The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1855-02-09
ahonas yeGerson,s Great Act on Relf
-a1sl ID .aEious Freedom. q II lig'ls7

SAnAEn1 D StEHDMA1N, OF Lucas.
7Aonas JefEerson,s Great Act on Rel
-h1 il Agious Freedom. a = li93;s
Its well 70 Fecur to the opinions Of til
patriots Of The early days Of the republic
They are the guides to this free nation i,
all times. of passion and Of prejudice
They teach us the true science of civilizei
and enlightened government, The re
suits, as they are, Of patient and conscien
tious reflection, Of ripe experience, and 0
enlarged patriotism, they can be oppose,
to the shallow and the eSSanescent sophis
tries Of the hour with triumphant effect
They were not adopted or1reeommendet
fora temporary purpose, but for all time
They were not the views alone of the ex
igency which called them forth, but were
and are the sacred doctrines which Law. a
the base Of all rational freedom. They
had existed in enduring power long ante
rior to the revolution which separated u:
from the bonds of Church and State
They were reproduced from the Bible
They had been contended for for ages
and, though resisted by the blind oppres.
sors Of the Old World, they did not die
Shortly after the seven years war be-
tween the American colonies and Greal
Britain. and before the constitution was
framed, and the election of Washington as
the first President of the United States.
Thomas Jefferson, while member of the
Visgiais Legislature. draughted and pre-
sented to that body the immortal act secu-
ring religious liberation and freedom to all
the people Of the State. We. copy from
the 9th volume of his works, recently
published. and deem this fitting occasion
to lay it before our readers. So we'll con-
sidered was this great legislative enact
ment, and so essential in all its details, and
so capable for all the emergencies growing
out Of the oparation Of future parties and
OF time, that he placed it side by side
with the Declaration Of Independence, and
with bis own hands indicted the, immortal
words which now distinguish his tomb in
the sacred shades Of Monticello: Thomas
Jefferson. "the author Of the Declaration
Of independence and Of the act establish
ing religious freedom in Virginia., ,,4
While this act was pending before the
Legislature Of Virginia, It met with consid-
cradle opposition. Mr.. jefferson in his
autobiography says, speaking of this very
act Of legislation: ,"Whsre the preamble
declares that coercion is departure from
the plan of the Holy Author of our reli.
glolr, an amendment was proposed BY in
serting the words Jesus Christ, so that it
should read, "a departure from the plan of
Jesus Christ, the Holy Author of our re-
ligion;;' the insertion was rejected by a
gres. majority. in proofthat they mean to
comprehend within the mantle of its pro-
lection the Jew and the Gentle, the Chris
tian and Mahomedan, the Hindoo snd In.
fdel, Of every denomination l...r,.s
The terms Of the preamble 10 this great
act Of Legislation are as eloquent and COM
pfehensive as Mr. Jeffarson's own me-
morable summary ofIdenocratic doctrines
in his inaugural message. They apply to
tie present crusade-~to its leaders and
their followers-with. convincing signii-
cance. They meet the whole case, de-
nouncing those who seek to deprive men
OF their right to an equal share in the bles-
sings Of free government. and asserting
that right in language of singular brcyity
and force. Especially does this noble law
ho!d up the mirror to partisan clergyn1en
and political bigots. Itsuggests, too. the
broad distinction between epastor mind.
fal Of his high duties, and Of the effect Of
q bad or good example, and one who es-
teemsit his province to dragon men for
theirlconscientious be'ief and it points.
out the remedy for such characters, and
that is, for those they insult by their par
tzanship or their bigotry to choose other
spiritual teachers. Had Mr.. jefferson
dIaughted This noble law for the present
day, he could no. more admirably have
compnehended its necessity; though, if he
were alive, II would hardly secure to him
the support Of che knoy-nothing leaders.
but he did not Iaok forward to any such /
event He could not, III Is true, fail to an
ticipate that time might come when his
elevated and nasuiy sentiments might be
applied with great effect = cure to fanat-
icism; bat In al Ms specnlations upon the
futursiof bis country, ls never SSteshad-J I
- !. aas-.sl ~ y ia q .LLA1N rttlI