Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-10-09

usual occupations or an indulgence in the
regular mundane enjoyments of the. week.
The results we are inclined to ttinh sufi-
GENTLY happy. There are some who are in
favor Of further loosening Of restrictions,
while portion Of the clergy would gladly
see a severer rule But the extremes Of
opinion are by no means widely separated
from each other, and the observance of the
English Sunday as a whole is satisfactory
to that vast bulk Of the community who are
neither very studious Of preciseness on the
one hand, nor DESTROYS Of abandoning the
precepts Of the Church on the other.
But cross the Tweed, and you get into
another world. In nothing is the land
which prides itself on the assertion of it's in
dependence Of England more remarkable
than in the strength and singularitv Of its
Presbyterian notions The religion of
Scotland is not the religion even Of Gene
va*or Amsterdam; ftr IN those cities the
canons which are established by our North
ern Presbyteries would create as much sur
prise as in Paris or Florence. In this, the
middle Of the 18th century, the Judaical
observance of what is called the Sabbath is
accepted as a doctrine and enfored as prac-
tice by the leading clergy of Scotland, and
by that large section of society which al
ways acquiesces in the teaching Of ma
tional priesthood The matter is brought
before the public in connexion with the re-
cent returns regarding the consumption of
whlskey In Scotland. There are few Of us
who are not sufficiently acquainted with
Scotland to know that the abuse of the ma
tlonal spirit is very general, and that Sun
day, when all who pride themselves on their
responsibility feel it due to themselves to
remain indoors, is especially distinguished
by the quantity of spirits consumed. The
charge Of the Antisabbaterians is, that the
rigidity Of the national usages, and the in
terdiction Of rational amnsements general
", and on Sunday in particular, are the
cause OF much of the drunkenness and i'm
morality which are asoribed to Scotland It
would certainly appear that now the pre-
cisians have gained the upper hand in Scot
land, that they are making all sorts and
conditions Of men feel their power. We
can seldom hear r1rch Of the doings Of the
orthodox ministers Of Scotland, without feel
ing the truth Of Miltons bitter line, "New
Presbyter is but old priest writ long, Ger
tainly we in England should i'll brook such
interference from our own established cler-
gy as is commonly asserted to be practiced
by the less splendid hierarchy Of the north
ern kingdom. Whatever we may be, we
are not priest-ridden people. Neither
Anglican clergymen nor Baptist minister,
nor Catholic priest would think in this d.
vision of the island, Of interfering with a
Richmond train or raves-end steamer on
Sunday afternoon. But ia Scotland, NC
have for years been conscious that strug-
gle is proceeding between minority deslG-
Gus of English freedom, and majority
headed by the clergy of the two great Pres
byterian churches. When we speak of a
majority and minority we refer only to the
middle and upper classes, for it is beyond a
doubt that the resistance to reasonable en-
joyment on tie Sunday, springs chiefly from
the well-todo SCOTS, who can find sufficient
enjoyment at their own iresides. The at
tempts of class to find recreation in the
open air and the green fields have ever re-
ceiyed the fierce opposition Of these com
Portable religionists and their spiritual
guides. A few years since there was a
great commotlon because certain Puritan
landowners refused to a low Sunday excur-
sionists to land at the piers which they had
erected for the Clyde steamboats,. A cor
respondent, whose letter we printed yester-
day, states that within few days ruff
family mob, headed BY the Glasgow clergy"
assalled party on its return to the city
from Sunday trip, with hooting and hiss
ing. The Forbes Mckenzie Act is in full
force, and the warfare against Sunday ira
ding is being carried on with spirit, and
with much assurance Of success So it
would seem that the Sabbatarians are hay
ing things al their own way, and, if it
should appear that excess in drinking in
creases contemporaneously with this high
handed enforcement of religions practice,
the world will naturally, though perhaps
incorrectly, draw an unpleasant conclusion
It does, indeed, seem plain enough that the
diversion of the human mind from all le-
gitimate amusements must send men to
those stlmulants which excite the nerves,
quicken the blood, and administer tenn
porary exhilaration Unless the Presbyt-
cries can turn their laity into being irwin
chile by temptation, they may we'll allow
air, exercise, and the innocent enjoyments
of life to aid them in spending the Sabbath
day proGtably and cheerfully.