Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-05-25
GEORGE ID. GKAf, OF Unlpeper,
JOSIAH DABBS of Halifax.

AN ACT for establishing religious freedom, passed
in the Assembly Of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1855:
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attemptsto influence II by tenn
pord punishments or burdens, or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only TO beget habits of hypecrisy
and meanness, and are a departure from the plan
Of the Holy Author Of our religion, who being Lord
both Of body and of mind, yet chose not to prop
agate by coercions either, was in his almighty
power TO do; that the impious presumption Of leg
slatures and rulers civil M well as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but flllible and uninspired
men, have assumed dominion over the faith Of
others, setting up their own opinions and modes Of
thinking the only true and infaIble, and as such
endeavoring to impose them upon others, hath es-
tablished and maintained false religions over the
greatest part Of the world, and through all time ;
that to compel man to furnish contributions OF
money for the propagation of opinions which be
disbeleves Is sinful and tyrannical that even the
forcing him TO support this that teacher Of his
own religious persuasion is depriving him Of the
comfortable liberty of giving his contributions
TO the particular pastor whose morals he would
make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most
persuasive tonghtcousness, and is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
cecding from an appreciation of their personal con-
duct are an additional incitement to earnest and
unremittinr labors for the instruction of mankind
that our civil rights have dependence on oqr re-
Iigious opinions more than our opinions in physics
or geometry that, therefore, the prescribing Of
| any citizen ss unworthy the public confidence by
laying upon him an incapacity of being called to
the Offices of trust and emolument, unless he pro-
fess or renounce this that religious opinion, h
depriving him injuriously of those privileges and
advantages TO which, inscemmon with his fellow
citizens, he has natural right that IL tends also
to corrupt the principles Of the very religion Il Ia
meant TO encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly
of worldly honors, those who viii externally pro
fess and conform to it that though, indeed, those
are criminal who do not Withstand such tempur
TONS yet neither are those innocent who lay the
bait in their way; that to suffer the civil ma.
gistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opn
ion, and to restrain tho profession or propagation o.
principles, the supposition Of their III tendency
il DANGEROUS fallacy, which at once destroys al
religious liberty, because, he being of course judss
Of thd tendency, win make bis opinions the rule
| Of Judgment and approve or condemn M aenti
ments OF Others only as they shall square with, o,
differ fro his own; that IL is time enough, FOR the
Iphtfal purposes Of civil government, for its Off
GERS to interfere when principles break out int,
overt acts against peace and good order; and
finally, that truth Is great and will prevail 1t hit tc
herself, that she IL the proper and sufoient anssg
onist Of error, and has nothing TO fear from tn
conflict, unless by human interposition disarned {
her natural weapons, free argument and debate