulation of the New York
Daily News and other papers in
Philadelphia,) to its offices and appurtenances, and arrest its editor.
With the aid of a large posse of policemen he faithfully executed the first part of his instructions; but pressuring that the editor could be had at another time, when there would be less excitement, he deferred taking him into custody to a more convenient season.
The duty of arresting him will now devolve, we presume, upon
Gen. McClellan, with the
Grand Army, instead of
Marshal Millward and his posse.
In June last a circular was sent to the subscribers of the
Christian Observer, advising them of the determination
eventually to publish the paper in
Richmond.
Dr. Converse has labored nobly for us in the midst of the
Northern fanaticism until this time.
We are advised that it is his intention to recommence the publication in our midst, with the assistance of his son,
Rev. F.
Bartlett Converse, as soon as the necessary arrangements can be made.
The return of this paper — the oldest religious paper on the
American Continent — and of its esteemed and venerated editor to our city, will be hailed with pleasure by numerous friends in every part of our Confederacy.
