Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-01-02
NUMBER "A.

pure 10 lie. In IFS legitimate observance
J II is a season Of hushed passions and OF
J tranquil enjoyment disposng the heart to
kindness and good villa season FOR he
stfectionate instruction Of the young in
their duties 10 God and their fellow be.
ngs, for The privileges OF private and so
cial worship, attendance upon the instruo-
tons OF an intelligent Christian ministry.
and Of devou,y reading the icspited words
OF truth and love in the holy volume
The subjects Of thought aud conversation
gre pure and elevut ng IN their nature.
and II would be strange. indeed, if the
Sabbath sun, as il sets upon q family or
community who thus had hslowed its
hours Of light, did MT leave item hspri-
er, wiser, and better than when he rose.
Can any doubt the eff, cts Of day thus
spent on mental and moral character, or
the power of that restraint which II
throws over the conductf Nearly three
entire years, or one-sevenih OF the life Of
ievery young man who leaves his homo
on reaching the age Of manhood, has been
spent under such Influences. These are
not the families, nor these the individuals
who are nulsances 20 society. It's not he
who fears God and keeps his Sabbath
that robes has neighbor or murders him s;
Ieveiy body knows ,hat nor is his piece
among the debased Of bs species in any
respect, or any where, eas, of all here
You cannot keep man ignorant or brut-
ish in this country il you give him his
sabbath, and he observes il according 10
his Makers will. He will be raised by
Ia. H.
dersiand and value his civil and political
rights, and will respect the rights Of eih-
ers. The willy demagogue must seek
some where else his tool on his victim.
i With a population thus nuaured, we
all feel that our laws would DO obeyed
and our liberties as o nation safe /: but
there can be no such without the Sabbath
and is appropriate snnctiGcaton, ana
their as no such where il is unknown and
unhonored. We beseech our fellow eit,-
zens to maiurely consider this conclusion
and the facts which have inevitably iu-
volved it.
If these are the happy issues Of obcd-
ence 10 this wise and gracious command
oil our Creator, we are warned by bis
word and awful provldences. that its pro-
iana.on is proporionally dangerous
However pure and healthiul the fountain,
# poison be cast INTO il, II sends forth only
streams of death, and so will desecrated
and polluted Sabba,hs work cur mora
speedy and dreadful ruin. Our primer.
pie OF seli-goyernment as q people must
bo abandoned, aud we and our chiidren
must pass under The yoke Of dcspotism.
There is much II encourage us. Tho
Sabbath, like the Bible, :sto great cx.
tent embedded in our affections, our most
cherished associations, and in our social
and civil usages. Almost universally tho
places OF public amusement ara closed
and, as general fact. and in growing
degree there is cessation from open la.
bor and those from whom this privilege
is yet wiihheld-for withheld il is in 10
stances fearfuIly Bumerous-haye begun
to feel il the sorest evil of their poverty
that they cannot obtain that even as
boon which is theirs by Ialienable birth
rightly the legacy Of their fathers. -
OF the strength Of this desire for deliver.
ence there are The most convincing proofs
before tho Convention, aud among tie
motives which have assembled us here,
many IF us from distant homes, we're the
affecting appeals of this very class Of our
prescribed fellow Citizens for the help
which public ooinion and public 81 mpa.
thy may bring to their relief. Shall IT be
denied and especially shall the sought
for aid be withheld by those who have
the power to grant II; and that for the
sake Of gains uncertain at the best. but
which, il real zed, will bring no real good,
and which may yet ruifis and disturb the
pillow Of death.
Ia conclusion, we would ask OF our fellow
citizens their influence, their kind persua.
sons, and above all, their blumeless ex.
ample in aid of this cause, the furtherancs
Of which SO many and so various consid.
erations prompt US. The world has new.
er witnessed the spectacle Of universe
obedience 10 the Sabbath in any country;
aud lis fnil power to bless nation is yet
unrevealed. In no other land can the
trial be made with such encouragements
as in this, and with such power Of exam
pie to the world; for if successful here, il
will be as the voluntary decision Of free
people.
Ii ives the remark Of one of the ablest
and pures, OF those foreigners who came
10 our aid in The days Of Revolutionary
peril, and Who made his home, and recent
" his grave among US, the late venerable
Duponceau, Of Philadelphia, that Of all
we cailn' rs characteristic, our observe
ance OF the Sabbath is the Only one truly
national and American, and for this cause,
| il for no other, he trusted il would never
lose its hold on our affections and patriot
ism. Ii was noble thought, and may
vel mlngle with higher and nobler mo.
tives to stimulate our efforts and encour-
age our hopes. And while It's the glory
so eagerly coveted by other nations that
they may be pre-emnent in conques,s and
extended rule, let US gladly accept it as
our distinction, and wear II as the Jar, st
OF all that grace our cscutcheon, that we
pTe-emlnenlly honor the Sabbath and the
SAbbaih's Lord.
In behalf Of the Convention:
JOHN @. ADAMS, President.
HARMAR DENNY, Secretary.