Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1830-04-24
tro Be CONTINUED
leoMMuNIcATED.l
10 WILLIAM McCREERY, Member Of The House
Of Representatives.

Of Representatives..
Sir: AS the dissenting minority OF the committee
to whom were referred certain petitions for aud against
stopping the mail and closing the post Office ON Sun
day you have introduced counter report concludpn
with resolution in favor of that measure will exo
ercise the right of citizen, to make few remarks
upon the grounds which your resolution is rested
You preface tins with snno ohsnrvntons upon tho
nature OF the petition, which you in favor of gran
Jung Congress, you say, are not asked "to expound
the moral law Ito NEEDLE with theolooc contro
verses ito introduce religious coercion into our civ,
institutions, or to blend religious and civil affairs
The object OF the petitioners is "hat the AGENTS of
Government, employed in the Post Office Depart
ment, may be permitted to enjoy the same spportuni.
ties OF attending to moral and religious instruction
or intellectual improvement, on that day, which is
enjoyed by the rest of their fellow citizens"
This ds caimer of disposition TO blend religious
with civil affairs, s, / have no doubt perfecty ain
cere, as well on your part that Of vast major
ny OF the petitioners But, although sincere Won
may DC mistaken. Although you feel such dispo-
stlon and die no suclf tendency in the proposed
measure, II Is nevertheless possible that tho tendon
cy may exist. Whether it do or do not we will sec
when we come to examine the reasons which YOU
deem sufficient for its adoption.
To Judge from the foregoing Statement of TIM
end contemplated by the petitioners it has presented
Itset to your mind, as it doubtless has to many 9TH
ers. in very speciuus shape. Thus viewed, that end
is merely TO restore certuii; class of our fellow
citizens to equality with the rest in regard to the
disposal of their time the first day of the week.
but how IS this TO be Accomplished By removing
restrictions imposed upon them by own nstitu.
lions? No! The class is composed of agents of the
Government, citizens who become SUCH by yoIunta-
~ contracts and who are ut liberty to wthdrawfrom
the service whenever they fit. The end IS TO be
accomplished by modifying the nature Of tho eervice,
IN such manner as TO leave those who may voluna-
rly undertake il, at perfect liberty durina the day in
question The object then is not to "peruit;p one:
class OF citizens to ENJOY the liberty as another
but to alter the nature OF important branch of the
public service, as to adapt it to the religiouy
scrupes OF certain portion OF the cornmuntv who
consistently with those scruplcs, cannot now engage
IN it,
end contemplated, let now consider your rea-
sons for recommending that Congress should pro-
mote IL. r.
The first is, that "cvory other" branch oftbo pub-
c service hos been modified IN the way proposed
You instance the judiciary add "all the other Exec
utivo Departments Of go crnmont," tho business of
which IS suspended on Sunday TO this proposition.
proposition, the objection occurs thai Il is rno,c
comprehensive than warranted by the fact, pr.scn
! ted by the practice Of our government. No such
modification has been introduced INTO the Military
or the Naval or the Police service. Our soldiers are
not required to suspend their marches or tho Uo, Of
cntrenchng themselves against an enemy: our chino
are not required to anchors they are not over NM.
hibed from weighing anchor; our Marshals aud Chr
stables arc not exempted from the duty of pursdnv
aud securing cuprts. Considered as n reoson /, n,,
pears altogether vague and unsatisfactory C,on, a.;
not entering at all into examination of tho nnoio
g'es or discrepancies which may exist between tho
Orahch 10 Wicn ~ proposed TO extend tho modHi-
cation, md those branches into which il bns brcn in
troduced, or from which it has been withheld A
little further down, indeed, you bcstowa glance M
on some OF the important pcculinrities Of The mail
scrVicc But you do this merely "to pronounce do,,
maiicatIy that, to those pocuartice no sort of re-
gard can consistently with the first principles of GOOD
morals be paid because those principles reouirs tho
srct observance ct day; and to make an exception
oil inc mail, on account Of temporal bcno6,a or;.;n
from such exception, is to sacrifice those prncincss
! to worldly considerations. This Inference s CO..,
ialnly very sweeping. Arc You aware that il cp.
braces every Imaginable public concern That il
sideratIons, in the regulation of our Irnv orr Eovo
orr Police, &c. 80 w. ''"'E'