, 1859-07-21
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.

s,ou :. c'G1t cHy IN inc laad. especially whers
large commercial interests, viii Influence n The
local politics of all our large cities, and deeply
infect the public morals and social order. Il /,
therefore rery desirable to hare It stated aud
fully discussed. Our fellow citizens Of foreigu
o,lth, wno intend to instruct the American peo
p.II " ~ ta's sunday question, should do them
arold the contempt with winch Americans re.
gaIo tne substitution Of caricature Tor statement
aud Slang for argument 4 friendly converse
tlon On Tue subject with sot,e Sabbath keeping
neieanof, 2 lew Sabhaths attendance ut church
or oa9oa'h sc4ool. or the perusul Of the SAB
society ; nr ~ hhnos1ed 1ha 6y the American Trnc
Adeaatages of th< Sa1sat1 to fIe ti jYGffiaa -,
1kasses, ~ ~lto7kiag Hen, published by tbs
fIesos ter!at1 Board Of Publtcatton-or some
otner ot the numerous wUrks On the subject. ia
oe found at ever. religious book store, wonld
Present such ridiculous blunders as the state
pre..ed 11. 4nor Amssean 1a% Shfistia4s share i'm
IN eFerY Seven set apart and devoted to silencee,
grasAy, g'oon, and IN utter abandonment oi
esst5'n,ng TINT tends to make us cheerful, to
% tass 9ur sPts1ts: and to promote our physical
nean9; The millions Of fSabbath-keepip9 peo.
Pc VIII open their eyes wide Eith astopshment
"aen aae5 ase presented with the alternative Of
llenoing their Sunday in st.olling in the
nelas with their wires and children, Smoking
.ns'f pipes and drinking their beer" or else,
IN easulstry and hypocrisy, inventiur absurd
reasons Tor staying away from Church, or going
Stnfch three times in dag to join n lie
a noaoI % %1nockeff o. pretended public worship -
enu "la reply with smile, that us 1e have ali.
ierent ways Of doino :ss,,y o,her th;nas ~ 1ra
"a,r another mode Of obseryine, The Sahha,h
4ulle different from either Of the approved Ger
man methods, and in our opinion preferable 10
Inc question IS, slall re preserve our Ameri-
eau Sabbatb, or substitute Freuch or Ger
man Sundays 1t is not shall men be compel.
1ed to 90 to church BY Ian or public opinion =
ahs,e dne God :; Wig is worshiPpsd in Protestant
ed on compulsiou, and the laws Of the land dis
c!olm the power to compel mems re1ieious SER
vices. Nor does the State law Of Illinois for
btd the German from stro1ling, and smoking and
drinking beer to his hearts content But it
does forbid him to invade the rights of others
" employing them in common traffic, or dis
tuFblng them by reyclry Oh day during which
Tue law secures to every person, without dis
tlnction, tie riyht to rtst.
Let !. ue distinctly remembered to.tinr a,.,.,. ,.
| naftrc is not in fact between prayinc aud plav.
!!ns on Sunday, but between resting and work
Ah3s AL may rest on the Sabbath. but all can.
not play. The omnibus driver must work. tbe
conductor must work, the saloon keeper must
"otA' 'ne steamboat hands must work every
railroad In the land, with the zoe. .0e0 men en-,
ployed must be at work and work hard for the
amusement OF the Sabbath jewellers. If tue
caopath luw f0rbiddfng common traffic and rpr,
eelry On Sabbath be eitker formally or nract;cal.
