The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1862-11-13

logue, as positive Institution, or from the
practice and example Of the Apostles and
Christians from their day to the present, it
is certain that the Christian people compos-
ing the States of this Confederacy, esteem
it day set apart by Divine appointment for
rest from secular employment, and to be
dedicated to worship and moral culture
1t is equally certain that hey concur il the
opinion, that It's dissertation is a sin, and the
sole question IS, shall the Government con-
time unnecessarily to desecrate it. Shall
it, in the absence of some overriding ne
cessity, deny, to large number of its en-
ployees, the privileges Of the sanctuary, and
the means it affords for moral and religious
Improvement? Your Committee believe that
this should not be done. The stOppage Of
the mail one day in seven, would not mate
rally interfere with the revenues OF the
Post Office Department, while it would con-
siderably lessen the cost of transportation.
1t will be remembered, that under the Con-
stitution the Department must be selt-sus-
tanning by the 1st day of March, 1868, and
this will contribute to produce that result
Besides, by curtailing the service on the
main routes and thus lessening the expense,
greater facilities can be afforded for send
ing the mails into the interior and poorer
sections, where the revenue might not equal
the expense.
The only real ground Of objection which
was urged to the proposed change, when
this question was moosed in 1929 and 1880,
was, that if the mails were stopped on Sun
day, there might be sudden rises in the
price of our great staples, and spectators
would enrich themselves by sending courers
or expresses in advance Of the mail, and
taking advantage Of the rise. This how
ever, is remedied by the modern invention
of the telegraph and the erection of numer-
Gus railroads and introduction of express
companies, so that none Of the evils then
anticipated would be experienced now. The
star-bid system on which contracts are now
let out, has, in great measure, dispensed
with coaches as a means Of carrying the
mails; and your Committee believe that
very little inconvenience would result from
ceasing to transmit them on Sunday.
1t may, however, be said, we arr in the
midst of a great revolution, and that while
it lasts, it is important the mail service
should not be curtaled. Your Committee
believe that the public interest will not suf-
fer by it. The accounts ofinteresting events,
battles, &C., are either sent by telegraph,
or private persons, or express. They rarely
90 at the earliest moment by the mails which
delay at distributing Offices for distribution.
Besides, if one.seventh of the employees
engaged in the mail service were transferred
to the army it would constitute no incon-
siderable addition; and, if the rolling stock
required for the mail oa Sunday, should be
allowed to remain unemployed One-seventh
of the time, some compensation might re-
suit, should the war be protracted, in It's
fitness TO aid the Government in necessary
transportation for a much longer period
than it otherwise would. The fact, there
fore, that we are engaged in war, furnish
es an additional reason why we should post
pone the mail service on the Sabbath. Su-
peradded to all this, the fact that our Gov
eminent in the commencement of its career,
in the midst of the most bloody struggle
for the maintenance of our rights, had paus-
ed to pay tribute to virtue and religion,
would present spectacle of the morally
sublime, that would stand forth as beacon
light to the Christian nations of the earth;
would show that as nation, Eve honor not
God with our lips, when our hearts are far
from Him." would furnish proof of the sim
cerity Of our profession of reliance upon the
favor and guidance of Him who "holds the
destinies of all nations in His hands," and
who "hcnors them that honor Him."
Whatever, therefore, may be the action
of the House as to its concurrence in the
views of the Committee, they feel that in
thus plainly and frankly laying them before
the representatives of the people, they have
discharged their duty 20 themselves. their
country and their God. Their adoption or
rejection is with the Congress. The oppo-
site Of these views have hitherto obtained
ascendency in the old Government, and
whether as a sequence or not, is question
which we may not decide, The finger of the
Almighty has inscribed upon its walls
"MENE, TAKEL, UPHARSIN." May the Con-
federate States profit by the example, and
while eschewing all bigotry, whether politi
cal or religious, and all attempts to violate
the rights of conscience, early learn, that
the only sure basis Of national prosperity
and happiness are the great principles Of
justice, morality and religion, as taught in
the revealed will of God, and that the Great
Law-giyer will not suffer these principles to
be violated with IMMUNITY. The fears ex-
pressed in reports upon this subject hereto
fore submitted TO the cid Congress, that
should the Government repeal law requir-
ing large number of its citizens to violate
the Christian Sabbath, it would be the be-
ginning of a series of acts which would end
in the union of Church and State, and entail
upon the people all the persecution and hOr
rors Of the Spanish inqnisition, are utterly
grOundless and unworthy of patriots and
Christian statesmen. The several States not
only decline to pass laws requiring the VIC
lation OF the Sabbath, but many, if not all
of them, have penal enactments against its
violation, and these have been enforced for
many years. Why have not religious perse-
cution, the ''hOly in1usition, and the "Auto
de fee" found place in some of them? The
common law, which is said to be "the per-
lection of reason" has always deferred to
the Christian Sabbath, and sternly declares
oil contracts made on Sundev absolutely |