The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1860-06-06
Religious Privileges.

In free country, like the Northern
States Of this Union, the legal right of
free discussion is happily established, but
prejudice not unfrequently prevents the
avalment of this privilege, and even
stamps with opprobrium those who dare
to make use of it. But certainly all sub
jects open to discussion ought to be full
ly canvassed in all their various relations,
and tried by the test Of reason. Liberty
of speech and of the press are sacred
rights, and should be maintained at all
hazards. The moment we suffer them
to be trammeled and controlled, the bull
work Of our freedom is broken down, and
our civil and religious rights are invaded
and torn from US.
Candor and consistency both counsel
us to discuss all questions with hearts
open to conviction and with bosoms
ready to receive the truth. When this
spirit is prevalent in the community at
large, persecution for opinion will cease !;
the right of every man to his own belief
will be universally acknowledged, and
federation will be firmly established
And let it here be distinctly understood
that to advocate the examination of GER
tain opinions is not to believe in the truth
Of those opinions.
The spirit of persecution has produced
unnumbered evils in all ages of the world,
and it will continue to produce them
until this fact is learned-that perfect uni
formity in belief like the philosophers
Stone of the visionary alchemists, can
never be obtained by human means
Nor should this be regretted.
The diversity Of opinion in religious
matters, which prevails SO extensively
throughout the American Republic.
should be considered rather blessing
than an evil. In country truly free,
the Infdel and the Christian. the Cath
Ollie and the Episcopalian, the Congrega-
tionalist and the Unitarian, the Mahom-
etan and the Jew, would have the same
privilege to enjoy their own religious
faith, and each in his own way. The
government would secure these rights to
them all, and preserving strict and nee
cssary neutrality between them, would
neither favor one or Cypress another
They would then all depend upon their
own merits, and rise or fall according to
their own intrinsic worth.
The dissonance Of religious opinion,
and the number of sects in the United
States, are proofs of liberality and intel
iigence in the community. This shows
that enquiry is abroad, that men think
and examine for themselves, and that
they are not wholly indebted to birth and
education for their faith. In countries
where there is but one religious denomi
hon, and that is united to the State, we
may conclude that either the arm Of the
law is brought into requisition in order
10 produce an unreal OUTWARD uniformity
Of opinion, or that the people are too ig-
norant and indolent to reason and reflect.
A celebrated English historian says Of
This state of things. The universal and
unconradicted prevalence Of one opin-
ion. in religious subjects. can be owing,
at first, to the stupid ignorance alone and
barbarism of people, who never indulge
themselves in any speculation or enqui-
ry; and there is no expedient for main
taining that uniformity, SO fondly sought
after, but by banishlng forever all curl
psity and all improvement in science and