The Nevada journal., 1861-02-22
For the Nevada journal.

objections in yours of the week preceding. A.
it is impossible TO answer objections in the same
space in which they can be made, am undel
the necessity Of writing two articles in reply &c
your one.
The remaining points wish to notice arc :
lst " tits probable that the founders of tht
american Government patterned after the e1
ample of Maryland and gave equal federation
to every species Of belief in matters Of religion
End, "The fact that the Congress of 17S1
imported 10000 bibles, in our opinion, has nc
bearing upon the points the Lecturer discussed
3d, If the action of Congress is to be taker
as authority TO determine the religious charac.
ter of the government, We might cite the IN
stance of the 36th Congress, in inviting tho
Rev. Dr. Raphael to oficiate Chaplain, a,
committing the government to Judaism, where.
as, it only proves that, IN the opinion of our
Senators, there shosld be no discrimination in
favor Of any particular sect or religion"
4th, "The Reverend gentleman is perhaps
not aware, or had forgotten that no common
law bat thst Of nations is recognized by the
Supreme Court of the United States"
5th, "Were tho common law to step in, as
indicated in the lecture, would it not establish
or at least give preference to spiscopacy?"
9th, at has been our impression, that the
U. S. Government cannot interfere to prevent
tho worship of any sect be it Jewish, ,Mohamcd-
an or Pagan"
7th, when the practise of any sect shall
not comport with good morals, a majority of the
people may interfere, and, by local law, remedy
what is an eye sore to the public
These all the points requiring notice, and,
all that an article of sufficient brsvity for your
paper will permit me to notice. will reply in
the order Of the numbers.
No. l. Knowing the care and fairness with
which you usually write, surprised to find
this sentence in your article. 1 have yet 10
learn that there is the first item of historic
proof that, "the founders of tho American
Government patterned after Maryland The
suppositioa that they did, has not the shadow
of support-and further, if they had so pattern
ed, the result would have been altogether diff
ferent from what your argument requires
Maryland did not give "equal liberation to
every species IF religious belief" and if, as you
suggest, -" the founders of our government pat
termed after her, then they did not give equal
liberation" If the supposition you make is not
true, it is of no use to your argument, and if it
is true, it proves exactly the reverse of what
you are attempting to prove.
You have been misled, like thousands of 9TH
ers, by the unfounded claims put forth ii, be-
half of Catholic Maryland" Archbishop
Hughes said, in an oration delivered somc eight
or nine years ago, If civil, but especially re-
ligious liberty, be clear and justly cherished
principle of the American people, the palm to be
the first to preach and practice it is due. beyond
all contro+ersy, TO The Catholic colony OF Mary
land" The Archbishop was not intahiable
when he said this The boastcd act of Mary
land punished with DEATH any person who bias
phemed the name of the Deity-or denied that
Jesus Christ was divine, and punished, first,
with fine of 65 Sterling, or, in default of pay
ment, public whipping or Imprisonment, any
person who should speak disparagingly of the
Virgin Mary,or the Evangclists, or the Apostles
and, for the third offence, of this kind, confs-
Gated the offenders property. and banishcd him
forever from the Colony. VIII Americans call
that federation which would have hung Jefferson
on gbet-and would not have permitted the
late candidate for the Vice Presidency, on the
Union ticket, to vote for a constable in the
Colony? No Sir. Religious federation does
not belong either to Cecil, or Leonard Calert
nor 10 their CoIony-but, TO the Baptist Colony
at Rhode Island, founded by the prosecuted
Roger Williams. The first civil government
ever formed on this Continent, that cnuciated
not in Maryland, but Rhode Island, and not to
Catholics, but to Baptists, belongs the honor.
No. 2. You will allow ms to differ from you in
regard to the bcafirg of the fact, that Congress
ordered the importation of 10000 Bibles. Ifit
did not intend to encourage and aid Christianity
why did it order such an importation If, in
stead of Bibles, it had ordered the importation of
10000 copies of Paine's and Volney's works on
IL
Intended to all and encourage infdelity7 That
this importation ordered in 1177-and not
in 17s9-instcad of weakening my argument
strengthens it because, an early action shows |
more clearly than later one could do, what was
the original bias of the founders of the govern
ment
You say " Congress has. at various times. |
made appropriations for Unconstitutional pur.
poses" Let il be so, have not denied it, nor
have 1 ATTEMPTED to maintain the untenablc po-
sition, that Congress never did an unconstitu
tional act. 1t may have done many. But. h |
make your argument available for your purpose,
you must not only prove that..it has sometimes
acted unc9nstiinti EQUALLY, but, that it did se-in
l757-and i" the act by which, It authorized the
Importation of Bibles. AS you have not at,
tempted to prove anything of this kind, may
dismiss this part of your article, as it sustains
nothing on your side, For in any way affects my
position.
You say Money has been devoted to the
PURPOSE of making exchanges of books, without
reference to their character" Suppose that this
was a fact--it does not prove what your argu-
ment requres-viz: that Congress had no refer
cnce to the character of the book when it ord
cred the importation of 10000 Bibles. ask
you, ask your readers, have you do you, or
they, suppose that the character of the book was
loff nf H.. Il