Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1828-06-10

ward to that fCariul state OF gnlit "hie" W"
render self-governmeni impossible, and despot
ism itselfdhe lesser evil.
From statements made 10 this Convention
as we'll as from what was before notorious, II
appe Jared that the respect OF former generations
for the Sabbath was IN many places gone, and
in all places fast falling before the inundat'on
Of business and pleasure; that commerce, on
Our sea board, and rivers, and canals, ana
turnpikes, is puitingi in motion secular enter
prise, which is fas. and fearfully annihila,ing
the national conscience in respee: TO the Sab
bath, and rolling the wave of oblivion over tina!
| sacred day.
1t was the opinion ofthis Convention, that
the time had come in which the moral ener-
gies Of the Sabbath mus, be preserved or aban-
doned, and that God had devo!ved upon them
the responsibility of acting upon question
whose decision will affect deeply and perma-
nen,ly the destiny Of this nation and the world.
If we yielded TO fear, and sen, out through the
land the appalling declaration ,ha, nothing
can be done, we read in The laws Of the human
mind, and the immu,able analogy OF moral
causes, the certain downfall of our republic, the
abolition Of The worlds last hope OF civil lber>
| ty, and the berpctui,y Of hose fearful despot>
isms, under whose pressure "the whole crea>
ton has groaned aud ira vailed together in pain
until now"
This alternative, while ! ray of hope beamed
ON oui path, We did not dsre to encounter; the
criesof our distan, postebty assai.ed our ears;
their cruel bondage rose u, before US and broke
| our hearts, We could Loj endure, without an
effort 10 avert it, the ruin Of our beloved coun-
try and her blood Thought blessings. And when
we perceived the sensation which recen! ct.
forls in behalf Of the Sabh;h have sentthrough
| the land, we seemed 10 lear the voice oil our
country ard OR God sadag un, Vs., BE not a.
fraid, bul go for,oard Wy were cheered by the
| hope tina, He in whose ind are the hearts OF
| all men, was raising up, behalf OF The Sab
| path, public sentiment. hose decisons would
be a, once law and its kecuion. We bor>
| rowed hope, too, from IT, promises of God,
tia: day Of civil and rdgious emancipation
shall vet arise upon hearth; and from The
| signs Of the Tins, wail lem to announce lis
rapid advent m the approximation Of the dis
,ant parts Of the earth by te f,cilises Of inter-
course, and the interc omi union OF knowledge,
| and the formation Of unierscl public senti>
mept, which, under the gl@ance OF science and
the Bible, shall disenihrclE he world
Thus alarmed, and thu 4 herred and ANNA
ted with hope, what, feilokcitiZ MS could We
do. but relying on the fak nr Of heaven, and
Dresuming on your appfbatioD, to resolve
that we will make the all ppt TO preserve to
the nation the invaluable 4saings oil The Sab
bath day. We have doht it, On the ninth
day OF Way, 1923 which We trust will hereaf
ter be remcmDertd as sera in our moral his
tory, we formed an ASS ia ion TO he denomi-
mated "THE GENERAL4 MON FOR PROMOTING
THE OBsERyANcE OF tn CHRISTIAN SABBATH"
the Couo''>-iian If MN will company this
| Address.
I, IS no, the obieo, b, ,his Union 10 enforce
thu laws Of the Sc cSl Ea,es in favour of the
| Sabbath. We haytbqsthe madness 10 think |
of coercion merely. Nv know that our coun-
trymen Can violate d Sabbath if they will; and |
our only hope is, III bv the blessing of God,
we shall be able tq$r,uade them not 10 do it,
| 1t is by the caliinet Of general attention TO
the subject; by the. snsiun Of information; ny
the power Of exaD by renovated vigilance
in families and AMI the ministers Of Christ
and the proft ssora@ hs religion, and BY with
drawing our capiI Ind pa'ronagr, as last as
NAV b. from al rtcipaiion IN the viol IIion
of the Sabbath,-iaf we hope to convince The
| understandings o,ut countrymen. and awaken
their conscenc cslno gain their hearts 20 alb.
stain voluntarily dentirely from IN, violation
of that day wh.c God has given TO US as the
token of his loveand upon which he has sus
pended all our hes for time and eternity.
We do no, f}aersourseivps thai no false a.
larm will be souied, and no temporary mIsap-
prehension Of Of motives prevail; but we do +.
most confdenllexpect 10 be guided by wis. {
dom from abov which shall enable Us to con- t
vince you, al oe. Of the purify Of our motives, {
and the corecness of our counsels, and the t
benevoIenct of,ur exerions; and 10 unite cor I
fellow itizrn,h one glorious cooperation tor r
The pres,r. alton Of tina, day, by whose infiu> i
ence alos,e is guasan,eed the perpttaity OF our G
civil AID religious Institutions. We are cheer v
ed in these anticpa, tons y,he fact, wi known,
tina, many lamen The seeming necessity which s
drives their secular enterprise over The Sab 4
bath, against ,her conscienceS, am with deep t
regret and much reuorse, while houghtless r
public sentiment is urging them on For the n
emancipation of all such this Union rises, ard Il
expects to be hailed by them as hffiae'or In p
the formstion Of pyb1,e 'Fn'i"e,S rhlsh shan
release them and theif famlhes' s sa s'ss"
ger within their sO ,%s more Sc eoe
ssr. nd distressing We ae tne LIZ ION, il
'ere dHu tao ,xpectations iron ne well js