Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1847-11-06
MISCELLANEOUS.
Chaplain of the House of Repres enta-
u. fiYeS. -

tiyes.
The subject of the appointment of Chap
lain being before the House on Thursday
afternoon, October 21,) Mr.. BuRT of
Grant, arose and said:
"Mr. Speaker:-I had hoped that the
gentleman would let the subject rest. We
have had the subject before us sufficient
time to test the sense of this House on that
point But a short time, and we shall adj
iourn. Half the time necessary TO remain
here, is already spent; and much of that
time has been spent in legislating on this
subject. The Council have selected or
hired two men to pray for them, and wish
the House to accept of the same to pray for
us. To this1 object. If we stand in need
of PRAYERS, let us do our own praying or
hire such men of such moral worth as we
choose.
"The gentleman that has callad this sub
iect up has made a speech upon it, and in
reply should be pleased to make one too,
| if were willing to detan or trespass upon
the indulgence of this House, but | shall
not.
&c But to hear an honorable member Of
this Legislative body, at this enlightened
day and age, speak Of the necessity of en-
ploying man to pray to an lmmutable Be-
ing to change the general laws of nature or
His providence, am astonished. | have
said, and now say, that regret that duty
and principle prompt me to oppose this
measure or NEEDLE with it. am aware of
what | shall uncomfortable alarm | should
create-the feelings | should disturb-the
interests | should assail-the passions |
should excite. Though advised of the
force | should have to encounter, and the
prejudices should have to combat; though
admonished of the animadversions | should
incur, and the unpopularity of my position;
yet all this threatened array of multiform OPP
position, serves as further evidence of the
necessity of severing as far as possible, the
Chuch and State.
&c The gentleman says that our fathers in
the early stages of the formation of our
government, saw the necessity of invoking
Providence to aid and assist them. That
may be so, but they also saw the necessity
of severing and keeping apart Church
and State-politics and religion. Let us
examine for a moment, the fundamental
laws of New York. In their first conven-
ton they had one clergyman, and he was
daily importuning them to do something for
the Church, until Governor Gansevoort and
John Jay, of whose purity and patriotism
no man can doubt, introduced a provision
disqualifying every clergyman from holding
any office either civil or military, under the
constitution. And this, sir, the hiring of
chaplains and paying them out of the pub
lie money, (the least that can be said of it)
is an homogeneous intcrmeddling of politics
and religion or an approximation to the
union of Church and State. Look back for
moment to the past history of the chris
tian religion. At the moment the christian
religion was united to State officers, or sus-
tanned by authority of Constantine, the first
christian Emperor of Rome, at that moment
commenced persecution, rapine, bloodshed
and plumber. Was it not in consequence of
the union of Church and State, that the
Holy In1uisitions of Europe were establish
ed' Was it not by the union of Church
and State that Europe was seven times de-
uged with human blood, and the streets of
Paris flowed with the blood of massacred
saints on the holy day of St. Bartholomew?
Z" Gentlemen speak of custom having
sanctioned the practice, and attempt to JUS
/ tlfy themselves in their position by the pre-
cedent of our forefathers. But we allege,
and consider that our allegations are cor
rect, that the frequent repetitions of Legis-
latIVe acts and practices, Unauthorized by
the rights of the people or repugnant TO
the spirit of our institutions, is no sufficient
reason for their further continuance - no
proof of their compatibility with unaliena-
Bile rights of -conscience-noT evidence of
their har Mess influence on the religious
liberties of the people, nor can the plea of
custom excuse or justify them. Lawyers
know, and all others that make laws ought
to know, that custom in legal parlauce sig
mites usage or practice from time imme-
wfo1 he
nor public right. The plea of custom to
JUSTLY acts or practices against the unalien-
able rights of conscience is just as liable to
objection, as itwould be if pleaded by any
wrong-doer as proof of his right to do
wrong-it is no excuse or justification of a
wrong that the aggressOr has been aceus-
toned to doing wrong. Sir, have con-
constituents that belong to the many chris
tian denominations, and profess various
creeds; the Catholic has no faith in the
prayers Of the Protestant, and have others