New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-03-25
The Rishts or IIfldeis.


In your remarks published to- day, Ia re-
ply TO a Lecture delivered by Archbishop
Hughes, you say In effect, that this is country of
free federation 10 all principles entertained By men.
and that any ms- has right secured to him By lao
70 act according to the dictates OF his own con-
science Now, I, as an Athsisf, would like to see
that right granted TO me and those Who may think
proper to exercise il. As IL is now, deny, Sir, that
that liberation you boast of is gwen to ne. am
compelled to observe certain days in the year have
no respect for. lam compelled by law TO close my
business on the Sabbath. Then, having desire to
employ myseh in some innocent amusement, Ind
am prohibited by lss. can neither gun, hsa, nor
travel nor can indulge IN any what is termed IN
Awful exercises or passimes ON Sunday. so must
either go to church or stay at home Is this the KIND
of liberty you want in Italy, Portugal and Spain
II So Icanr ally think you are that friend OF Lib
er,y had taken YOU to te Il seems to me selfish in
you to desire that liberty yon wish TO enJcy ana not
saIs 1t to others who are equally entitled 10 Win
yourself. Yours respectfully.
Jersey City, March 10. 1852. K kLEEKsR'
AnSrer-We uphold and justify our ex-
isting Sunday laws in so far as they are neces-
sary to secure the stiffness, repose and incise-
ments to meditation which are essential to the
use and enjoyment of that day in the manner
which the great majority deem appropriate and
desirable II there be any laws which go be-
yond this, and authorize some officer to poke his
nose on Sunday in at Mr.. KS window to see
that he is not working or amusing himself, IN.
stead of praying or reading the Bible, then we
deem that law an Infringement of his natural
rights and unite in demanding its repeal. We
do not know of any such at present
That it is .xpedient and conducive to Health.
Vigor, Longevity, as well as to Moral and In.
tellectual well being, that a fixed portion OF
time should be, so far as practicable, set apart
for bodily rest and spiritual improvement, seems
to be established by very general and immemo.
rial consent. One day in seven is very generally
regarded as the proper measure. True, when
lnhdelity bore sway in France the proportion
was changed to one in ten, but that allotment
very soon passed away, while the fundamental
proposition that men need set and frequently
recurring day for rest and recreation was strik.
iIgly confirmed by Infdel this regulation.
Now if we are to haze a stated day of rest,
who can nationally deny that the day reverenced
by a very large majority of our people as the fit
occasion of holding weekly assemblages for
Divine Worship should be chosen for this pur-
posel Who would wish to insist on different
day, or to cavil at the selection of this one
For, manifestly, we can have no public and gen.
eral day of rest if every man is to choose his
own, and then respect it OF not as he sees tit.
We can only have day of rest at all by agree
ing to respect and observe that day which Is pre-
ferred by the majority.
Ii We lived in Constantinople, we should feel
it duty to pay all outward and requisite re-
spect to the day of rest there tablished-andso
so in Hebrew or even Heather community.
We think it unreasonable in Mr.. X. to be unwil-
ling to render like respect to the Sabbath in this
country established. To wish to be firing guns or
otherwise disturbing the quiet ofthe day on which
the majority of his fellow. citizens desire the
privilege of worshiping God in undisturbed still
ness, seems to US to indicate spirit OF Incir'sm
as Robesperre would phrase it, much like that
of Nose insisting on his right to smoke villainous
cigars in crowded omnibus or railroad car be-
cause this is free country.
We are sure Mr.. X. cannot fairly deduce
from the foregoing that we would justify any
molestatio or prosecution of any one who chose
to fancy himself an Atheist. We would quite
as soon punish man who chose to imagine
himself his own grandfather. Ed. =