Delaware journal. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1827-1832, 1829-02-06

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to determine what religion is true and what f,l~o
Our government is a civil, and not religions ;n,,
! tuition Our constitution recognizes in every NO..
son, the right to choose his own religion. and na
! Joy it freely without molestaton. Whateyer ,n..
be the religious sentiments of citizens and howavJ
variant, they alike entitled TO protection f0n,
the government so long as they do not invade in.
rights OF others.
The transportation of the mail on the first dav %
the week, it is believed, does not interfere with Tho
rights of conscience. The petitioners for Ne H.
continuance appear TO be actuated from reigon,
zeal, which may be commendabe if coniised f. 4,
proper sphere, but they assume position betos
suited TO ecclesiastical than to civil nstituton
They appear, in many instances, TO lay it down =.
an axion that the practice is violation of the I,u
of God. Should Congress, in their legislative -.
pacity. adopt the sentiment, it would establish I'M
principle, that the Legislature is proper tribunal
to determine what are the laws of God. Ii Womb
4 involve legislative decision in religious .con,ro
versy; and on point in which good citizens NAV
honestly differ in opinion, without disturbing TIM
peace Of society, cndangering its liberties. If
this principle Is once introduced, it will be impos,;
BILE to define IFS bounds. Among all the reliuion,
e prosecutions with which almost every page of ma
dern history is stained, no victim ever suffered but
: for The violation of what government denomipapi
the law Of God, To prevent a similar train or
il evils in this country, the Constitution has wisely
withheld from our government the power of detininy
e the Divine Law. tits right reserved to each 81.
tizen and while he respects the equal rights of
I others, he cannot be held amenable TO any human
# tribunal for his conclusions.
=. Extensive religious combinations, to effect m.
r litlca purpose, are, in the opinion of the Commit
= tee, always dangerous. This first effort of the kind
). calls for the establishment OF principle. which in
c the opinion of the Committee, would lay the ioun.
4 dation for dangerous innovations upon the spirit
the Constitution, and upon the religious rights ofhe
citizens. II admitted, tmay Justly be apprehendeI,
that the future measures OF government will be
/ strongly marked. it not eventually controlled by The
l. same influence. All religious desposm commences
= by combination g. influence; and when that influence
begins to operate upon the political institutions Of
e country, the civil power soon bends under it and
the catastrophe OF other nations furnishes an awful
warning of the consequence.
= Under the present regulations of the Post Office
Department the rights of conscience are not nya
ded. Every agent enters voluntarily, and is pre-
sumed conscentiously, into the discharge of his d.
ties, without intermeddng with the conscience Of
20 another Post Offices so regulated, as that but
. a small proportion Of the first day OF the week is
4 required to be occupied in official business In The
transportation ofthe mail on that day no one agent
employed many hours. Religious persons enter into
y the business without violating their conscenc
n or imposing any restraints upon others. Passrn-
Or gers IN the mail stages free TO during the
ID first day of the week. pursue their Journeys at
~ their own pleasure. While the mail is TRANSPORTED
rs On Saturday, the Jew and the Sabbataran may abb
d stain from any agency in carrying it, from conscen
t. tous scrupes. While it is transported on the
a. first day oil the week, another class may abstain
Of from the religious scruples. The obligation IF
government is the same to both of these classes and
rs the Committee can discover no principle on which
b. The claims OF one should be more respected thar
n those OF the other; unless it should be admitted
d. that the conscences ofthc minority are less sacred
ct than those of the majority
y Ii IS the opinion of the committee, thai the sub
nd Jecf should be regarded simply question oexpe.
IS diency, irrespective OF its religious bearing lntAs
Us light, il has hitherto been considered Congress
have never lagislated upon the subject 1t rests, as
its 1t ever has done, in the legal discretion Of the Post
D master General, under the repeated refusas Of Con
ie- gress TO dlscor nue the Sabbath mails. His knosl
10 edge and judgment in all the CONCERNS Of that de-
ee parlncn, will not be questioned. His intense Ia
on bour and assiduy have resulted in the highest i'm
he provement of every branch of his department.
cir practlsed ony the great leading mail routes
,h' ana such others as are necessary to maintain tbeI
he connexions 70 prevent this, would in the opno
on OF the committee, be productive of immense nju
cir ~ both IN IFS commercial political, and in it's mo
Ter raj bearings.
on The various departments of government require
IRE frequently in peace always in war; the speedies
not tercourse with the remotes parts of the country
he and one important object OF the mail esabllshmen
ga 49, to arnsh the greatest and most economical iac
st, ites of such intercourse. The delay of the Hnl
'ad one whole day in seven, would require the employ
re- mcnt OF special expresses at great expense, an
led sometimes with great uncertanty'
Sc, The commercial manu- featuring. and agriculture
interests of our country arc en- Intimately coppecte
out as to require constant and the most expedition
ord correspondence betwx! sea-ports and betWi'
ac- them and the most interior settlements The della
ned otthe mails during the Sunday, would give occasle
lch the employment of private expresses, TO such
wn amount that probably ten riders would be empoyf