Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-15

vairl Think you, that they thought of the land of
the Indian, that they sought for the land of Wash
lnSton, Jefferson Madison, Honryi Did the pulse
beat higher, or the heart expand with wilder im-
pulse at tho thought that they may be day citi-
zens Of that great country where they might, in
peace. enjoy those great privileges which to man
had been denied elsewhere, that they were to slt
here in Rs great, absolutely more offensive, slavery
than in tho country from which they had TO flee =
American purity shameful dssecratiou OF that Sroat
name, ut whose sound the lover of liberty In e'eI5
land thrills with emotion aud forms new resolve ~
be free Instead Of the American party tnen' ie' =
ho for ever doomed and denounced us tho niu-tAuo;
can party which ID signazcd not by its ad'ocaIy W
but s opposition to, the great prino'pie' ol % ,n
religious liberty; which rests its claims ",
port and confidence. upon its hostility 10 .hs ,;.
ton and the Union. to the Bill OF Ngns r.I;cous fro.
tiun Of Virginia. to the act for securing rEIa. ",
dom in this State to tho precepts and '3aihPi%n' rs "
Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin aha tia''
ilton ~ l will proceed TO show you. o.ho-
But. before | do that, lot mo notice anolner
aot atleust another political offence, OF when lnls
party is guilty. Sometimes it pSsseS ny the p!e'S
soubriquet of the "Kunw-Nothing party, sonssnes
by the grandiloquent title Of "Sons vftne oHeA" -
when for the most part probably neither son or sire
had any just conception of those principles OF 10
At another time il claims 70 be, " The oruer Oh inc
Star Spangled Banuer'-the glorious ehlDieih Oh our
country salted with reverence IN every cllm0 wor-
shippcd by svery friend OF freedom everywhere us
the emblem of liberty, hailed i'll every land, on every
sea- as the flag Of that country best known RI the
land of tho and the home OF the brave for the
first time desccrated, not merely 10 purity purposes
but instead of the black flag it waves ut the mast
head OF piratica cruiser or, taking tho place OF
dirty rag, it marks the entrance into culvcrt. How
tle idea such part, have of the true principles
Of our government, may be inferred from these uses
and abuses Of the honOred flag Of that government
Tho Sd sooon of the 9th article OF the Constitution
Of the United States, provides:
The5cnaor aud before mentioned and
the OF the several Stuto Leylaaues nnd sil
ecutivc and judicial officers both Of the United States and
of the several Stacs shall be bound by oaho affirmation
10 support thi. Constitution but religious to.t shall
over bo required qualification to any office or pubic
trust under the Cnitod Ststes'
And the first article Of the amendments, proposed,
lot il be remembered by Virginia. and concurred IN
by other States and finally ADOPTED, expressly uc'
clares
"Csncress shal mako no law respecting establish
ent OF religion prohibiting the free exercise thereof
nhrdgns the freedom of speech or OF the press OF he
right OF tho people pesecahly 10 assemble ana 10 peuoh
tho government for a redress OF grievances
Now impeach this party for violation Of thess ar
cles Of the Constitution, because they design to nc
conplis that which, by hesc artic OF tho Con1iitu-
ton, i'd expressly forbidden to the Government 10
accomplish; and forbidden only because, in the OPP
nion Of the great men who framed tho Constitution,
Of which Washington the leader, it was wrong
that tn thing should be done which the rtcleinterdict
ed Ii II be said, Id believe it il, that they do not
violate tho Constitution of the United States because
they do not propose any legislative action or action
by Government, | answer again, they cnn find no
protection in this plea, because they are proposing
to do rkDut law, that which they ore expressly for
hidden 10 do bg law. 1t requires better cusuis
than l am to distinguish between the impropriety
Of doing particular thing by law, and the I'M
propriety of accomplishing tho same lung ~ithout
law whore the law forbids that it shall he done.
But the Know Nothing shall not profit by this eva
SON which is SYNONYMOUS it'll his name, for the Bill OF
Rights OF Virginia in its 10Th clause, contains the FOL
lowing language
"Tha, religion or the duty which owe to our Cron.
