Weekly North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1858, 1855-09-05

~ The Spirit of the Age is mistaken in attrib-
uting the celebrated Sunday Mail Report I" to COL
Wm R. johnson. Col. Richard NJ. johnson, of KY,
was the author of that Report, which, it was sup
posed settled the question for many generations
The Age says:
" The discussion of question similar to this has
been taunted with ridicule, and sinister sneer of
puritanism, has been sufficient to silence all in
vestigaton, especially in the Southern States. This
IS certainly very unchristan manner of disposng
OF question involving an offence which violates the
law OF both God and man for other citizens
CURED to refrain from secular employments on the
Sabbath day, and why should not all ?"
The people of the United States are preeminently
Christian people, and the Constitutions of the in.
diVdual States nearly ALL if not quite all based
upon an express recognition of the doctrines of
Christi but the federal Constitution differs from the
State Constitu ions in this respect. Jew and Gen.
tile, Pagan and Christian all embraced in its far.
reaching and mighty grasp; none of them are ex-
alte above the others, depressed but they are
all equal That Constitution confers on Congress
no power to interfere, in any way, with questions
involving construction of Holy Writ or questions
of religious belief The people of the United States,
who made this Constitution, and whose interests and
welfare are so intimately connected with strict,
just and equal Interpretation of it. do not all agree
as to what day should be observed as the Sabbath
or day of rest. This fact being established-and we
take it for granted it will not be dsputed-t inevit.
ably follows that Congress has no power to declare
that even the Christian Sabbath shall be alone OBJ
served, and all other days of rest be disregarded.
10 claim this power, and to exercise it. would be-
in principle, to establish a State religion and this
no one in this country should wish to do We think
it very clear however, that the different Transpor-
tatlon Companies under State authority should see
to 1t that all labor not necessarily connected with
the regular transmission of the mails and of passen-
gers with the mails, should be suspended on the
Christian Sabbath day; leaving it to persons to
travel, if they choose, with the mails, or by their
own means OF conveyance. The Christian Sabbath
as we have stated, is in effect expressly recognized
by all the States in their Constitutions.
Certainly no one should treat question of this
sort with ridcule; is always in good taste to
"sncer" at the "puritanism referred to by our
friend of the Age. But there is an olor of over
rlghteousness-of Pharisaism, of excessive picty
streaming down to from the past annals and pres
ent dolngs of certain communities in this country,
which we do not at all relish. We may be mistaken
the remark may not be just one; but we feel con-
strained to declare our belief that the people of
North h-Carolna are more God fearing and law-abi.
ding, and possessed of and governed by higher and
Purer principles in morals. than those of certain
Northern States that might be mentioned in which
this doctrine of opposition to Sunday Mails" is so
much cherished and so generally sustained.