Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1830-04-27
COMMUNICATED.
To WILLIAM McCaEERY .Menber Of the House
If Representatives.

COMMUNICATED.
To WILLIAM McCaEERY Member of the House
Of Representatives..
Sir: AS the dissenting minority or the committee,
to whom were referred certain petitions for and against
stopping the mail and closing the post Office Sun
day, you have introduced counter report, concluding
with resolution in favor of that will eX-
ercise the right OF citizen to make few remarks
upon the grounds which your resolution is rested.
You preface this with some observations upon the
nature OF the petItIon which IN favor of gran
ting Congress, you say, not asked ''to expound
the moral law,' NEEDLE with theological contro-
versies, to introduce religious coercion into civil
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 opportuni-
ties of attending moral uud rely ou. instruction
or intellectual improvement, on that day, which is
enjoyed by the rest of their fellow ctizens."
This disclaimer of disposition to blend religious
with civil affairs, Isl have no doubt, perfectly sin
cere, as well ON your part as on that of vast major
ity of the petitioners But, although sincere, YOU
may be mistaken. Although you feel no such dispo-
ston, and discern no such tendency in the proposed
measure, it is, nevertheless possible, that the tenden-
cy may exist. Whether it do or do not, will see,
when TO examine the reasons which you
deem sufficient for its adoption.
To judge from the foregoing Statement of the
end contemplated by the petitioners, it has presented
itself to your mind it doubtless has many 9TH
ers III very sPeclOus shape. Thus viewed, that end
is merely 10 restore certain 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 10 be accomplished? BY removing
restrictions imposed upon them by our own nstitu-
tons? No! The class is composed ofagents of the
Government, citizens who become such, by volunta-
Ty contracts and who at liberty to withdraw from
the service whenever they see fit. The end Is to be
accomplished by modifying the nature of the service,
III such to leave those who NAV vounta-
ry undertake it, at perfect liberty during the day in
question. The object then, is not permit" one
class OF citizens to enjoy the liberty another
but to alter the nature of important branch of the
public service, SO to adapt it to the religious
scrupes of certain portion of the community who,
consistently with those scruplcs, cannot engage
III it.
This being, according TO your own statement the
end contemplated, let consider your rea-
sons for recommending that Congress should pro-
mote it.
The first is that every other branch of the pub
tic service has been modified the way proposed
fou instance the judlcary aud all the other Exec
utlVc Departments of government" the business of
which is suspended on Sunday. To this proposition,
proposition the objection occurs, that it
comprehensive than IS warranted by the ctS preseB
ted by the practice of our government. No such
modification has been introduced INTO the Military,
the Naval, or the Police service. Our soldiers are
not required to suspend their marches the work of
entreci!;.g themselves against an eEcmy; our ships
required toeast anchors they are not even pro-
hibed from weighing anchor; our MarsIais and Con-
stables not exempted from the duty Of pursuing
and securing cuprts. Considered rs u reason, it ap
pears altogether vague and unsatisfactory, from its
not entering at all INTO examination Of the anaio-
giss o. discrepancies which may exist between the
branch 10 which IT is proposed to extend the modlfi-
cation, and those branches into which it has been in
troduced, or from which it has been withheld. 4
little further down, indeed, you bestow glance up
on some OF the important pcculiartles Of the mail
service. But you do this merely ''to pronounce dog
matcaly that, 10 these peculiariies, sort of
gard can, consistently with the first principles Of good
morals" be paid; because those principles require tho
strict observance Of day; and to make exception
Of the mail, account of temporal benefits arising
from such exception, is to sacri;io5 -5 prn,,,,,yy
to worldly considerations. This Inference is Ger
talny very sweeping Are you aware that it en-
braces every Imaginable public concern That it
would equally require tos disregard of worldly con-
sdcratous in the regulation Of our Army, Navy,
our Police &c. &5c'
4 special reason Is, that "the good Of society re-
qures the strict observance Of one day in sevcn'-
This rule you urge upon temporal authority and tenn
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