The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1844-09-06
From the National Inislligsncer.
dR cLAY's VIEWS OF RELIGIOUS pu

Mr.. CLAY, artiul attempts are at The same
lime made to coneIlaie the moral feelings
Of the people in behalf Of Mr.. Polk. Now,
we here recall case 10 which both these
gentlemen took part, aud the reader viii
Judge who manifested the truest sense Ui
moral obligation.
Ia 1882, while the cholera was raging
! with alarming fatality attacking and des-
,laiiug whole towns aud cities, aud battling
the skill Of man, Mr.. CLAY introduced a
resolution in the Senate Of the United
States Cor The appointment Of committee
to wait upon the President and to " request
hat lie recommend day to be designated
by him Of public humiliation, prayer"
SC. The following were the proceedings
IN the Senale:
June the 2s, 1882. The resolution offered
! by Mr.. CLAY was taken up for consideration:
Resolred bg The Senate and House Of Rep
reseRtatirss, That a Iont committee Of both
| Houses wait en- the President and request that
/ he recommend day OF public humiliation, praJ
err and fasting TO be observed by the people of the
| United States with religious solemnity, and with
/ torvent supplicutions TO Almighty God that he
viii be graciously pleased 10 continue his bless
ings upon our country, and that lie will avert
from it the Asiaic scourge which has reached
our borders; or it, 10 the dispensation Of bis pro-
whence. we ore not 10 be exempted from the ca
lamity, That through his bountltul mercy lis seTe
rity may DO milgated and It's duration shortened
Mr.. Tazowell asked for the cas- and nays.
Mr.. CLAY rose aud observed that he
had only one word 10 express. The reso-
T. i ~ haan ctth, hppI
sultation vi b the members of the Senate
whose opinion was entitled 10 more respect
than his own. |, was indeed first sugges-
ted to him by reverend member Of the
clergy, and, after deliberate consideration,
he Mr.. Clay thought the occasion fit for
the recommendation Of the religious cere.
mnny which The resolution contemplated.
Ii was The practice Of all Christian nations,
in seasons of general and great calamity,
10 implorc Divine mercy. OF all the pes
tilen,ial scourges which had afflicted our
race, the Asiatlc cholera, IN some OF lis
characteristics, was the most remarkable.
Should the resolution be adopted (sald
Nr. Claw the act Of the President, in con-
formity TO its request, will be merely re-
commendatory. Voluntary as 10 all, il will
be obligatory upon none. There seems to
be peculiar proprleiy, on the ground OF
uniformity, in the proposed measure. Al
ready, in different parts Of the Union, the
clergy Of several denominations have, II IS
believed, had their attention turned 10 The
subject. Different days Of prayer and hu-
lniiation viii be probably recommended.
1t is desirable that the whole nation, on the
same day, shall present its united prayers
and applications 10 the Throne Of Mercy.
And there can be but little doubt that, al
though there will be nothing coerciye in
the Recommendation Of the President, there
{ will be general acquiescence in il. The
measure will be grateful to al oious and to
all moral men, whether members OF rclI-
gious communities or not. In TIRES OF na-
tional or individual distress, all who suffer
feel an irresistible impulse 10 appeal TO that
Being who is alone able 10 afold adequate
relief.
| should have hcsi,ated to present this
resolution (said Mr.. Clay if i. had been
unsanctioueI byprecedent. But during the
late war a similar resolution was adopted
BY Congress, al the instance Of member
Of The House Of Representatives from Vr
ginia, and President Madison issued his re
commentator accordingly.
A single word, Mr.. President, as TO my
self. am member Of no religious sect
am not a professor Of religion. regre
that am not. | wish that was, and
! trust that shall be. Bat have, and al
. WAYS have had, profound respect io
Q Christianity, the religion Of my fathers
:. and for lis rites, lis usngcs, and lis observ
ances. Among tAese, that which Is pro
: posed in the resolution before you has al
/ ways commanded the respect OF the soo'
and dcvout. Ind hope il will obtain lht
;, concurrence of the Senate.
. Mr.. FRELINGHUYSEN said be in
, ferred from the call of the yeas and nay
!, that this resolution would be opposed, an'
. he therefore desired again TO refer the Sc
|. nate to the precedent Of l6l4. The reese
l. luton at that time was induced by the stat
:. Of war into which the country had bee
= plunged with Great Britain, and was Offer
3 ed bV Mr.. Coplon, of Virginia. The pre-
t. amble, which he read, laid it down as th
6 duty Of Congress to adopt measures OF hi
character 10 times Of Z" calamity and war
&c The proposition had passed the Senat
without opposition. If in time of war
was the duty Of the people to ask the spt
cial protection of God, and to suPPIlcai
The interposition of his mercy, how niue
more incumbent was il in reference to
scourge which had in lis progress swei
= many millions of human beings into etc
:, nifty, which went abroad on the earth {
the agent and minister of God to do h
errand, and to come and SO at his bidding
= and over which human power had no lnfi
m cnce. No occasion could be so FIT and a
to propriatc for humiliation as this. He hope
tn that no constitutional objection would
o, interposed to check this resolution, whlt
n. was nothing more than recommendauo
D 1t was our duty deyoutly, and IN the co
he yclion Of our entire dependence on Go
u.s. to ask for the interference OF his mercy
Nv Nv and he hoped that the present resoluii'
1