y repealed, the result will be that a minority Of
the farmers, mechanics and manufacturers viii
week week 'ns;r Tf1sk.nE people seven days in the
country any man can claim the right to rest on
sabbath, is that God hns given that right to ali
men 10 the stoker and the omn;bus
ot1ser, e, ~ much - to their passengers
ana 10 point OF fact in France where the sab
oatn law Is not observed there is no rest for the
,sos'g mor'xing man or woman on the Sabbath. The
,"asheswo1nan tolls over her tub, the seamstresx
bends over the eternal stitch, stitch, he cooks
ano bakers and confectionera nnd cabmeu are
1ouo1g worked, masons are at work on the
nonses' laborers are paving the streets, stone
eui!eFs are repairing the Cathedrals, mud ali are
Tg t9li1ag ano druds'ng as On my other day, sart
60 SO fur as Paris, Tor In Chicago We can End the
results OF practical repeal Of The Sabbath law
~ ~ nanafeds OF stores open, the sound Of the |
aAe aua 94e 1andsaw, the scream Of the steam
Tug, the ringing Of the blacksmiths anvil. and |
al t1e other Indications OF the beginning ofthat
round ct endless drndgery which is the penalty
TIa 1nu1ceeo on sabbath breaking community
Ihe question then is rtst! or no rest for III Ia
6ortn3 'adaf and the further question, shall
tected by lawf ~"
n discussing this question our foreign friend,
1nl gain little By reyiling the memory Of The
ui!tans-the men who founded this nations
xbn hing "ho asserted her independence,
\ and to whose God-fearing morality we owe iii
hat makes the difference between frca .r,.@;
nm citizens, and the crouchinc slaves of Enro,
'ean despotism- There is no insult which viii |
;ooner send the hot blood to tic cheek Of an
American, eren though himself mt rery rei;'s; vi
'us. or which will more effectuaily aro',se In,
Q the defense Of the institutions al his cnnn.r. @
tan sneer at the memory Of his foreSathars'
The fact that tho assault on the Sahhath =
Pened By sneer at the Pilgrim Fathers -
nghly significant. The Sabbath is an Amer;ean
very iirst nIantod ia tha ~;
rim Fatlers in our soiI n ea ras - .1e ~
= the naiion,s heart by tue fortr-onc s;1ror"
he constitution of the f.st one s'gneTs oi
overnmcnt ia Amer;ca. Th.,, tepauncan n (
'earieome voyage Of Two months arross
ie Atlantic, crowded in q smaII yrssei t
cold stormy .eason Of the year. within s;cl,t
nst anchor in Cape Cod Har- ma ras,sd !4s5 w Q
abbath Day according to thc somn,nd @ eF1 nTr ~
rom them the Sabbath and rennhl;can ,.o,as,. :,
ent hare branched out over tfe I,nJ suseIn susth
ght to rest on the Sabbath ;s sec1,rad Iuu ~ tuc
every citizen of The th;rtr.an 20 sfenseo o{ aw
e thank the sabbath hra:to.s one i!ee fepubllcs
The Pilgrim Fathers 'xeIs tahie, 1os their snecr
teation 70 the sjeni6cant G,ct ks e1s, aa"h our
t5IqtI IN f1s 5,.;a;aa. M .ae1snat thtrt = 10 tt
mined to Gfcat Drita;n nnd snxss s%.9vGsssm = f.
2ds where the freedom or tbr nsania has ne h1n'y -
N and kept, P@'p'* aus Deea 6
Tho a.,.,s..:. "
~ d connection IS not occidental. The seven n,
ndar I.aegs % SannoI get time to think, and the =
E:;.as s'eaIt I'll W. not- The Emperor and
i na.ses @ VII. "il1ngiy give the people bands, 4
Sopelas, ana tnsatrea. aud dancing gardens cG
oanoa}; ior there is nothing they dread =.
re than moral mud intelligent nennto pr
aaug, daneing people are not fit to win lib Vi
=; p nor II Tue. .hsy should chance to overthrow to
~ can ttey rest u generation until they nm
= ~ ra an emperor: But the Bible il the ~,
- for ~. hosrty, io, ana Sabbath Is the peoples VI
~ 1T eal9the thelr II le dignity and their
, aest.ny !ion rs sacred page. When our on
sr;aa aitsds .hea ns'tc rs TO exchange our n,
ss;ean : :; & saeoatl Tor the Elropean Sunday, 81
:, ~ elect, nsk us to come under svatc;n M
saiou III nas tsaoeed she people Of Europe to q of
seless drndgery- which has lowered tie nr;ra u
loos y ny throwing one seventh more into the po
. ..,1 tuns conpeline the 'aborer to do seycn oce
sS ToEk oi 1of s'x days wages, which has dc. ex1
and r.t1ect;nn y. ~ .le1s ouls opportunity for =
ch bne thrs rcndo I'D ~. 1'eAae4t | pr7