Litchfield enquirer., 1830-03-25

nose 1OtGtHGfGUCS Sround thst it would De legislating upOG TeIieious subject, and therefore uncOnstitu' tiOnal.
 Resolved, That the cUEnnittee be diecharg- ..l fsnvyA sh~ frr1her consideration of the sub- ject.
 Mr. M'Crecry, from the minority oI tne com
 m;ttao mn Post Offices and Post Roads. |
 submitted the following as his view or the
 subject.
 The minority of the committee. to whom were referred the memorials relative to !he transpOrtatiOn of the mail. and the de''Verlng of letters, &c. on the Sabbath, beg leave to state the reasons of their dissent rom me report made by the committee on that SUD- ject. ,,.a.o ... fee. day of the week, to be the SaN0ath' A""Vs' pislati0n. not only recognized this day as sa- cred. but has forbidden it's proclamation unoer penalties imposed by law.
 Ii was never considered by any of those states as an encrOachment upon the r'gnts ol conscience, or as an improper lnterlerence with the opinions Ofthe few, to guard the sa, credness of that portion Oftime acknowledged to be holy by the many.
 The pettioners ask not Congress to ex- hound the moral law; they ask not Congress to meddle with theological controversles' much less to interfere with the rights of the Jew or the Sabbatarian, or 10 treat with the least disrespect the religious feelings o' any portion of the inhabitants Ot the Onio" they ask the introduction Of no lehg'ous co- ercion into our civil institutions; no oleno'ns of religion and civil affairs. but they do as.' that the agents of Government, emP'oyeu ;" the Post Office Department, may oe permit ted to enjoy the same OpPortnn''ses' o1 at tending to moral and religious instsoc9'o% :oS Js intellectual improvement, on that day: wn'cn is enjoyed by the rest of their fellow cltlzens' They approach the Government, not tor per sonal einOlument, but as patriots and Chr's- tians, to express their high sense of the mor- al energy and necessity of the Sabbath tor the perpetuity of our republican institutions y, aid respectfully request that Congress VIII not. by legislative enactments' impair those
 Among the many reasons which might be advanced, that it is both expedient and duty to grant the prayer of the petitioners the to'- lowing are only submitted:
 | The petitionersask the ena ctment ot no aaw establishing the. first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath they only, ask the exten- sion and application to one department ol government, of principle which is reogn'z- ed. and has. since the foundation of our gov ernment, been acknowledged in every other department. The principle embraced Tn the peijtiops, has been recognized by Congress- bv adiourning over the frst day of the week '| At the first session of the first Congress, a
 law was passed establishing Judicial Courts
 and in that law Sunday is excepted from tne days on which that court may commence lts of government, ale closed on that day. Con- } gress has never. by this, considered itself as
 expounding the moral law, or as introducing
 any religious coercion into our civil institu- tions, or making any innovations on the reli- gious rights of the citizens, or settling by le- gisIation any theological question that may exist between Jews, Sabbatarians. and other denominations.
 The good of society requires the strict ob- scrvance of one day in seven. Paley. and other writers on moral philosophy, have 1 shown, that the resting of men on every sev- enth day their winding up their labors and concerns once in seven days; their abstrac- ton from the affairs of the world, to improve tt:eir minds and converse with their Maker 1; their orderly attendance upon the ordinances | of public worship and instruction, have a di- rect and powerful tendency, to improve the morals and temporal happiness of mankind.
 The wise and good Ruler of the. universe ! "s"OS sNS npt'S'sOsusCUSS uVS Uy ~ mSVC aTUg. srary exercise of authority. but for our good i; and whatever difference of opinion may exist in respect to the proper day to he observed. almost all agree. that one day in seven should be devoted to religious exercises. That be- ing admitted. can any thing be more reason able than the request of the petitioners, that, at least. so much Of the law should be repeal ed as requires the post offices to be kept open every day of the week. Does not the enact
 ment of that law plainly imply, that mankind
 is under no moral obligation to refrain from secular labor on any day of the week? Is it not in direct opposition to the received opin- ions of almost all protesting Christians :? It is to that part of the law, more particularly, which requires, in terms. all the postmasters throughout the United States to deliver let ters. packets. and papers, on every day of the week. to which the minority of your comnit- tee object, and which is most offensive to the petitioners. In this statute is at once seen paIpablc encrOachment on the rights of con- science. It either drives avery man, who feels himself morally bound to observe the sabbath. in religious manner, from the ser. vice of his country, and equal participation in her favors. or subject them to the hard terms of remaining in office at the expense of his principles. It is freely acknowledged. that the works of necessity and mercy are not for b'dden and. if the transportation of the mail on Sunday. COnld he ii,sfffeH m that Oro,nd ]