The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1858-07-03
Dan'J Tebsser-s Letter on Sunday scboo,A


MARSHFIELD, June l5, 1852.
/ PRoF FEAsE-Dear sir Il have receiy-
ed your very able and interesting annual re.
port Of the condition Of the New york Sab.
hath School Association, and read it With
great pleasure and instr cction, 1t is graft
! lying, very gratifyingto learn, that in "a CT.
~ where vice and immortality run riot with
impunIty,' few humble Christaina ha
devoted ther time and energic TO the Cause
OF religion, and fervently pray that your
labors may be crowned with success.
| The Sabbath School is one Of the erea.
institutions OF the day. 1t leads our youth
In the path Of truth and morality, and
makes them good :. en- and useful citizens
As school OF religious IN atruction it is os
! incs,lmaL.e value; civil institution il is
priceless, end has done more to preserve
our liberties than grave ttatesmen and arm.
"a soldiers. Let 1t then be fostersd and
preserved until the end Of time.
once defended man charged with tbs
awful crime Of murder At the conelusicn
of the trial, aykce him what could induce
him to stain It's hands with the blood OF a
fellow being. Turning his bIooi,hot eyes
full upon ,ne, be replied IN a voice Of des-
pair, :" Mr.. Webster. ia my youth spent
the holy Sabbath in cNIl amusemeuts. in
stead Of ire9uenting the house of PRAYER
and praise Coulu we go back TO the ear
ly years Of al hardened criminals, | believe,
yes, firmly believe, that their first de-art-
ure from the patti Of morality was whan
they abandoned the Sabbath School, and
the Subsequent crimes might thus be ira
ced back 10 the neglect VI youthful religious
instruction.
Many yoUrs ago spent Sabbath with
inCmas >e'icrSon. at ms residence in Vtr-
r-HFr -.
the weather was delightful. While engaged
IN discussing th. beauties Of the Bible, tho
sound Of a tcll broke upon our cars. when.
turning to The sage of Monticello. remark
ec, - How swe5t.y, how very swestlv sounds
that Sabbath bell ~ The distinguished
statesman f3r moment seemed los, in tLo't
and then replied: &" les, my dear Webster
yes, i meth the heart, ii Gains our passions
AMI makes Us boys again Here | abserv.
81 that man was only an animal formed for
religious worship, and that notw' th.tand!ng
al the sopL,slry Of Epjcurus, Lpcretious,
and oltairc, the Scriptures stood upon a
rock as firm, a. uamoyeable as ;rlth itself
4 hat man, in bis purer. lof,er breathings.
TUNED the mental eyes towards immortal
y. and that he poet only echoed the gene
TAI sentiment o. our nature IN saying, that
-- T. =r-', s~7gTe in her existence.
Mr.. Jefferson fully concurred IN this opin-
ion, and observed tkat the tendency Of tb.
American mind was in diTeren, direction;
and that Sunday Schoos-lhe did not us,
our more correct term. S1,batt )--presen,ed
the only legitimate means under the consti-
tuition, Of avoiding the rock on which the
French Republic WAS wrecked. Burke"
said he, never uttered Z more important
truth than when exclaimed ,hat 4 religious
education was the cheap defence ofna,ions."
- kaIkes, SAD Mr. jefferson, "has done
more fer ouT country than the present ssa-
GRAFTON viii ackuow edge: perhaps when
cod he WI aO.sIn his reward hope
So, earnestly hope So; | an considered BY .
many, Ar Webster, 20 have little religion,
but now is not the time to correct errors Of
this sort. have always said, and always
viii say, that the studious IeruSsl Of the
sacred volume will make better citizens,
better fathers, and better husbands Ofths
distinguished Kaikes, he clarvm 81
rcgcra5iIe Homca.'" | took the liberty of
saying that | found more pleasure in He
brew poetry than in the best productions Of
Greece and Rome. That the "harp upon
the willows by Babylon" had charms for me
beyond sny thing in the numbers of the blind
man OF smyrna. then turned to Jsremi-
an. there was a hne toilo OF the Scriptures
before me of 1852 and resd aloud some of
those sub. ne passages tha; Hsed to delight
me on NV fathers knee. But | fear, nv
dear friend, shall tire you with my prolix
account Of what was = pleasant Sabbath,
sps in the company Of one who has filed
a very large space in our political and lite
rary annals.
Thanking you for your report, and heart
lily concurring win you in the truth ofyour
quotation, that Righteousness eIalteth a
nation, but sin is reproach to my people,"
I remain with high regard, your frien6.
=. WEBSTER.