Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-01-25
GENERAL INFORMATION.

ATmanao for The City Of Washington.
THIS DAY
Sun Sun rises Length of day. 49,. As
New moon 18th, a.24 a.. NJ NJ changes cath, s25 P. NJ
TRAVEL.
For baltimore.
phe e cars leave daily at and 81 A. NJ, and and
For Alexandria
me Washington and Alexandria boat leaves
Pages Wharf, Seventh street. hourly Fare five eta
For Rockville.
Inc stage leaves every morning at o'clock Fare
vi. Once, corner Of ID and 8th streets
For Upper Marlboro
), me stage leaves every morning at o'clock Fare
VI bO. Office, northwest corner Of ID and sth ats
For Gordonsvile.
The cars leave Alexandria daily, at TX o'clock for
Gordonsville and intermediate places.
For Richmond
The boat leaves the wharf at the terminus of 10th
street daily at A. NJ, and o'clock, p. NJ. Fare
IS 80.
For Leesburg.
The stage leaves Tuesday, Thursday. and Satur.
day. Office, United States Hotel.
California Steamers.
The regular mail steamers leave New York on the
oth and goth OF each month. Persons desirous Of
writing from this city should mail their letters on
the "a and 18th Of each month.
The Post Office
The Northern and Eastern Mail is opened at s
O'clock q A. I AL, and half past 2. M. closes at p
The Great southern Mail is opened at A. NJ, and
Wilmington, North Carolina arrives at half past p
M, closes at p NJ -
The Northwestern Mail is open at half past p. NJ,
closes at p. NJ
The Western Mail Is open at O'clock M c,osas
at 3 p. M. N'''N'
The Norfolk Mail arrives at II o'clock p. Mr.. closes
at2P. M, daily, except Sundays.
The California Mail, direct closes here on the Sd
and 18th OF each month, at p. NJ
Warrenton Mail arrives at IL A. NJ. closes at 10
% Wa,Iento1 a% Springs arrives at II NJ closes at
AN ACT for establishing religious freedom. passed
IN the Assembly Of Virginia in the beginning Of
the year 1885,
Well aware that Almighty God hath created the
mind free that all attempts to influence It by tenn
poral punishments or burdens or by civil incapa-
citations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy
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 on either, as In his almighty
power to do; that the impious presumption OF leg
isatures and rulers civil well as ecclesiastical
who, being themselves but fahible and uninsured
men, have assumed dominion over the faith of
others, setting up their own opinions and modes of
thinking as the only true and infibIe. and az sr,eh
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 Tor the propagation of opinions which he
dsbeieves, is sinful and tyranncal that even the
forcing him to support this or 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 to righteousness and is Withdrawing from
the ministry those temporal rewards, which, pro-
ceedisg from an appreciation of their personal con-
duct, are an additional Indictment TO earnest and
unremittng labors for the instruction Of mankind:
that our civil rights have dependence on our re-
hgious opinions more than our opinions in physics
or geometry; that, therefore, the prescribing of
any citizen as 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 or that religious opinion Is
depriving him injuriously of those privileges and
advantages to which, in common with his fellow
citizens he has natural right; that it tends also
TO corrupt the principles of the very religion IL Is
meantto encourage, by bribing, with a monopoly
Of worldly honors, those who will externally pro-
fess and conform to 1t; that though, indeed, those
are criminal who do not Withstand such tempta-
tons, yet neither are those innocent who Law 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 the profession or propagation Of
principles, on the suppositon Of their IN tendency.
is dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys ali
religious liberty, because he being Of course Judge
OF that tendency, viii make his opinions the rule
Of Judgment and approve or condemn the septi.
ments Of others only they shall square with. or
differ from, his own that il is time enough for the
rghtful purposes Of civil government for It's off.
GERS TO interfere when principles break out into
overt acts against peace and good order; and.
finally, that truth Is great and win prevail II fef 10
herself that she is the proper and sufficient antag-
onist OF error, and has nothing to fear from the
conflict unless by human interposition disarmed Of
her natural weapons, free argument and debate,
errors ceasng to be dangerous when II is permitted
freely TO combat them.
BE u, therefore, enacted 5y the General a.
senbty, That no man shall be compelled to fire.
quent or support any religious worship, place, or
ministry whatsoeyer, nor shall he be enforced re-
strained, moested or burdened in his body or goods
nor shall he otherwise suffer on account ofs religious
opinions or belief, but that oil men shall be free TO
profess, and by argument TO maintain, their opin-
ions in matters of religion and that the same shall
IN no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil
capacities
And though we well know this Assembly. elected
by the people for the ordinary purposes Of legis-
ation only, have no power to restrain the acts Of
succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers
equal to'our own; and that, therefore, to declare
this act irrevocable would be Of no effect in law
yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the
rights hereby asserted are Of the natural rights Of
mankind, and that If any act shall be hereafter
passed to repeal the present. to narrow its ope-
rations, such an act will be an Infringement Of
natural right.