Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1861-06-26
REMARKS uFY.H LEAK.

81 posed 6y the Delegate from AldDaGnce relating
to Jesois6 disabilities, aud to insert the amend
saert of the Delegate from Martin, or the Dele
gate from Hergord. -
rise, Mr. President for the purpose Of asking
the indulgence of the Convention, while | submit
few remarks, for / know that the subject under
consideration has called forth Some of the best tai
ents of the House, and that it has been ably dis
cussed and as such it would smack somewhat of
presumption in me to attempt its further eucida-
ton-yet notwithstanding, | have a desire to be
heard for 4 short time. The subject before us, as
has been well said by both the gentlemen from Ala
1Asaoe and Wake, is an important one ard would
have much preferred its postponement for some few
days until we had disposed of matters of mUre
pressing importance, but you have ordered it
otherwise, cheerfully acquiesce. / am, then, de-
cdedly opposed both to the amendments of the
gentleman from Hartford, and the gentleman from
Martin, and in favor of the amendment offered by
the distinguished gentleman from Alamance.
My opposition to the amendment of the gentle
mar from Martin, after its modification, is that
1t ignores all moral obligation, as condition pre-
cedent to the holding of Office, that it opens the
door too iotde-for, at first proposed, it struck
out the whole of the 35tlr section it stands,
in the present Consultation, and lets in the Atheist,
the intide, the PantheiSt, the Mahomedan, and the
Turk, &c, &c, &c. 1t is true that he afterwards
modified it, so as to require no religious test" but
requires profession of religion. The gentleman
in the course of long argument to sustain himself
has referred to the old federal constitution, which he
states and states truly dispenses with religious
test;" and he has been singuarly unfortunate in
the very authority he has produced, for If | under
stand i. 1t disproves the very position he has ia
kea-for it does require moral obligation, and moral
obligation is Religion. True, it does say, that no
religious test shall be required of those who are
indicted into civil office, but the very oath it re-
qulrcs PreSuPp0ses the highest degree of moral OBJ
lgsticn for ask how is it possible for you to bind
the conscience of man who denies the being Of
Ged and OF mans moral accountability.
Religion "Er Ui TerminS' means binding, a tie;
its PRIMARY meaning is that for it is derived from
two Latin words re" and "ligo" which means
that and nothing more Yes sir, it simply seems,
that its posSeSSor has become bound by an inuard
obligation sense Of duty to the discharge of GER
tain acknowledged obligations. There is marked
dtfercOce between discriminating between religious
sectS sRdrequiriug that there should be religion
possessed by the applicant for office. Nobody, as
understand it is il favor of having religious
test" am as much opposed bit myself Us any
gentleman upon this floor, and when the Federal
Constitution says, that there shall be no religious
test but still requires 0ah of office, it simply
means, that there shall be religious dscrimna-
lions made no preference extended to any one re-
ligens denomination over that Of another That
this Is So is obvious to my mind if .ook to the
concurrent history of the country, well as to the
practice of the mother country. Our fathers had
Just thrown off the political yoke, and they had
sorey felt the ron-heel of the religious yoke, for
there Was a religion established by law Of the
British Parliament and no man could hold office
who did not subscribe to its teHets, and hence, in
the mother country, they had and now have, what
was properly denominated religious test" re-
lgious Discrimination in favor of the established
church, which in its effect, was a condemnation
and exclusion of all others from holding seat in
Parliament, or from holding any civil Office. They
had just left country where there was religion
establiILed by law, and hence they careful to
prevent its intro duction a State religion, and
therefore they declared that there SHOULD be ere
lgioRs tests" that there should be no discrmina-
tons among the different religionstS Of the coun
try, bu; that every man should worship God accor-
ding &c the dictates of his conscience but certainly
they were far, yes very far from ignoring all religion.
TheveTy idea is supremely ridiculous for they were
eminendy God Hearing as well as law-abiding
people
The objection to the gentleman's proposition from
Martin, is, that it substantially ignores all religion,
and the objection to the proposition Of the gentle
mar EneU, Hartford, is, that in pointing out what
obligation he would impose he has substituted such
a slender bond as to make it to some extent equally
Objectionable.
True. ii SAYS, aS originally proposed, and the
amendment if understand it, is but little better
than that mo person who denies the being of God,
and at hrs experimenting Providence over human
affairs shall be capable &C., &c, &c. This, to my
mind is rather too ndefinite-aS it will let in the
Sarsoeas, the Mahomedan, the Turk, the Buddhist
the pantheiSt for hold that every man believes in
something that he calls God that such thing
an Atheist per Sc not in practice but in sentiment,
does not exist upon the habitable globe. 1t must
be So or else whence this pleasing thought this fond
deSire, this longing after immortality. They may
call tts object of their alteration God, nature or
chaaoe-yet believing in first cause, they believe
in sopke kind of God. But this Is not the God
would have them believe in, as a condition prece
dent to their holding posts of civil trust.
NoE, cur God the God of the Bible, has necesSa-
ry attached thereto certain fixed well as definite
ideas, fee Christianity hangs on a few plain and
simple truths first that God is, and that he is n
rewarSer of all who diligently seek him 2nd-that
man has apostatized from his original character,
and by dat apostacy has forfeited his original des
tinatiD to regain which, and to place man back to
his original status" $50 far, at least, salvation
is cORoeTnedO the purpose for which our Savior
came into the world and died upon the cross as an
expatiOl for the sins of sinful, but afterwards be-
lieving and repentant man. His Offices did not
cease then lie has withdrawn his miraculous
gifts but he still continues the influence Of his spirit
upon the hearts and consciences of men. This is
the God of the Bible, the God our fathers recog-
nized and this is the God incorporated in the Fed
eral Constitution, which has been referred to, to
prove that belief of the kind required by the
trainers Of that Constitution, when the very Oath
disproves the position.
What gentlemen mean by experimenting con-
troll Of Providence human affairs, might we'll
give rise TO debate and therefore, prefer the prop
oSt0a OF the gentleman from Alamance, which
leaves the clause in the Constitution Just as we
found it except that it is so wUrded as to let in
the Jews believe that they ought to be let in,
for they believe in the true God for no Christian
can deny that Moses God, was not the true God,
and beside, they hold to future rewards and punish
mentst and their history proves that they have al
ways been found fighting on the side of their adop-
ted country. They have now, in this our country's
greatest need, come forth with commendable liber-
atty in support of our army. Yes, Mr.. Mordeca,
of South Carolina Jew, has been the largest con-