American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-12-05
CHIEF JUSTICE HORNBL OVERS LETTER.
The following Letter from Chief Justice
Hornblower, of New Jersey, to the National

Hornblower, of New Jersey, to the Natona
Sabbath Convention, is full of INTEREST,"
NEWARK, IN. J.) Monday Morning, Noe 25, IA.
Dear Sir reached home late on Saturday
night last, from our Supreme Court, and founc
on my table your letter of the 18th instant.
hasten 70 reply, and have little time now to dc
more than to express my deep regret that q
pressure of Official duties will prevent me from
going to Baltimore to attend the contemplated
Sabbath Convention.
Please, dear sir, assure that body, when il
shall be assembled, that in the great object o.
their meeting, | am with them, heart and soul
in all my moral feelings, my Christian sympa
thies, and my love of country. 1t would be
as useless as it would be indscreet, for me tc
attempt, within the limits of such a commune
cation as this should be, to write an essay or
the obligation that rests upon US, to keep holy
the Sabbath day, and the importance of doing
so, as connected with the well-being of socie-
ty, the enjoyment of personal health and COM
fort, and the promotion and security of domes-
tic peace, virtue and happiness. such discus
sions | must leave to ADLER hands, and to those
whose studies, duties, and avocations in life,
better fit them for such task. Permit me,
however, to advert for moment to my own
For forty years have been extensively and ia
mliarly acquainted and connected with the
administration of justice in this State, and for
the last twelve years, as the presiding member
of its Supreme Court, it has been my painful
duty to pronounce the sentence of the law on
many wretched convicts, and for crimes of
every grade, from that of the petty thief to the
cruel and cold-blooded murderer. On the trial
of many Of those persons, their histories, some
times from their boyhood and their earl y associa-
tons, have been incidentally, and, more or less,
fully developed-and / hazard nothing in say
ing that in large majority of such cases, the
first and minor delnquencies Of the convict
have resulted from, or been connected with,
dissertations of the Sabbath by themselves and
their companions. In many instances, too, the
unhappy convicts turn out to be the children
of Sabbath-breakng parents-or of parents,
however otherwise respectable, or well-otf in
society, who have habitually neglected the re-
lgious observance of the Sabbath, and permit
ted their families and children to live and grow
up in utter disregard of that day, and of all
the sacred institutions connected with it.
| could extend these remarks, and give some
specific and painful instances of moral turpi-
tude, and of human sorrow and suffering, re-
sulting from the habitual Dissertation or neglect
of the Sabbath, illustrating the views have
expressed, and proving the blessed truth, that
that day was made for man, and kindly nstitu-
ted by Heaven, to promote both his temporal
and eternal welfare. But time will not permit
me to enlarge. May the God of the Sabbath
and the Sanctuary be with the Convention
when it meets. May nothing be attempted in
mere human wisdom: noting hoped for as the
result Of mans device: nothing done that shall
have the appearance Of a wanton interference
with the laws and institutions of our country,
or the civil and religious liberty of our fellow
citizens. Let moral suasion, exhortation and
advice; precept, example and prayer, be resort
ed to and relied upon, under God, as our means
Of sustaining and promoting the specification
and observance of the Sabbath, and Of perpet-
uatlng and increasing its hallowed infuenses,
and then we may hope for success in our noble
and benevolent enterprise. Commenting the
Convention to the guidance and protection Of
Him from whom cometh down every good and
perfect gift, and sincerely praying that the spi-
rit of wisdom will preside in their councils and
conduct them to blessed results,
Iremain, dear sir, most respectfully,
Your friend and servant,
Jos. G. HORSEPOWER.
n G Do,,oU GooD,,