Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-12-25

whether, at this moment, this be not the sum and
substance of the complaints of South Cardinal
and whether congressional discretion, usurped and
enforced to promote the purposes of sectional plum
der, has not Frustrated tic Constitution through
the very men who have taken n solnn oath to- pre-
serve 1t inviolatcl And again Iappeal to vow as
republicans and South Carolimians, and ask, whe.
ther my accusers have not called upon YOU delibc-
rately to commit the grave offence, on the
present occasion, which you have SO long com
planned of and SO steadily opposed, when commit
tea by Congress, against yourselvesl You are ask
CD, oy people who pretend to take umbrage against
oil those who do not adopt their sectarian theolo-
gy' TO sot aside the Constitution of the United
states and your own State; to substitute your dis
cretion, in lieu of the Constitution, and forfeit
your characters for the sake of their religious pre-
Judicos. But know you better than my accusers
do; and L have no fears while have wise and no.
noraoIe Inen to appeal to my judges
Let us take up the Constitution of tho United
States: 1T not as authority strictly technical ana
legal, yet us demonstrative evidence of public
opinion.
BY art vi, sect. 9, this is mado the supreme law
of the land.
BY amendment l, Congress shall make mo Lo,r.
respecting an establishment Of religion: or, prohibit
ing the free exercise thereof: or abridgtng the
freedom Of speech, or Of the press.
Let US analyse these clauses and their cypress
ions.
Respecting: that is about or concerning, or re.
lating to religious preference.
An establishment Of Religion: That is, giving
one set OF opinions respecting religion, prefer.
ence by law, another. No such law shall
be passed.
Well then, if you may not enact such law di-
rectly, can you bring about such result by in
direct legislation, by management or implica
tion7 For instance: no tax shall DO paid any
article OF export: but, says the majority in Con-
| gross, we will lay sucl. tax the imported ar.
ticle, which pays for the export, that half of
the value of the export shall be forced into the
| public treasury, or into the pocket of the home
| monopolist.
In imitation of this manocuvre, will not cs-
tablish by law any form of religious worship: but
We Will cxpcl from Office all men who express re-.
iisious opinions not contormable to our own. For
| all such are offensive and unpopular. This NAV
be 4 clerical mode of supcrccding the limits impo.
SGD by the Constitution: is it an honest one2
Or, nJridgtng the freedom Of speech, or of the
press: That is nothing shall be punishable by law
winch the plain meaning of tho Constitution per-
mits 1t does not permit Islander libel. Pun
ish them; 1t does permit every freedom concern
ing religion; you cannot punish that. In my own
| case, whom have libeled? The clergy? Is not
the press open to them and to met Have libcllcd
| religion? Whose? Not my own:-there is no true
rcilgion but mine Every man says SO of his reli-
| glon; have the same right to say so of mine.
The Constitutions of sister states recently
| adopted, may be considered popular, constitu-
| tonal comments on that of the United States
| Here DR. Cooper read, and referred to the Con
ttutions of Maine 1919, Indiana, 1916, MIssissip-
pi, 1917, Illinois, 1918, Alabama, 1919, Missouri
1870; III all of which it is substantially declared,
that no man whatever shall be hurt or molesed,
or in any manner damnificd on account of his tc-
nets respecting religion, and presenting altogeth-
or body OF testimony conclusive against all kind
| of Legislation respecting concerning religion
| This general. this anxious, seduous exclusion oil
| religion from legislation, furnished fair comment
on the part OF the people of the United States,
the Constitution of 1857 and a reasonable rule for
| constituting it,. Whether this prohibition to Con.
gress is of itself prohibition also to each particu
lar state within its own boundary, may admit of a
doubt, but it is important to shew the perfect coin
cidencc of opinion and feeling throughout our con
| tnent, on these subjects.
From these promises, DIR. Cooper dcduccd tho
conclusion that every kind of restraint on the pro
| fessIon, avowal or discussion of religious tenets
was i'll manifest hostility, not only to the letter anc
spirit of the Constitution of the United States bu
of the people in general in every State. They hat
| furnished Il commentary on that Constitution, anC
| canon Of construction for the amendment above
quoted, by which its real meaning might be rea
sonably and fairly settled. If So by what author
ity could the trustees agents of the legislature
legslae on the subject of religious opinions this
board, and frame constitution for the government
of the College, IN direct hostility with public sen.
timent?
Proceed We to the Constitution of our ow n
State, 1870. 1t says that 1.-THE free exercise and
enjoyment y religious profession and oorship, ruth
out discrimination or preference, shall forerer here
after be dllotoed ,othn this State 10 ali mankind
Const. S. G. Art. 8.
Free exercise and enjoyment That is, unfcttered
uncnccked, uncontrolled, Unlimited
unfoTbdden. Ii otherwise, Is it frce7 Can Il man
DO said to have the free exercise and endowment of
his religion, if he liable TO be turned out of office
for protesting t7 Can man have the free enioy
ment of that, which hc is forbidden to enjoy under
pain OF punishment? Have the ignorant people who
have instigated these accusations against me, ever
read the Constitution of their own State; or arc
they aware that every legislator takes a solemn
oath to protect, support and preserve that Consti-
tuition? If choice is 10 be made between the Col
lego and the Constitution, far better is to pros
trate the first than the last. The roigionists have
rights but they have right to ask that the con-
stitution shall be surrendered to be mangled at
their scctarian discretion.
Religious profession and ,oOrShip. That is
open, public avowa, at all times and every where,
What is profession but public avowal7 or worship
but public worship?
Without discrimination or pre- ference. So YOU may
be Presbyterian, Episcopalian or Bapt st, but
not Quaker, Unitarian, Jew, or Deist. You
may profess with John Calvin, or JOAN Knox or
John Wesley, but not with John Milton, John
Arcsdale, or John Adams. You may hold with
Archbishop Laud, or Bishop Horsley but not with
Benz Franklin, or Jos. Priesty, Thos. Jefferson
You may believe and profess that three units
added together make ono; but if you should mis-
calculate and call them three you are a DANGEROUS
man; BECOME! And this is called making no dis
elimination, giving preference! And your
President must conform in submissive silence to
this grave moCkcry of the Constitution, or is "lurn
ed out to grass.'
To all mankind. Does all mankind I'M ludc Dr.
"COPPER" have heard of classification in Eng
land, of the human race, into the men, the wo.
men, and the Heryeys; is it here, the men, tho wo
men and Dr. COOPER Is DIR. Cooper excluded from
tho expression, "of all mankind"?
In South Carolina, SO, may profess whatever
please in South. Carolina, but not in the South
Carolina College! Where is it laid down. that the
boundaries of South-Caroina. do not include the
Coege7 Or is it like tho district of Columbia
an extra -parochial locality7 The climate, in this
insulated district, being essentially and exclusive