The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-07-08


tween Church and State which whatever the Church and
whatever the State has ever and everywhere in other
hands than those OF Deity himself been fruitful Of misery
oppression Here at least the duties and the rights OF
citizen towards his country and his belong
sphere widely and forever separated from that OF his
religion Here at least shall govern that divine
prcept of the Saviour he held the ribuemoney in his
hand and with simple truth COMPOUNDED the casuists
"RENDER Cesar WHICH ARE ClEsARs AND
UNTO Con COPS"
This doctrine Of perfect religious freedom of the entire
and final separation of all questions and influences OF re-
gious creed from everything that directly indirectly
may give color or direction public affairs tenn
per TO the laws status hue complexion to the social or
political relations Of the individual czenths is great
fundamental American doctrine, vital to the American
name Whose denies il, or in words admitting it, pact
cay assals its fullest and widest operation in spirit and
in truth may dare call himself American may perchance
trace his lineage to immortal upon the scroll OF
independence if such apostacy be imaginable but he is
true American and by and by, awaking from his
deuson he shall repent n sackcloh aud ashes his desc
Grafton of his country's
How wonderful is the ux and reux of the tide of error
in the history Of man How constantly should wake
and watch, lest returning in form and through
unguarded avenue it overwhems in its dark and
bitter waters Who would have imagined that any por-
ton Of the people of this land should be gathering in
and passionaey hugging to their breasts the wornoui
bgoy and folly which long besotted the British people
but from which quarter Of century ago hey emaepad
themselves in The Of "Cuholie erancipatonp What
prophet among fathers would have ventured TO predict
that the time would ever when honest of
liberal minds and patriotic motives born to the bes
sings of the American Union and all the clear and cheer
full light of its constitution and awscheaed by the ignus
fauus of false patriotism would by bound precpi
themselves those depths of bigotry which the
proper realms Of the ptied and forgotten dupes of Titus
0aes--a from which Protestant England, its
deluded worshippe has long since fecoiled in horror?
Lei any who finds himself startled by those topics
OF the day which denagogues welding excite the
passions and blind the judgments of the ehearted
Pile of America seducing them to uproo and cast down
the chief pillars of their liberty in the pursuit of
phantomet any such turn TO the repeated debates
in British Parliament the journals and periodicals
of the day during all that angry which resued
six-andtweny years ago. in the recognition of the poit
rights the Roman Catholic population OF the British
empire and let linn there learn how stale and stamped
with folly is that tale whose highest word il you could
but believe il as they would have yon-
| Would harrow up thy soul, freeze thy young blood
Make thy eyes like stars start from their spheres
Thy knotted and combined locks to part,
And each particular hair stand an end
| Like quilts upon the fretful porcupine.'
-Iiumbling, indeed, would it be every American
to be confronted with the finally enlightened though tardy
Of that monarchy and to be justly accused Of taking
its exploded pejudices and its casoH Whats
shall such be deliberately adopted by such gov
ernmen with all its ongsettled policy and its established
church And shall Free happy, united America now begin
to retroarade and commence the work of religious nol
Forbid it eayen forbid it. sacred spirit of the
revolution revsng this day
No surely that day-let rather say that long and
hopeless night-sha when country shall
renouuce and ALLURE principle inseparaoe from the
idea of popular rights vital 10 the distinctive spirit of
our constitution Religious liberty twin sister to
civil liberty and indispensable to its existence. And how
does it
/ Keep the word of promise to
And break il to our hope
to refrain from reminding the fires Of Smhield the
one hand or reenacting the fierce penalties of the
Popery statutes the other, while all the while bitter
intestine strife is suscitaed in which differing religious
faiths the badges of party politics. and profess
particular creed is to fall efecualy under species Of
political accommodation which, could it be enforced
would practically exclude its unhappy subjects from all
benefit of active participation in the privileges of that
citizenship the undenabc title to which is in formal
phrases sll conceded.
Let u.s. fellowcitzens hold firmly to the body and sub
stance Of the faith Of the constitutions and yield
selves without bubble equivocation, to its pure and
honest spirit in procaiming and upholdng with our
whole hearts and in every action OF lives the whole
doctrine of religious liberty in its broadcast deepest and
sincerest Let remember that the union OF
Church and State however cunnngly it may be disguised
and by whatsoever plausible pretence it may be attempted
be justified is the forbidden thing repug
the genius of country inconsistent with the
principles of the constitution incompatible with Ameri
can freedom
Looking back then, to the past witnessing its products
in the present day and with erven and patriotic hearts
invoking continued prosperity for these happy pow
erful and united States, may not safely conclude that
in the aggregation of men"men who their duties know,
but know their rights and knowing dare maintainin an
ndissoluble union in equal laws, and in our firm and
faith and practice of civ and religious liberty
lies all treasurepas present, and to come? This is
the whole of freedom, and of imposing pres
ence among nations of the earth BY the continued
perfect harmonious combination of all these powerful
elements alone may hope that people
shall be still upward and onward and that in the lapse Of
BILE day. he shall awaken increasing millions of feemen to
hail it with proud and grateful accamations and shall at
each gild earlier with his earliest beams the still
cendng towers ofour national glory and prosperity So
mote il bel
Feow-ctzens this is the first day of the year in
national calendar 1t should be day of general ju
bIee and universal graduation. Our hearts should swell
beyond all and sectarian mitssocial, religious
political. One people with country, one
glory in the past hope in the future
here and hereafter let leave this place thsday joining
all souls in harmonious and fervent invocation of
oil the choicest blessings Of Heaven upon the whole land
and all that it inherit
NEW fundamentally arrangement between the