The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1849-07-14

Now n the agents OF lhe goNo'h'"o"' Wv
-ssuuc the collectors and those who have
charge Of the locks, and the officers ana
tleir subordhaies on our other puouc
works 10 perform their ordinary duties Oh
.., Lord day, they will thus exclude all
a3sa who wish eonscieellous'yto to observe
,ho sabbath from public employment An
sa.ous monopoly is thus established anu
,3a emoluments of public employment are
made the reward of disregard OF the laws
N cod and of the commonwealth.
IN addition to this the violators OF these
cy,ars furnished with facilities in ONsL-
.ss,, by using the Sabbath-day wn'c"
others cannot enjoy, because that by Fea,
a5n ofexisung usages, they are suNleSHr
de,entions, and losses bocaGSRe operas
-esang on the Sabbatltm, not only facilita-
.ion of the Res transgression of the law
teq actually though indirectly rewards It,
We believe that the men and the beasts
which enjoy the rest Of the Sabbath would
perform more labor than those who employ
The seven days of the week, were they not
subject to letenhons by others, who pass
tbcn on the Sabbath, 1t is our serious. con
ylclion that the locks are more inJuredthan
all the other days of the week. Nor do
we believe that the Revenue would be
diminished by the closing of the public
works on the Sabbath. Property intend"
"a for the market will certainly reach It,
~ "a = interest and enterprise will secure
,his result and if necessary, the means oil
,ransnortation will be increased just lnpFo-
poruonto the demand.
Your petitioners would also represent
that in their opinion, God has prohibited
ordinary labor and traffic on the Sabbath
day. In proof of the correctness OF this
opinion, they need only to refer TO
,ho statutes of this commonwealth, which
prohibit "any worldly employmentor or ousl-
ness whatsoever on the Lords day, work
of necessity and charity only excepted
digest p. 983. This statute was adopt
ed by those wise men who secured our
liberties and laid the foundations OF our
Government, almost in the precise terms
in which il was enacted by the English
Parliament in the reign Of Charles IL, In
the year $50.
Nor can your Petitioners persuade them
selves that the example of Protanlng
the Lord day, on the part of the OF the
commonwealth, without decided re-
hike from the Legislature whose ser,
wants they are, does not exert demo
a,iznp influence on those employed, an'
on the population along the lines OF tn
public improvements. They cannot as
sent 10 the doctrine. that while the stat
may not take an inch Of ground from II
owner for the purpose of constructing
canal, or Rail Road without ample remuh
Grafton, she may enter on those p"OI'
works when completed, and take from IN
people the rest and the quiet 1.-THE 7aooa'
by the rGnning Of cars and OF boats: oy IN
sorrd ne The horn and the whistle, disturb
ing our public assemblies in their religion
worship; congregatng and demoraiizln
our youth, taking from US that oTIhrgI
Of every citizen, the privilege of worship
ping God unmolescd, which is dearer tia
life to all good men, and secured to the'
Nv the ordinances ofheaven,and the statute
of this commonwealth,
Your petitioners would further repre-
sent that in accordance with the establish
ed laws oihuman nature, and the eXPer
enco of all pas; ages, the virtue and II
morals of our population must degencra
lust in proportion to our disregard OF Il
Sabbath: the difficulty and the expense
administering government will be increa
ed and cases Of INSTRUMENTATION and
crime will be multiplied. No goyernme
has ever been permitted to flourish loE
which has disregardcd the Sabbath and II
institutions Of relirion connected with
and set the laws of God at defiance: al
we do not expect that the righteous Ru
of the universe, will make this common
wealth an exception to the uniform laws
his Providence.
uLo,, osk tboroC,rc that thcv NAV !