Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-07-04

government or the fSoman CdtnOlcS- du, ~
my religious sentiments, an old school Pres
byterian, by birth, habits and conviction.
Butt am unwilling that religious opinions
should ever be mingled with political consld-
erations. A mans religious belief is a thing
between him and his God and / believe that
with the lights before him, nan is responsible.
to his maker for the correctness of his reli-
gious belief and sentiments, In essential mat
ters.
The advocates of the doctrines of any sect
have right TO make as many religious prose-
lytes as they please. They have right, by
all the fair and legitimate arguments that they.
can use, to convince their fellom-men that
their doctrines and plans of church govern
ment are correct. But. the religious and po-
litical institutions of a country must be kept
distinct Religion isalways injured by being
brought into contact with politics 1t is too
sacred a thing ever to be connected with the
civil government of the coantry. Both the
interests of religion and the rights of the citi
zens are prejudiced by it.
To the honor of these free States, they have,
in the theory of their government, provided
for the utmost freedom of thought and action
en- the subject of religion and equal rights to
all religious denominations. The Constitu-
tion of the United States provides: Con
gress shall make no law respecting an estab-
lishment of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of
speech or of the press .
The Constitution of Pennsylvania says:
all men have natural and indefeasible right
to worship Almighty God according to the
dictates of their own consciences no man can,
of right, be compelled to attend, erect or sup
port any place OF worship or maintain any
L =
thority can, in any case whatever, control or
interfere with the rights of conscience, and no
preference shall ever be given, by law, to any
religious establL hments or mode of worship.
No person who acknowledges the being of
a God, and future state of rewards and pun
ishmcnts, shall, on account of his religious
sentiments, be disqualified to hold any Office
or place of trust or profit under this common
| wealth.
Again, it declares that the free sscommu-
nication of thoughts and opinions, is one OF
the invaluable rights of man, and that every
citizen may freely speak, write and print, on
any subject. being responsible for the abuse of
that liberty"
At this day the same provisions are sub
stantiaiy contained in the Constitutions of all
the States. They are the cardinal doctrines
of the revolution, which first put upon record
as the basis of all true government that all
power is inherent in the people, and that all
governments derive their just powers from
the consent of the governed
Again, the constitution of the United States
confers upon Congress the power :. to estab-
! lish a uniform rule of naturalization" and it
will be remembered by adj, that one of the
acts of arbitrary power, which justified eur.
fore-fathers in casting off all allegiance to the
L Ilaol fin,, ,f
Independence, was his refusal to sanction the
laws for the naturalization of foreigners. Our
fore fathers thought, and thought rightly,
that it was the interests, as well as the policy
of this country to encourage the emigration of
foreigners, to settle among us. when they de-
lberately expressed a preference for our in
stitutions and form of government. Our
population would not have been able, BY the
ordinary increase of the human family, with
out the aid of emigration, to augment sufficis
emily for the exigencies of our country. We
had much, and still have much vacant and un-
improved land to bring into culture-we were
not able in ourselves to spare the necessary
hands from the culture of the soil, from the
mechanic arts and sciences above all, in
our sympathetic feelings for the oppressed of
other lands, we held out to them the hand Of
invitation and friendship, to come among us
and participate in the enjoyments of free
thought-free spcech-free conscience and
free rights. which we enjoyed. Our fathers
had fled from oppression to these shores, and
felt it sacred duty to make our land an asy-
lum for all who had been oppressed like them.
The constitution of the United States makes
no distinction between natural born and nat
uralized citizens, except that the latter are
excluded from the Offices of President and
Vice President of the United States
We have therefore these things laid down
as fundamental principles of our government
while they exist, we have no right directly to
disregard them-indeed the law would not
permit us so to do What we cannot do d.
rectly, we ought not to be permitted to do
indirectly-hence it was that when filling a
judicial station felt it my duty to charge
the grand Juries in and adjacent district that
If any two or more men shall combine to-
gether for the purpose of preventing any of
our citizens, naturalized or native, from en-
joying the rights guaranteed to them by the
constitution, it is conspiracy and punishable
as such by Indictment.
. If anY two or moro men combine together
to prevent any citizen from enjoying the rights
guaranteed to him by the constitution, on ac-
count of his religious feeling, or particular
mode of worshipping God. it is conspiracy
and punishable as such by Indictment.
If any number of men, combine or form
themselves into an association. by agreements,
VOWS or oaths to control the opinions and
votes of any portion of citizens. in the e1er-
else of their sufrages, so that they shall vote
not according to their own choice or the dictates
of their own consciences, but as a majority of
such association shall determine, it is con-