The Editor of this paper held an anti-slavery meeting in Rush last Sunday afternoon, and addressed a large and respectable audience. At the close of his address, the Rev. Mr. Stanwood, the minister of the church, tabled a number of objections to the discourse. The nature of these objections will appear in the following excellent letter, from Rev. Mr. Ottman, who was present on the
occasion:

RUSH, Aug. 27th, 1854.

FREDERICK DOUGLASS, ESQ: MY DEAR SIR:—The interest which I feel in the Anti-Slavery cause, as well as the subject of, and the circumstances connected with your address at the village this afternoon, induces me to address you this note.

Since I have had the pleasure of an acquaintance with you, my confidence in you as an able and sincere advocate of the best interests of the Anti Slavery cause has been firm and unshaken; and it certainly has not undergone any change since hearing you again this afternoon.

I confess, I was not a little surprised at hearing the remarks made by the Rev. Mr. Stanwood, taking exceptions to what you said, relative to the professed Christian Church of our land as being the main supporter of American Slavery. I think had he been present at the commencement of your address, he would have seen more clearly the drift of your remarks, and he would certainly not have been betrayed into so gross an error as to array himself against what you so justly said of the inconsistencies of the American Church as a whole. It is true, and to her shame be it said, that the great body of professing Christians of the Country, are the hindering cause of the Abolition of American Slavery. There are worthy and honorable exceptions; and I think it is always well to give a proper recognition of those who do occupy a right position, in order to exempt them from the odium which properly attaches to those who only "tithe of mint, annise, and cummin," while they neglect the weightier matters of the law, Justice, Mercy, and Truth. And the impression on my mind is, that you did make that distinction at least somewhat prominent[.] And I think it would have been far better for Mr. Stanwood to have remained silent on that subject, as I have serious doubts whether he will be very generally sustained in this locality. My impression is that Mr. Stanwood is not much less conservative, than conservatives generally, on this subject of Slavery.

The other prominent exception which he took, was in relation to your distinction between the false professor and the avowed infidel, calling the latter the Christian and the former the infidel; and I think was well taken. I am aware that in your reply to Mr. Stanwood you explained yourself to have meant that the avowed infidel, in the case you described, was "the better Christian of the two." To my mind, your explanation seems equally as untenable as your original statement, which your explanation was intended to modify. According to the teachings of the Bible, neither the false-hearted professor, nor the avowed infidel, be his outward acts what they may, can be a Christian, The Savior teaches that "He that believeth not, is condemned
already, because he hath not believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God." Of course you will not take the position that a man under the divine condemnation, can, while in that state, be a Christian.

And it is not until he believes in Jesus Christ that he obtains justification before God; and of such Paul says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." And again, "without faith it is impossible to please God." Now, my opinion is that in your ardent and well-meant zeal to rebuke professing Christians for their hollow-hearted hypocrisy in reference to the great question of human rights, you are quite ready to ascribe Christian character to the avowed infidel, whose action relative to this question may be entirely correct, in order to make the odious
hypocrite appear but the more hateful in the eyes of all the world; but I feel quite sure that a proper degree of attentions to the teachings of God's word on the subject will bring you precisely to right points[.]—And you cannot but feel that a right scriptural position, on so important a point, will add greatly to the weight of your influence, and will render the gigantic powers of your mind more efficient for good, in the blessed cause which lies so near your heart. Pardon, dear Sir, the freedom I use in addressing you. It is only because I, too, have the interests of the anti-slavery cause at heart, that I speak thus freely.

I most sincerely hope that your visit to Rush will be repeated at an early day, and that you will give us such a deluge of Anti-Slavery Truth, in its application to the Church and to the "world," that even Mr. Stanwood shall be compelled to acknowledge that you have given the people an "Anti-Slavery address." Whether you will get the Baptist house again is highly problematical.

How it will be with the Methodist house, I cannot say. Would that the house I occupy stood in the village long enough for you to give an "Anti-Slavery address" in extenso[.]—But if you can get no house at the village surely God's great temple of nature has open doors, and I think that will be the best place to meet, as an ordinary sized house would not contain half the people who would wish to hear. If you come, let me know in time, and I will dismiss my Congregation, and with them be among[] you[r] auditors.

Yours for the cause.

S. OTTMAN.