Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1838-05-19

E.s.ae, from a late Ssr,noa Of Bishop NeIlsains-
CHRlsT1ANlrT..OCR CIVIL aNSTlrUTaONs.
THAT s,,ar one religion, and that tho Christian
religion. IL recognized as the religion Of this ma
tion aud government, and rs such, is interviewer
N ITS laws and has legal preference, though not
"cstabIsshmens" (in technical language.) over
whatever else has the name Of res iou, and espi-
cIaiy over all forms al ina !ety, need no bet
ter assurance than the Judgment Of one whose
seat upon the bench Of the Supreme Court Of
these Uni,cd States, whose business - the inter.
preta,Ion Of the nations laws, add whose quail
tcatiors for that work there arc mono to disPaic.
Thus writes Mr.. Justice Story Ono Of the most
beautiful boasts OF lnunicipnl jurisprudence
is that Christianity is par, Of the common law,
from which it seeks the sanction Of its rights, and
by which II cndcavors to regulate Its doctrines.
And the boast is true it is beautiful-thcrc
never has been "a period IN which the common
law did not recognize Christianity as lying 1T its
foundation. IL pronounces illegal every contract
offensive to its morals. II recognizes with pro-
found humility its hoiydays and festivals, and
and obcys them slies jsridici' II still at
tnches 10 persons believing in its divine author
ity the highest degree Of competency witness
cs; and until comparatively recent period, IN
tideis and Pagans wcre banished from the halls Of
justice, as unworthy Of credit
''We dwell with more emphasis on this because
II IS the reproach Of many among US just now and
it is one OF the most disheartening signs Of natu-
raj dcgeneracy, that the doctrine is widely popu-
lar which teaches that because the nation has not
established any one form Of Christianity as the
religion Of the state, to be specially patronizcd
in its legislation and sustained by its revenues,
therefore the nation has NJ acknowledged religion
at alt; that her laws and principles OF govern
ment are no more favorable to religion than to
its reecton to the religion Of the Gospel than to
that of the Koran; that to open our halls OF leg
! w tn Sod tn he
NAL Of the being Of God, TO reverence the Sab
bath In national councils by sustaining from
secular work thereon, to dcsecrate il by the
contrary would be equally consistent with the &C.
MUS OF our laws, aud the duties Of those who
make execute them. The advocates Of this
doctrine are little temper TO be influenced
either by such eminent authority as that we have
quoted, or by the plain facts which the opinion
given is based. The principles Of what they cal!
liberty appealed 10. II is maintained that for
the nation to choose any one religion in prefer
ence to another, or religion in any shape in pre-
ference to the denial Of all religion; Christianity,
rather than paganism or Atheism, so as in any
way to assert its principles patroniZe its nsti-
buttons, to evadc the liberty of conscience, to
favour the man Of one faith more than another,
and TO contradict the proud profession Ut free
people.
ssBut why not carry tho argument a step fur
Their! Why not cay that for the nation TO adopt
any one system of moral duty in preference TO
another, system in which all violence aud dis
honesty and revenge aud inspuriiy condemned,
IN Prefc renee to another, which, in many cases.
would allow these crimes, and much better suit
these tasseo and protested opinions of many; why
not that to basc tho law UuU exclusive
system, rather than to frame them with equal
regard to all systems Of morality, however con-
Trajectory, absurd, destructive, impious, is TO
abridge the freedom Of conscience aud deny the
profession of q free peopeg"
"Morality as matter Of principle has its sole
foundation in the character and government Of
God Where religion is denied, morality is but
q name for expedency aud principle, for interest
or convenience. You cannot take the morals OF the
Bible without the God Of tho Bible, the virtues Of
Christianitvwithou; her truths and principles; the
system Of practice by whchthe lives oil Christian
people ere distinguished from those Of pagan peo-
pie, without the system Of faith that equally distin
cuisines their religion. The government that ~
dopts the former must Of necessity the latter.
What God hath SO joined together cannot be put
asunder. You might we'll attempt to obtain an
honest man without an honest heart, a. Christian
virtue without Christian faith"
'sThus then i. appears for a government to have
liberty, instead Of icentOnsness, 1t Is ~ necessa-
ry have the religion Of the Bible in prefer
cnce to all other religions, to have the morals
Of the Bible in preference to all other morality.
From which it follows that for this vernment TO
choose Christianity, it has done TO DO the pro-
fessed religion Of the nation, 30 far as to espouss
its divine authority, and render homage to its in
situations, and without INJECTING penalties on any
opposing opinions, merely to recognize it ~ lying
at the foundation of its common law, sanction
ing the rights Of that law and regulating its doc
trines; p,ououncing illegal every contract oden-
sive to tho morals Of Christianity and honoring
with profound reverence "holydays and festivals
is only TO exercise the right Of selection where
some selection must be made, and then TO choose
, the only wise and good"
CHARACTER OF VAN DURENs' ssUBS.'
rWs continue head and following articles %
readers sswhas of men,, she
the Executive, and show into whose bands the
country would be placed if the Sobtrsasury sehems
should be carried into operation These facts not got
up party purposes aid any Of
published for The bensh, Tie eouatr-so exhibit the
agement dishonesty, and corruption of soss in authority
They eonsidsasion Of every American
citizen. Poadsr well; and when paszan prejudiee
thrown aside, giving place the inherent principle OF pa
ossm and love of that psrvades
bosom, fear the decision. Bus Look On, with
folded and in ssss apathy God alone knows wna'