Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-03-19

OF the human mind;and when ms-drected excites the
worst passions OF our nature under the deusve pre-
text OF doing Tod service. Nothing infurates the
heart TO deeds Of rapne and blood nothing is so inces
sam in its tolls; persevcrng in its
appang IN Its course or so dangerous in its
ces The equality Of rights secured by the eon,,i.
tuition, may bid defiance TO mere political tyrant. but
the robe oil sanciity too often gters TO deceive The
regards the conscience OF the Jew as sacred
az that OF the Christians; and gives no more authority
to aco?t measure affecting the conscience Of a
solitary individual than that OF a whole community.
ihat representative who would violate th. principle,
would iose his delegated character and forfeit the con-
hdence Of his constituents n Congress shall declare
he mrs. cay Of the week holy will not convince the
Jew nor The Sabbstsran Ii will dis.atsfy 10th; ard
consr qnenty, convert neither. Human power NAV
eStort vain sacrifices; but Deity alone can command
the atfsc Of the heart. II must be recoected
that in the earliest settlement of this country the spr
II OF perSecu,n which drove the pgi inns from their
native home, was brought with them TO their ne "
haba'ions; and that some Christians were scourge,
aud other. put 10 deah for other crimo than dissent
ing from the dogmaa Of their rulers.
win these facts before us, IL must be a subject of
Ieep regret, that question should be brought before
Congress, which involve. the dearest privileges tf
Tue constitution and by those who enjoy it's choic
est bies'ings-!Pe should all recoilect that Catalina
proiefsed patriot, Vas traitor to Rome; Arnold, a
progressed "hg, wasa traitor TO America; and Judas,
ter.
with the exception Of the United States, the
"hoc human race, consistng it is supposed of eight
hundred mi'licns Of raonal beings il in religious bon
dag' and. in reviewing the scene. of persecution
winch history every where presents, unless the COM
nee could believe that the cries OF the burning vic
UNI and the hames by which he is consumed, bear
20 Heaven grateful incense, the il vita
me- that the line cannot be too strongly drawn
church and State. IL solemn Of eg.a,ion shall
m one pent define the law OF God or poiut out 10 the
citizen one religious duty il may with equal proprie-
y proceed 10 define ersyy part Of divine and
enforce cce'y religious obligation, TO the FERNS
and ceremonies Of worship; the endowment of the
church; and The support of the clergy.
IL was with kis, that Judas BETRAYED his Divine
Master and we should all be admoni.hed, no matter
what our faith may be-that the rights Of conscience
cannot he so successfully a.saiicd as under the prctex
OF holiness. The Christian religion made il. way into
he world IN opposition 70 all human Governments. Ba.
nishmen, torures and death, inflicted in vain to
stop rs progress. But many of lis proe sors,
clio he'd with political power lost the meek spirit which
heir creed incu'cated and began inct on other re-
hgions on dissenting secs OF their own religion pcr-
Secuons more aggrava ell than those which their own
APOSTLE had endured The ten prosecutions of Pagan
EperoFs, were exceeded in atrociy by the massacres
and murders perpetra;ed by Christian hands; and in
vain shall "" examine the cords OF Imperial tyranny
Tor an engine OF cruelty equal TO the Holy Iqmi.ion
Every religious sect, however meek in is ORIGIN
menced the work of persecution az soon as il acquired
piluchI power. The trainers OF the Constitution re-
c0gnized the eternal principle that mans relation with
MS Eoh, Is above human legislation and his rights of
conscience ina'ienabe. Reasoning was rot necessary
TO establish this truth: conscious of it in our own
booms IL IS his consciousness which, i'm defiance of
human laws has sustained many martyrs in ortures
and i'm names. They FIJI tha, their du,y 10 God was
superb to human enactments and that man could ex
erce no authority their consciences is an in
born principle which nothing can eradicate.
The bieot, in the pride Of his authority, may lose
sight OF -hut strip him Of hi. power prescribe faith
to him which his consciercs rel cts; threaten him in
I"rn WIN me dungeon and the faggof; and the spirit
which God has implanted in him. rises m in ret.l,ion
and dehes you. Did the primitive Christians ask tina.
Governm' nj should recognise and observe their reli-
gous institutions? All they asked was toIeration all
they comp ainei of, was persecution. What did the
PIo'estan,s Of Germany, the Hugenois Of France,
ask OF their Catholic superiors? liberation. What do
the prosecuted Ca no les OF Ireland ask OF their oppres
sors; federation.
Do not all men in This country enjoy every religious
right which martyrs and saints ever asked' Whence,
then, the voice OF complaint! Who is it, that in the full
enjoyment OF every principle which human laws car
secure: wishes to arrest portion of these principles
from his neighbour Do The petitioners allege that the
caunot con'cehtousy participate in the profits of The
mail contracts and post Offices because the mail is car
ried on Sunday? II this be their motive In is the
worldly gain which simula action, and not virtue
or religion DO they complain that less conscien
nous IN relation % The Sabbath, obtain advantages over
them, by receiving their letters and attending TO IN r
contents! Sill their motive il worldly and selfish BIZ,
IL their motive be to induce Congress sanction by
law, Their religious opinions and ObSerudnces, the
their efforts arc TO be resisted in their tendency IA
al, both TO religious and political freedom Why have
the petitioners confined their prayer the masi Why
have they not requested that the Government be re-
CURED TO suspend all its executive functions that
day? Why do they not require TO enact that our
ships shall not sa that armies shall not march that
officers OF justice shall not seize the susrcc ed guard
the convicted? They 10 forget that goyernme mt
is "a necessary on Sunday any other day of tie
week. The spirit Of evil does not rest on that day 1t
Is tic Government active in ts funciions which
enables us all, even the petitioners TO wor ip in our
churches in peace. Our Government furnishes VERY
few lessings like mails. They bear from the CEN
tire OF our republic 10 its distant extremes the acts OF
our Legislative boiler, the decisions Of the judiciary
and the orders Of the Executive. The speed is often
essential 10 the defence Of the country the
oil crime and tie dearest interest. Of the people Were
they suppressed one day of the week their absence
must be often supplies by public expresses; and be.
Sides while the mail bags might rest The mail coaches
would pursue their journey with the passengers. The
mail bears, from one extreme OF the Union the other
lie tiers OF relatives and friends preserving communion
of heart between those far separated and increasiag
the most pure and refined pea,ures Of our existence
ao, the letters OF commercial convey the ,ate OF
the market', prevent rmnous speculaion aud promote
general, as well as individual Interests they bear innu
merdbIe religious letters, newspapers, gaznes and
tracts, which reach almost every house bout this
wide republic. Is the OF thee violation of
the Sdbbath?
The advance Of the human race in intelligence in
virtue, and religion ITSELF depends in part upon the
speed with which knowledge Of the past s dissem-
mated without an interchange between one country
and another, and between erent sections of the same
country, every improvement in moral or poliiica'
science, and the arts OF life woud be confined TO the
neigbborhood where il originated. The moro rapid
and the more frequent this interchange, the more
rapid will be the march OF intellect and the progress #
improvement. The mail is the chief me ans nv which
leciuel light rradiatos the extremes Of the Re,
pubic. Stop it enc day in seven and you retard one.
seventh the advancement Of our country SO far rom
stopping the mail Sunday, tie committee would re-