The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-02-20
The Works OF the Sabbath Committee.

The Works OF the Sabbath Committee.
1.-The Sabbath Committee" a body of self.
sanctifed spiritual dictators, have issued now in
oil five pamphlets, which they have extensively
circulated through the community in sly under
hand way, but seem afraid to to let the light Of
day shine upon them. We found it tolerably
hard to procure copies, which ought not to be
the case unless there was something rotten in
the statements or arguments which could not
stand the test of fair criticism. The fifth we
noticed last week. The remaining four are en-
titled to brief notice.
The first gives history Of Sabbath observance
and its decline, showing how our Dutch ances-
tors under Peter Stuyvesant" used to keep the
Lords day." and how it was kept in this city
till 1884, when the Sabbath laws were repealed,
and the great fire of 1885, and the disasters of
subsequent years" followed as divine judgments.
The sequtur is not very clear: it does not appear
whether the fire and the subsequent disasters
were not mere condolences instead of results
post hoe, not propter hoc-occurring after the re-
peal of the Sunday laws in the order of time, but
not in consequence of their repeal.
Now, we can refer to some well authenticated
cases Of fearful calamities happening to the
Jews as the direct consequences of keeping the
Sabbath in the superstitious manner which their
modern imitators desire to have it kept now. In
the time of Macabeus we read that they refused
to defend themselves against their enemies on
the Sabbath, and said let us die in our in
nocency, and let the guilt of our deaths fall on
their heads. The result was, that terrible
slaughter took place. (See Mac. ii. 80, 49,
After that time they thought it was better to de-
fend themselves; but, as Josephus informs us,
they would not attack their enemies, nor hinder
them from advancing their works, nor march
themselves. The result was that they were fire.
quently cut to pieces, and finally their great city
laid in ruins.
Among the causes of national disaster stated
in this document are the oratorios in the Acade-
my of Music and two or three gardens where our
German population take little healthful re-
creation. The total number of "liquor shops
and drinking saloons" open on single Sunday
in June last, as discovered by this keen-scented
committee, was 1892, besides IS Sabbath con-
ment What the police are about on Sunday it
is hard to say, when we find that the whole num-
Der of arrests for violating the liquor law during
the last year are only 154.
The second of these documents" as the com.
mittee call them, is chiefly occupied with Stats
tics on Sunday traffic on railroads, with view
to show that the people do not care for Sunday
travelling, and the passengers are extremely
few. If that be so, then why make such noise
about Sabbath Dissertation in this regard?
Number three is devoted to an onslaught on
the poor Sunday newsboys and the proprietors
Of papers published on Sunday, in which the
pious committee are backed by those sanctiied
daily journalists who do not publish on Sunday,
but keep their offices open, and their men hard
at work on Sunday in preparing Mondays mum.
Der.
But the great gun of the committee is number
four, entitled "The Sabbath in Europe" in which
contrast is drawn between the edifying manner
its observance on the Continent II was delight
full and refreshing to see it. "In Glasgow
the observance was almost as complete as
in New England village of the olden
time" But on the Continent of Europe
ga holiday Sabbath is frightfal cause Of
physical, political and moral degradation to the
masses of the people" The Corresponding Sec
rotary was Mortified beyond expression at the
manner in which it was observed in France,
Italy, Germany, and even In Switzerland. As
for Paris, Sunday was the gayest day of the
week, and every description Of amusement was
in requisition. What was the consequence?
"The Sundays dissipation disenabled thousands
from Mondays occupation, or sent them to
prison."
This sentence is fine specimen of the man.
ner in which these veracious tracts are manu-
featured. Everybody who knows anything of
Paris knows that there is no drunkenness to be
found there; that the amusements are innocent
recreations, and that, so far from disabling men
from Mondays business, they only recruit the
overtasked energies Of the man who has been
working hard on the previous six days of the
week. On the contrary, what is the consequence
of puritanical Sabbath observance In Scotland,
and particularly In Glasgow? That in that little