Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-12-08
F,on i"" r"'"rshnry G"r'!. .-iic i'.t:."'r"t.l
ALL FOR TIE CAUSE IND Soothing 70

iF,",I IA" Petersburg Gm.'I. .-i!e i'str."r"t
ALL O TIE CAUSE IND &oli'iE'' f"&
Tie ac,inn ri the Stanton Convention l. bcilrc
the Republicans OF Eirginia-i,s work has ended,
theirs In, begun.
Seldom before has there been such Il crii. 4, ii"
Nh, up:? dawnin. upon this Commonwealth.
Over seventy wears ago, Virginia declared herself
inLrpcndeut Of ~GlIeyianc" to the mother cn.:a;ry, aud
| frn,ned q government resting mnin!y on the two pill
lar, Of political md religious freedom. She swcp.
from her midst nm established church, and installed in
lieu thereof psrJtct liberty At ronscrncc. Tie right Ol
the peoplc to rule WAS accompanied IN her charter %!
privileges by tie right Of the people to worship God
under their own vine and liz tree according 10 the
dictates of their conscience, and that this prer"gativ"
mi-f; not br abridged il was further Stipulated tina;
"R,ligion or the duty we owe to our C.cator all the
manner Of disclinrging il CGn be directed only by rca.
son and conviction, 10: BY force or VIOLENCE: and
therefore all men are entitled Ia q free exercise of To-
Il ron according 10 the dictates vi conscience, and that
il is the mutual duty Of all to pructic Christian for
b,arnncc, love and charity to each other Aud a. IL
ro-olIarv from this fundamental principle il was ,i-
rlur.I that no one "slInuld suffer on acculiut III hi
religious belief, bu. that all inei shall he free 70 pro-
rrss anu by argument to inlln'aln their Opinions iii
matters of religion, and the same shall in no wise nj
feet, diminish, ar enlarge their civil capacities. -i"6
| ,c LcgtskG,rc shat not present." any r,AgiDuS t+t
wkatcrsr."
Nor did Virginia stop Mt this. Notwithstanding he
| federal constitution contained n clause affirming that
mo religious trst shall be required for any office uI-
der the United Statcs,' the old Dominion i..adc il one
OF The conditions Of her accepting that ins.rumcn, that
TN Amendment should be adopted Prohibiting Con
grts5 from making any Ia" respecting IN establish
ilrni oi rciIEioil or nbflasing the tree rx"rc.s" there
ut, WHICH was accordingly done ana stands now III tile
first amendment to the constitution.
SO in:cnt were the good people OF Virginia on quart.
ing their freedom o fc"nsclencc their right 10 wOr-
ship God according To H. dictates: so fearful were they
ut religious hlGoiry anu Intolerance and the repetition
il their miis; OF the bloody striir5 which they had
occarloncd in other lands; 40 mindful! wer. they u the
necessary connection between civi! and rc!iGiuuslibcl-
~ ana the certain loss % Tic i'r'ncr on the ,iesi!ur-
t!nn OF the latter, that they determined 10 pnt adGi-
tiOna! bulwaris and barriers against tie future en-
cronchnicnt OF ianatlcisIi an'i scc,arlai hiSutgy. 10
this end Mr.. Jci!c!son submitted on The 10TH oi De
ccmbrr, l'SJ, his immortal act tor the establishment
NJ Religious freedom, declaring. alter most conyinc-
inc md c~loqucnt arguments, that all attempts 70
nbrldgc the freedom "f conscie;lce 10y civil inca
pacl'atlons serve only 10 bcGct habits Ut hypicrl-v
and mcalMcss. and ac Il departure from the plan "I
'hr Holy Author; and that therefore the prescribing
my citizen is unworthy the public confidence hv
laying upon him III i~mcHparity OF being called 70 u
irce "t trust 81 crn"lumrnt unless he processes or re-
aounccs this or that religious opinion, il dcpri'in"
him OF Il natural RICH; ana tends I" corrupt the prin-
ciplcs "f The religion Il ID mcam; 10 encourage"
For Seventy years. these principles, no ruthless
hand has dared To disturb. During Tile TING they
have been regarded a. the Keystone "i Freedom
Arch. lm!Il within twelve i:iuntlrs past, they have
been rcvLrcuccd III precious lrgaCics, bGIurathci
from immortal sircs, und 10 touch or Ia scar them
would have been esteemed sacrilc.c. But since this
prrjod nm insolrut. faction has sprung I'D throughout
The couu;ry that auiaciously challenges the correct
moss nj ,h,,. prin,iplrs. Thrv are No LONGER secure,
,, oyrn i, viir,,;nir, ,L,. ,r,,L,r mn: nj whoa y,,ul,
they were horn, IA in the Lirclinr States, We have
with ~. roo II marty tbnt scrk. 10 uukSc r.l;ciuu. tc...;
TINT aims \; th. overthrow Of these tirlc-hurorcd
tcnct.-,hut strives To crush ont OH. Of our religious
Lcnoniu,rions,
II il worse than useless Ia DENY that this ia the car
d;o,l donna of tho new marty, aui when they DENY i,
,hrv SIMPLY add the sin of l~al-chood to the crime oi
treason Jude W the tree BY liz fruits. Look At
IL, results nj Ibcir triumubs elsewhere. Prominent
in thc nirturc il mi. rrIiriOu, INTERCHANGEABLE cruel
persecution for cyu.ciencc sake. ANY condition that
pro,nises tbj. end, find, in the new party n warm and
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