and the of dscharging il ean he directed only
bv and conviction not by force ol violence h
therefore al equally entitled 10 the free exercise
OF religion according thu dictates OF con.cence and
thnt il mutual duty oil 20 practice Christian io
bearanee love and charity towards Zach other
And here lat me remark that to this BiI "l III. n1
Won are indebted for your trial BY jury III o io"''
Ing cl'iu.. section IL
"Th.t In .~-p~'tiH. proP''i!' "'u 90
s. horween man md man. the ancient trial By Jury s
preferable 10 my other and ought be held 'ucred
Ofwhch tho Supreme Court ofthe State has saG thar
it is so far part of the Fundamental law, and obSa
tory upon the people and the Legislature that cam
not be- taken away by any implication or Judicial in
tcrpre,atior but BY positive affirmative Legislation
alone BY the 10th clause you will perceive It is ex-
preray declared that religion can be directed ONLY by
reason and conv lcon, not by force viosnce, and
that all men are equally entitled to the free excercisc
of rlinjon according to the dictates OF their con-
sciences and it is tho mutual duty OF oil 10 prhcuce
Christian forhea-auce, love and charity to~aros each
W.,
that they violate this article of the Bill Of Rights 10
every respsct In the fret place. they do not leave
religion to tho control Of reason and CONVECTION but
they undertake control II by means even more OBJ
no1ous and dangerous than torcs or violence lncy
do NOT permit the free exercise Of religion, according
IN the dictates of conscience, and DO not practice
christian forbcarance towards each other whom they
deny TO the Catholic the privilege OF worShiPplng
God according to the dictates OF own conscience
m. lights of his own reason and conviction, even aid
3D. as it may be, by inspiration from Heaven. but
claim 10 prescribe TO him bis religion and the manner
of worshipng under the penalty of banishncnt from
every office and place of trust or honor oil every de-
scrption, in the Government; IA Other words, .hoy
nrocIaim thathe shall become an aposnte IN religion or
he an exile a thing marked by seorn an outcast IN nus
own his native land Still it is suid that they do not
violate the law in the view which many OF them pro.
fess 10 take Of their own actions ana the Din ol
Robts because they say that they do not propose to
ACCOMPLISH their ends by law, but by the voluntary
action Of the people. ., 4.
have already said that am not casuist enough to
perceiye this distinction, and when the law declares
that thing ought not to be done, based as that dsc
larn,ion ia upon the assumption that the thing pro-
nosed 10 be done il wrong, TO attempt to accomplish
that same result without the authority OF law 50 iar
from being milder, is in my humble Judgment
greater osuse; it s in truth, higher law doctrine,
which ignoring the law and the Constitution, profess
es 10 find its sanction in principle moral, meta
ph ysical, fanatica or othorwise in source higher
than tho law, superior to it, and therefore competent
to discharge the actors IN IT, not merely from the PEN
aca where any are attached, but from the odium OF
the act which the law dsnouncea
But ! will not stop her5, but beg your attention
to that which the cunning OF the Jesus Tor the
Know -Nohingsl cannot escape by any evasion or
mental reservatlon by the plea of ignorance or any
appeal TO that higher law doctrine Of the Northern
eonspirators which the Southern masters denounce.
Let read TO you ths aot for establishing religious
freedom, adopted in the yearl7S4. written by tho
great apostle of liberty, tho immortal Jefferson, wor-
thy of being perpetuated in every form, he in pat
directed it to be perpetuatod by simple inscription
upon his tomb, that he Wa tho author of it, leaving
that with other great ma1ims and public acts,
behind him, his best legacy To his counrymen, and
tho brightest example to the world by whose light tho
pilgrim in pursuit Of liberty may ind his way to the
tomb of tho patriot even on the top OF tho mountain
whore in silence his spirit reposes
AN ACT FOR ESTABLISHING r RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
WRITES pr THOMAS JEFFERSON
P"s'ed BY the Gtsr"i 4''TnSi, " '"s"'" Docr"1'' TO-
l. WHEREAS Almighty God hath created the mind freo
that all attempts influence by temporal puuishnenss
or hurtheus by civil Interpretations tend only hegs
habits of hypocrisy and meanness and departure
from the plan the Holy author OF religion who being
Lord both of body and ind chose not propagate
by coercions on either as was In hs Almighty power 10
ers civil us well ecclesiastical who being themselves
bu, ialblo and uninspred men, have assumed dominion
over the faith of othos setting up their own opinions and
odss Of thinking the only true npd ufAbe. and as
such eudeavoring impose them on others hath estsb
shed aud maintained false religions over tho greatest part
OF the world and through all time hs, to compela TO
furnish contributions Of money for the propagation Of oPn
which he disbecve-. is sinful and tyrannical that
even the forcing him to support this thnt teacher OF his
own religion, dsprvns him Of the eoIniOra
tor whose morals he would make his pattern and whose
feels ,Aos persuasive to righteousness md is
Withdrawing the ministry those temporary rewards
which proceeding from appreciation OF her personal
conduct additional nctrment to earnest aud unrc,
lsbors for the instruction of that our civil
r hsve n" dependence religious, opinions any
@ man our opinions IN physics geometry; that theIs-
ronsS" Prescribing any citizen unworthy the puohc
,nli"J -, ny laying upon him an incapacny OF beng
W. " oases Of trust and amolument unlcso he profess,
vim. eJ"l'G %j This that religious opinion s depr,'
rsn,. S n'n lunon"ly, OF those privileges snd I'd