Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-02-14

the mail stages free Go during the q rst ay Of
the week, or 60 pursue their journeys at their own
pleasure. While tho mail is transported on Sa,ur-
day, the Jew ana the Sabbutarian may abstain from
any agency IN carrying II, from conscientious scrn-
pies. While it IL transported on the f,rst dav ofthc
week, another class may abstain from the Same re-
ligous scruples. The obligation of government is
the Same to both OF these classes and the committee
can dscover no principle which the claims of one
should be more respected than those of the other
unless should be admitted that the consciences of
lority. N
tits the opinion Of the committee thai Tho s,,sr,
should be regarded simply question of expedcncy.
irrespective OF Its religious bearing In this LIGHT IL
mas hitherto been considered. Congress have never
legslated upon this subject It rests ms II eyer has
done, in the legal discretion ofthe Postmaster Cen
erul under the repeated reusas of Conrrers to dis
continue the Sabbath mails. His knowledge and
Judgment IN all the concerns of that department. will
not be questioned. His intense lab,rs and nssidtv
have resulted in the highest Improvement of every
branch OF his department. II is practised only on the
great leading mail routes. and such others as are ne
cessary 70 maintain their connexions. To prevent
this, would. IN the opinion of the committee be pro-
ductive of immense injury, both in its commercial
political, and in it's moral bearings.
The various departments of government require
frequently IN peace, always in war, the speedest in
tercorsc with tho rcnfotcst parts of the corntry and
one important object OF the mail establishment is to
furnish tho greatest and most economical facilities for
such intercourse. The delay ofthe mails one whole
day IN sevcn would require the employment fspeci-
al expresses, at great expense, and sometimes with
great uncertainty.
The commercial, manufacturing aud agricultural
interests OF our country intimately connected
as TO require constant and the most expeditions
correspondence bctwixt all orr seaports and betwxt
thcm and he most interior settlements. The DELAY
cfthe mails during the Sunday, would give occasion
to the employment ofprivate expresses, to such an
amount. that probably ten riders would be employed
where ono mail stage is running on that day;
thus dlverting the revenue Of that department into
another channel, and sinking the establishment into
state puslsnimy incompatible with the dignity of
the government of which il is department.
Passengers in the mail sta ges if the mails are not
permitted to proceed on Sunday, will be expected to
spend that day ot tavern upon tho road, generally
under circumstance not friendly to DEVOTION and at
an expense which many but poorly able TO en-
counter. To obviate these difficulties; many will
employ extra carriages for their conveyance and be-
come the bearers of CORRESPONDENCE as more eSped-
tous than the mail. The stage propretors will
themselves often furnish the travellers with those
means of conveyance that the effect will ultimate
y be only to stop the mail, while the vehicle which
conveys 1t will continue, and its passengers become
the special messengers for conveying considerable
proportion of what would otherwise constitute the
contents of the mail.
Nor can the committee discover where the syst en-,
could consistently end If the observance of holy
day becomes incorporated in institutions shall
we not forbid the movement of an army; prohibit Ar
assault in time of war; and lay an Injunction upon
our naval officers to lie in the wind while upon the
ocean on that day? Consistency would seern IN rc
quire It. Nor lie It certain that should stop here
II the principle is established that relioion or
religious observance, shall be interviewer with mr.
Legislative acts, we must pursue il to lis uitimatrn
We shall, If consistent, provide for the erection of
eoihces for the worship of the Creator and for the
support of Christian minister's if we believe s1ch
measures viii promote the interests of Chrsti,ni,
Ii IS the settled conviction of the committee that tho
ory method of avoiding these consequences with
their attendant train Of evils is to adhere sricv 20
M IONS TtlfeiC
e-al government in other light than that of Civil
institution, wholly destitute of religious authority
What other nations call religious toerations. we
call religious rights They not exercised in viz
tue OF governmental Indulgence, but as rights, of
which government cannot deprive any portion of CT.
tlzens, however small. Despotc power NAV invade
those rights, but justice still confirms them Let the
national Legislature once perform an act which in
wolves the decision of religious controversy and IL
Will have passed its legitimate bounds. The preee-
dent will then be established and the foundation laid
for that usurpatlon of the Divine prerogative IN this
country, which has been the desolatino scourre IN
the portions of the old world Our constitution re-
cognizes no other power than that of persuasion for
enforcing religious observances Let the professors
OF Christianity recommend their religion by deeds of
Extraordinarily Christian meekness-by lives of
temperance and holiness. Let them combine their
efforts to instruct the ignorantto relieve the widow
and the orphan-to Dromugate TO the world the pos-
pei OF their Saviour, recommending it's precepts by
their ha6tua example; government will find it's lepi
innate object in protecting them. II cannot oppose
them, and they Will not need its aid. Their moral in
5uence will then do infinitely more to advance the
true interests Of religion, than any measures which
they call on Congress TO enact.
The petitioners do not complain Of any infrinpement
upon their own rights. They enjoy all that Chris
tians ought to ask at the hand of any governnent-
protection from all moestation IN the exercise oftheir
religions sentiments.
RsSolred, That the Committee be DISCHARGED from
Tue further consideration of the subject"
-
From tho " y CnzcHe
yesterday inserted Iagraph, said have been copied
from Bristol paper Of the 9th Dec by the ship Mi
nerga Capt Hueon, relative a melancholy accideu,
which had occurred at the American Colony the eoa Of