The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1830-03-20

because the mail is carried on Sandav!
| If this be their motive. then il is world
ly gain which stimulates to action. and
not virtue or religion. DO they com
plain that men, less conscientious IN
relation to the Sabbath, obtain advan
tages over them. by receiving their
letters and attending to their contents!
Still their motiveis worldly and selfish.
But if their motive be to induce Con
gress to sanction by law their religious
opinions and observances. then their
efforts are to be resisted, as in their
tendency fatal both to religious and
political freedom. Why have the pc
iitiooers confined their prayer to the
mails Z? Why have they not requested
that the Government required to sns
pend all its executive functions on that
day. Why do they not require Us
TO enact, that our ships shall not sail
that our armies shall not march that
officers of justice shall not seize the
suspected. or guard the conv'cteh !
They seem to forget that Government
is as necessary on Sunday as on any.
other day of the week. The spirit OF
evil Goes not rest on that day. 1t Is
the Government, ever active IN Its
functions, which enables us all, eren
the petitioners, to worship III our
churches in peace. Our Government
furnishes very few blessings like our
mails They bear, from the centre
Of our republic TO its distant extremes
the acts Of our legislative bodies, the
decisions Of the Judiciary. and the or
}. ders Of the Executive. Their spec"
Is often essential to the defence
! Of the country, the suppress
8 ION Of crime, and the dearest interests
v Of the people. Were they suppressed
u one day Of the week, their absence
must be often supplied ey public ex
presses, aud besides. while the MAJ
d bags nigh. rest,t the mail coaches wou..
paE,us s: mail Bears; fs;'f RON r oae RsP's'
8 treme of the Union to the other. letter
u of relatives and friends. preserving a
communion Of heart between those 'a'
separated, aud increasing the mos! Pur.
and refined pleasures OF our ex.s,ene.'
also the letters Of commercial men
convey the state Of the markets, pre-
vent ruinous speculations, and promote
general as we'll as individual interest ,
thew bear innumerable religious letters
newspapers. magazines and tracts
: which reach almost every nou-c
throughout this wide republic. IS ."e Wv,
convey vance Of these a violation o. '"e
Sabbath ? The advance ot the hu,na"
race in intelligence, in rirtue, an" 'c
= lision itself pends in part upon .ne
, snced with which a knowledge OF The
! past Is disseminated.
= Without an intsrcl snge between one -
country and another, and between "'l
Csr.r, section, Of the same counfr' 80
erv imnrovement in moral or pol,',ca'
, science. and the arts of life, wou'" We
c.nf;ned to the reighborhood where 't
originated. The moIe rapid ana ,ne
more frequent this interchansee. the
= more rapit will be the march OF 'nte'
. ? lect, and the progress of improvement
= The mail is chief means by winch ~
d, tellec,uaI light irradlates to the ex
), tremes Of the Republic. Stop in one
d day in seven and you ret'rd one seVen.'
" the advancement of our country. 30
|. far from stopping the mail on Sunday,
~ IN. committe would recommend the
- use of all reasonable means to a're u
N a gr eater extension. What wonh b'
the elerntion Of our country, u eOerl
or crery new conception could be made
m to strike euery mind in the Union at IN
m same time T? It's not the distance
#. a propince or state frou the seat o
nj aovernment which endangers i,s separ
cd ton, but it lis the difficulty and unit
o. ouency of intercourse betwecn u'e"'
m; Our mails reach Missouri anti Arkan
,., sas in less time than they reached Nc
70. lucky and Ohio in the infancy OF TIC
cd settle mnts I; and now, when there al
/ Of three millivns Of people extending
o,- thousand miles west Of the .Ai'es''a'
,os we hear less Of fldisconteut. than wh
ne there were few thousand scattered
,er. long their western base.
,eir TO stop the mails one day IN SEE
would be to thrust the whole Wcs'e
,;ov country, and other distant pats "i
suJ1 ssU1 Republic. one days journey Iom
.an seat Of Government. But, were IL
!, pedien, TO put an end to The 'ra"sn
,srv ion of letters and newspapers "n )
80 day, because il piolates the law ol u
=. a., uct;t;onsrs bcptln W.,