The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-09-30
THE DAILY UNION


the scale Of existence where he is rhest from sin and
nearest 10 God In the fondness Of hope-nay
hdenee Of firm convieuon-l maintain that America is
destined to be the grand theatre which this work of
mans highest destiny 10 be accomplished. The Declare
ton OF Independence procaimng the opy true and
nay just principles OF government points TO 1.-THE
of the revolution, bapzng those principles in blood points
TO te passage Of the act establishing religious freedom
10 Of the powerful States Of the Union and its
consequence in all Others all point with prophetic
anee that here in our own eayenhvored land the glor-
work is be accomplished Jefferson and Washing
toni Washington and Jefferson Both sained in
Heaven, but both selected By Divine Providence as the
lost civil and religious berries When Mr. Jefferson died
he desired that eulogy should be engraved the
Bile which should cover hm but that ere lies the author
Of the Declaration Of Independence and Of the act for
abshing religious freedom in Virginia.
Oh ii could engrave that aetnot lis letters and It's
words, bat its Vital sprit-on the hearts Of my country
men in generaleven those of my religious friends aud
acquaintance this State whose confidence enjoy and
whose friendship honor should esteem all the tolls and
abors Of long life than repaid will read that
BILE documentl will print itin order that every Meho-
dist and Baptist and Presby other denomination
that every whig and democrat and member Of this
order that ever heard my voice may read and mediate
upon it
An for establishing religious freedom written BY Thos
Jefferson Passed by the General Assembly of Virginia
December 49, 1854.
l. Whereas Almighty God bath created the mind free
that all attempts influence il By temporal punishments
burdens by civil interpretation tend only beqet habits
Of hypoc sy and eanness aud are departure from the
plan of the Holy Auhor Of Religion who, being Lord
both o.hody and mind yet chose not to propagate by
ereohs on either was in His almighty power to do that
the mpious presumption Of legislators and rulers, civil well
as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but tabe and
unnspired men, have assumed dominion the faith
OF others setting their opinions and modes OF think
ing the only and inaible and such endeavong
to impose them others hath established and maintained
false religions the greatest part of the world and
through all time that to compel to furnish conbu-
ons OF money for the propagation Of opinions which be dis
to support this that teacher of his religious perua
sion deprying 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 persuasive
to righteousness, and is Withdrawing from the ministry those
temporal rewards, which, proceeding from appreciation OF
their personal conduct additional Indictment to earnest
and unremiting abors the instruction of anknd that
civil rights have dependence our religious opinions
than opinions of physics geometry that there
fore The prescribing citizen unworthy the public conf
dence by laying upon him an incapacity OF being called to
onces Of trust aad emouent unless he profess or enounce
this or that religious opinion depriving bin njuriousy OF
those privileges and advantages 70 which, in with his
fellow citizens he has natural right that it tends only to
corrupt the principles of that religion is meant to
age by bribng with monopoly of worldly honors and
emounens those who will externally profess aud conform to
that though indeed those criminal who do not with
ay the bait in their way that to sner the civil magistrate
to ntrude his into the field Of opinion and to
the pfntn or propagation Of PRINCIPLES on o.
soys all religious liberty because he being Of course Judge
Of that tendency will make his Opinions the rule oudgment
and approve condemn the sentiments Of others only they
shall square with differ from his that IL is time
enough for the rghtfu purpose of civil government for its
officers interfere when principles break ont into overt acts
against and good orders and finally that truth great
aud will prevail left to herself that she is the proper and
sufficient antagonist to and has nothing to fear from
the conflict unless by human nerpostion dsarmed Of her
natural weapons free argument and debaerrors ceasng
to be dangerous when 1T is permitted freely to contradict
! them
BE itenacted by The general assembly, That shall
be compelled frequent support any religious worship
place of ministry whatsoever shall be enorced restrain
ed moested or burdened his body and goods shall be
otherwise suffer Of his religious opinions be-
left but that all shall be free profess, and by argu
men 70 maintain their opinions in matters OF religion and
thar the same shall wise diminish, enlarge, affect their
. civil capacities.
citizens, there remains other subject to which
invoke your NEST serious attention. u is the obvious
tendency--nay, cerainty--that know-nothngism can
bring nothing bat danger and disaster upon the south
ern States. Knownothingism started in the North
and had other element to compose it but wings aud
abolitonists II took its rise in the midst of the fire
and smoke and suhocation OF the widest and most
| furious iaDatlcism against you and your property
! that the world saw-a fanaicism that tore the
churches asunder II took captive northern legsa
ure sent to the Senate Of the most deadly enemies
the South had In the fury Of the the northern
democracy who had saved you in the annexation of Texas
saved you the Wimot-proyiso queson-saved you In
the passage of the fugitivesiave bsved you in fact in
all the battles yon had fought your peculiar
Institution, at last borne down. far disabled by
this mingled tempest of ffee-soilsm, whigsm and aho
onsm, to give but little promise of that eectual aid
in the future which had often saved the conflicts
OF the past 1t was at such dark hour TO the hopes and
interests of the South that know nothngism born in
Massachusetts, 1t sought no alliance with the Soulful
needed none it desired The wings of South
the North had been forced TO separate all these slavery
|
nothing but embarrassing TO both the parties. They had
struggled hard for years to prevent the catastrophe The
Kansas and Nebraska bill hurried up the crs aud
ure and solemn consultation every whg from the
/ South save dissolved the connexion.
4 So soon that conneyion dissolved the wings
of the North knowing that their nationality lost
began the work of fusion with the ee-soiler and abo
itionss They the rapidly -ncreasng States in the
Northwest and became confident that in few years al
the North conld elect the President and majority OF
both houses of Congress not only without any aid but
even in despite of all the power of the South, wings and
democrats united But what did the wings do after the
dissolution with their northern allies Many of them, to
their honor be it spokenmany of their wises statesmen
and patriots such Gholson of Virginia and Toombs and
Stephens OF Georgia. refusing to into this knownoh.
ing scheme boldly avowed that there materials
outside OF tue democratic party with which coalition
could be formed that that party the soundest and
safest one all the questions in which the South
and resolved cooperate with them on these great
questions and thereby avert the caamies npend-
! ing the South Not with n moiety of that
party; they convene in Philadelphia they consult and
commune with many wings of the North who had previ-
ously been discarded unsafe by wings of the South
they consult and commune with the abotonists of Mas
sachusetts, of Ohio OF Vermont of Connecticut and inn
pore them to form with them national allianceto
up with them some common platform which the next
presidential congressional, and State elections may be
fought What reception did they receive Philadelphia
When they asked of that compound and motley mixture OF
northern wings treesoers, and aboitionss take them
in as partners they instantly rejected When they
presented their platform full il of apology, and
baen IL OF sure guarantee to the South
distinctly voted down. repeat with all the emphasis
! whit hair