Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-10-18

kind looks, they would not have made
her half so happy as she always was when
she thought OF those poor children.
.My little sunbeam" I called her, for
like sunbeams her kind feelings went out
gladdening, Frightening, and beautltylng
all around her, so that she found glad
ne SIS, brightness and beauty every where,
not knowing how much of il came from
her own loving hearty. Y. Evangelist.
81 aTWe commend the following article
which we extract from the Baltimore Sum-
70 the carefGlsperusal OF every one Of our
readers. It's onesofath best articles on
Know -Nothingism we have yetqseen
AN ACT TO ESTABLISH RELIGIOUS FREE
DON, PASSED IN THE ASSEMBLY OF VIRGIN
IA, IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 1896.
"WeIl aware that the Almighty God has
created the mind free; that all attempts 20
influence it by temporal Puuishments or
burdens or civil interpretations tend only
TO beget habits of hypocrisy and mean
ness, and are departure from the plan
Of the High Author Of our religion, who
being Lord both Of body and mind, yet
chose not to propagate it by coercIons in
either, as was in His almighty power toi
do; that the impious presumption OF le8is-
lators and rulers, civil es well as eccIesl-
astical, who being themselves but fallib!e
and uninspired me1, have assumed CO.
minion over the faith Of others, setting up
their opinion and modes CT thinking on
" true and in(ailible, and as such, en-
deavoring to impose them on others, hath
established and maintained false religions
over the greatest part Of the world, and
through all time; that 10 compel mca to
furnish contributions Of money for the
propagation of opinions which he believes,
is sinful and tyrannical; that even forcing
him to support this or that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion, is deprir.ng him
of the comfortable liberty of giving his
contribution 10 the particular pastor whose
morals he would make his pattern, and
whose powers he feels most persuasive to
righteousness. and is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards which
proceeding from an appreciation Of !hel:
personal conduct, are an additional inciIe
ment to earnest and unremittipg labors
for the instruction of mankind; that our
civil rights have no dependence in our re
ligious opinions, more than our opinions
in physics or geometry; that, therefore,
of public confidence, by laying upon him
an incapacty Of being c2ilod to the Offices
of trust and emolumcAt, unless he profess
or renounce this or that religious opinion,
is depriving him injuriously of those priv
ileges and advantages which in common
with his fellow citizens lie has q natural
right; that it tends, also, to corrup: the
principles Of that very religion it is meant
10 encourage, by brIbing with monopoly
of worldly honors and cmoluments those
who will externally profess and conform
to it; that though, indeed. these are cr!El-
inal who do not Withstand such tcmpta-
lions. vet neither are those innocent who
Law the bait in their way; that to suffer
the civil magistrate to intrude his power
into the Geld of opinion, and to restrain
the profession or propagation Of principles
on the supposition Of their i'll tendency, is
a dangerous falacy which at once destroys
all religious liberty, because he being of
course of that tendency. will make his
opinions the rule Of judgement, and APP
prove or condemn the sentiments Of 9th
ers only as they shall square with or diff
fer from his own; that it is time for the
rightful purposes Of civil government for
its officers to interfere when prime pies
break out into overt acts against peace and
good order; and finally, that truth is great
and will prevail if left to herself; that size
is the proper and sufficient antagonist to
error, and has nothing to fear from the
conflict, unless by human interPosltion dis
armed Of her natural weapons, free argu-
ment and debate, errors cease to be dan
9erOus, when it is permitted freely to con-
tradict them:
"Be it therefore enacted by the Gene
raj Assembly Of Virginia, That 10 man
shall be compelled to frequent or support
any religious worship, place or ministry
whatever, nor shall be enforced, restrain
ed, or molestcd, or burLhcned in his body
or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer Oh ac-
count of his religious opinions or belief,
but all men shall be free to profess, and
BY argument to maintain. their opinions
in matters of religion, and that tho same
shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or al
feet their civil capacities. And though
we all know that this Assembly, elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes
of legislation only. have no power 10 re-
strain the acts Of succeeding Assemblies
constituted with the power equal to our
own, and that therefore to declare this act
irrevocabe would be Of no effect in law;
vet we are free TO declare, and do declare,
that the rights hereby asserted are Of thc
natural rights of mankind, aud that il any
act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the
present or to narrow It's operation, such
act will be an infringement Of natural
rights"
This was the declaration and act OF the
sovereign State Of Virginia, the Old Do
minion, one year previous to the adoption
of our glorious Constitution, which guar
antees to every man civil and religious lib
erty. Virginia and Maryland stand forth