The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-19
THE DAILY UNION.

for In the constitution Your dynely appointed insttn-
ton Is recognised in that instrument Nowhere In the
constitution laws of any Of the States Of the United
States is there TO be found provision constituting
ognisng you and your brethren the divney-apponted
institution for the declaration and enforcement OF Gods
will and therefore in your character body of minis
ters you claim any political power under sys-
tenn of government
The of our too fresh in the
memories Of revolutionary fathers for them create
recognise tolerate church establishment in this
country clothed with temporal authority. So apprehen-
sye were they of the usurpaons Of this the most fearful
and corrupng Of all desposs whether viewed with ref
the purity u the church the happiness Of the
people that they provided in the constitution that
lgious shall be required qualification any
Office public trust under the United States" Sl fear
full that in the process Of time spirit OF religious na
csm spirit of ecclesiastical domination (yet TO
be dreaded because cool and clculang might seize up
exciting political topic and in an evil hour sur
prise enap the people into dangerous concession OF
political power the clergy the first Congress under the
constitution proposed and the people adopted amend
ment guard against such calamity, in the following
words:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment
Of religion prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
The doctrine of fathers was and the principle of the
constitution u.s. that every human being has naenabe
divneyconferred right to worship God according to the
dictates Of his conscience; and that earthly nst
tuition, any institution" EARTH rightully de-
prive him Of that sacred and inestimable privilege
However it is part of my purpose to inquire into the
extent OF your authority in spiritual affairs That is
question between You and your respective congregations
with which have neither right wish to interfere.
direct reference to the vndcaon Of character and
siton against the unjusthable assaults which you have
made in regard to my official action in the Senate
peat that your assumption OF power from the Almighty to
direct and control the civil authorities Of this country is
in derogaon Of the constitution subvesve Of the princ-
Piles of free government and destructive of all the guaran
tees Of civil and religious liberty The sovereign right of
the people TO manage their affairs in conformity with
the constitution of their making recedes and dsap-
when placed in subordnaon TO the authority Of
body OF men claiming by virtue of their offices as minis
ters to be divnelyappointed institution for the DECLARE
ton and enforcement Of Gods will on earth
your objection to the Nebraska bill consists in the fact
that it asserts the great principle of segovernmen and
declares the right Of the people regulate their domestic
concerns in their own way, and thus, by implication
MES your right of supremacy you acting consistently
with your own principles in opposing it.
Upon careful examination Of your protest 1t is certain
that you have acted under total Misrepresentation Of the
principles and provisions of the bill unless you object to it
solely upon the ground that it recognises the propey
leaving to the people of these Terrtoreswha is the
doubted right of the atesto govern themselves respect
to their local and domestic On the supposon
that you may have formed your opinions from unreliable
Of information in the absence of the opportunity of
reading the bill ITSELF have copied the only provision
which your protest possibly be construed refer:
SEC H. That the constitution and all sof the United
which are notioca inapPcabe shall have the same
where within the United States eighth section of
the act preparatory the admission Of Missouri into the
Union, approved March 6, 1920, which, being inconsistent
very the States and Territories, recognised by the eg
snd Bens the
and meaning of this act not lesate into Ter
people thereof perfectly form and regulate their do
nestle in their subject only to the
in contained shall be construed to revive put in force
law regulation which have existed prior to the act Of
or abolishing slavery"
If the Nebraska bill shall become the law of the land
those of eowctzens who emigrate that
try will find il in respect to its jurisprudence in precisely
the same condition ancestors found Plymouth Rock
with code Of laws system of political civil social
and domestic institutions but with full power and author
ity and establish for themselves such laws and in
situations as they shall deem wise just and necessary
subject only to such limitation imposed by the const
tuition Do you wish to have the people of this country
understand that claim the Divine authority for saying
that II Is great moral wrong" violation g of Gods
will and infringement of His holy law for Congress
allow the people Of the Territories to and establish
for themselves their laws and Institutions in obedience
to the constitution their fathers have made and
all legal distractions in the way of the exercise Of such
rights This is all that the Nebraska bill proposes to do
IL therefore, you continue 10 oppose IT. you conne
your opposition directly and exclusively to this great prn
eple OF segovernment for you have neither pointed
nor ntmated in your protest the existence of any other
objections than those which stand obstacles in the way
OF carrying this principle into complete effect
Perhaps you will tell that you in favor of that
principle which allows the people such laws
they choose and that you oppose the bill only
abrogates the eighth section of the of 1920 sometimes
called the Missouri Compromise Before you that
position must be permitted to remind you that il is
sary-yea absolutely indspcnsabe-to render the eighth
section OF the Missouri act imperative and void in order
enable the people TO egisate for themselves freely all
subjects touching their local interests and domestic
Germs You must therefore abandon your objection TO the
annulment OF that section peseyere In your opposition
to the principle upon which the bill is founded
In your protest (aluding, presume the annument
OF the Missouri resrcton you denounce the Nebraska
Dill as great moral wrong; abrcach of faith emf
nenty injurious TO the moral principles Of the community
and subvcsye of all confidence in national engagements
and exposing US to the righteous judgments Of the Al
mghtyP
am rcjoiced to learn that the acergymen Of different
denominations in the city Of Chicago have the
hrm conclusion that "a breach of aithH that the nonul
niment OF national engagements is "a great moral
wrong exposing the offenders TO the righteous judg
ments OF the Almighty IL
remember well my feelings upon this subject in 0cto
Der, 1850 should then have rejoiced with exceeding
great JOY to have heard from your lips to have known
that you were ready to proclaim in your pupits and in
public places the sancy of national and
the great moral wrong Of their nonfulilment and
pccialy when contained in the constitution fathers
made for and upon which all patriots look the
ark OF our safety have recollection that when the
common council Of the city of Chicago by resolutions
fused to carry into effect the national
turn Of fugitivcs from service when the council multi
he'd an act of Congress passed for the purpose Of carrying
those national engagements into faithful execution when
the council called upon the police TO refrain from render
ing any assistance In executing the law; when public
meetings held and speeches made proposing 10 defy
death and the dungeon In resistance to tho fument of
these national engagements RI say have recollection
that the solemn and fearful referred to-
Of your "divneyapponted institution appeared on
the stand, or in the pulpit elsewhere to proclaim in
the name Of Almighty Cod that the non-fulhment Of
national engagements great moral wrong exposing
us to the righteous judgments Of the Almighty The par
aeulars OF that wild and terrific remain wildly inn