Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1851-12-25

selves But the great majority OF parents throughout
State, far as have had opportunity to Judge do
not wish Common School teacher the Office
OF religious instructor They prefer for such object
10 send their children TO their own church and 10 their
own Sabbath School, TO teach them in the privacy Of
their dwelling.
Convinced am, that il, in the conduct of our Com.
mon School system, We act upon any principle less zen.
eral and extended than this then bitter ieaouses then
endless secaran heart-burnings will he the certain re-
suit
But il this be the inst principle what shall ee saw Of
those who seek to make mans real supposed re.
gious opinions the test Of his qualification for the office
Of Common School Superintendent writer in to-day's
daily Journal has been amusing it's readers with specua
tons as TO the extent OF my orthodoxy when compared
with that OF gentleman from Putnam county, also spo-
ken Of for Superintendent. Some writer il seems had
said he understood that Mr. Owen when at home reg
ularly attended the Methodist Church. IL so hapnens
that this is a mistake; have attended it occasionaIy
but by means regularly. But suppose had What
had that TO do with the matferl
Woe to this State woe any country where religious
test is to be made, directly Indirectly the quafca
tion FOR any secular Office Of trust or profit
Twenty years ago, when Editor Of New York daily
paper, (he Sentine) entered my protest against the
proposal then made in that State, to exclude Ministers
Of the Gospel from State Offices am equally opposed
TO any such exclusion to-day conceive they have the
same right-no MORE less-to aspire such offices
as haze the members Of all other professions 1t ought
not TO be brought mp either for or against him.
IN such connection that he is, that he is not,
preacher, professor of this Of that denomination
If he he GOOD MAN. capable, honest. and likely faith
fully to discharge his duty, that should suffice ANY
beyond this cometh of evil" ANY attempt 10 bring
forward mans orthodoxy his heerodoxy any ques.
tion whether he has joined church and what church
is any inquiry whether lis children Sunday School
are instructed at home, is not only impairment and
out Of place in ITSELF hut emneny miscellaneous in its
results il substituting for the and essential OBJ
ect of inquiry false and frivolous and advenous one
Its tendency is TO among offset from that
spirit. bred between hypocrisy and mammon. which, in
all past ages. has deluged the world with blood Fatal
TO true religion i'll that day he when profession made
the test of lucrative office. Professors enough shall
have But who shall say whether the prompting motive
which cansed their profession that honest unbrbed
conviction which is entitled respect whether il err or
not; that lust of filthy lucre. which arc told so
often shuts, against riches. the Kingdom Of Heaven7
Except at the moment Of declining absolutely as now
do, TO he regarded candidate for nomination 10 the
Office OF State Superintendent, should not have
tured these remarks For experience has taught me the
truth of the sentiment we'll expressed by Junus: at
is very common mistake in argument and a very dan.
gerous in conduct first to look for nothing in the ar.
gument proposed to us but the motive OF the who
IL and then the truth Of his argument
by the motive VIC have assigned to him."
Il am. sir,
Your obrdient servant.
ROBERT DALE OWEN.
Indidaopolis Dee 90 1851