The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-10-14
Communicated
STATE SABBATH CONVENTION.

In accordance with a call issued by COM
mittee appointed at the Anniversary held at
Minneapolis last spring, the State Sabbath
dist Church on Monday evening last, Oct. Sd.
The Hon. B. c. Baldwin, of Lake City, was
called temporarily to the chair.
A committee appointed for the purpose, con-
sisting of D. w. Ingersoll, ESQ.,, Rev. DR..
Brooks, and Rev. j. F. Dudley, nominated as
permanent officers of the Convention, Hon.
VIM. Holcomb, of Saltwater, President; Hon.
B. c. Baldwin, of Lake City, Vice President;
Rev. F. A. Noble, of st. Paul, Secretary; and
C. D. Strong, Esq, of st. Paul, Treasurer.
The business of the evening, after prayer by
the Rev. Mr.. Holt, of Chatield, consisted
chiefly in hearing carefully prepared paper
by the Rev. w. Speer, of Lake City, on the
Relations of the Sabbath to the Institutions of
America. He proved by convincing arguments
and numerous authorities, that the freedom of
our continent and age, and religious systems,
is intimately connected with the maintenance
of the Sabbath that the Constitution of the
United States recognizes the essential features
of higher obligation than Itself and showed
the practical duties we owe, as citizens, to
maintain the integrity and influence of the
Sabbath.
On account of the lateness of the hour, the
Rev. Mr.. Seccombe, of st. Anthony, was ex
cused from reading paper he had prepared on
the connection between the observance of the
Sabbath and public morals.
On Tuesday morning the Convention was
opened with prayer by the Rev. DR.. Brooks.
The Rev. j. L. Howell, of Saltwater, was ap-
pointed temporary Secretary.
A thoughtful and able address was listened
to from the Rev. John Mattocks of St. Paul,
on the Philosophy of the Sabbath.
After this the following resolutions were
adopted by the Convention:
Resolved That in view of the great necessity
of obtaining q better observance of the Sab.
bath, the day appointed by God for his wor-
ship. without the maintenance of which the
Church and the Christian religion, and public
morals, and hence the guarantees and the in
stitutions of freedom, must decline and fail,
this Convention does hereby call attention to
the following subjects, as those that seem most
to demand earnest presentation from the pull
pit, and cooperative effort from all Christians
and all lovers of their country:
1. The transportation and distribution of
the mails on the Sabbath day. Thus thousands
| of postmasters and their assistants, and men
employed on boats, stages and other convey
| ances and their families are directly compelled
| to violate the ordinances of their creator for
their welfare and indirectly hundreds of thou
sands OF persons are draws into the streets,
| hotels and public places, to trains of reading
thought and conversation in utter hostility to
all the wise ends of the day, as one OF change
from secular to spiritual occupation of the mind
classes should, by cOmpulsion or otherwise, be
deprived of bodily relief and comfort, and Of
religious privileges, which other men may
enjoy.
stages, and other public conveyances on the
the Sabbath. The results of this involve, moi
only the above evils, but further, the deprivine
Of one great class Of society of their highes
rights. and almost the establishment Of caste
cut off from sacred and moral influences, anf
the delivering of many of them to depravity il
every form-to profanity, to intemperance
to RIGHTEOUSNESS, and to other vices ant
crimes, that proceed directly. from tn
neglect of God and his worship. Thes
wrongs Christian nation has no right to in
flict on any class of its cisizens. Against thi
practical abandonment to heathenism that clas
: has right to loudly protest And that pre-
test patriots and Christians must respect.
8. The printing and publishing of newsps
pers on the Sabbath. Printers have right t
demand what common sense and the expt
renee of some newspaper publishers have fu
, " proved, that the round twenty-four hour
Of sacred time may be dropped out of calcul,
ton. that this should be dies non. And "
the publishing on the Sabbath of paper prin
on Saturday night na ens Is ca ss greater
sands of readers for every paper that its edito
). and publishers circulate on that day, TO trail
IS of thinking and conversation, at least, that al
8 antagonistic to the spirit of the day. Thu
u the press, if it aim at sustaining public moral
and preserving pure and perfect the heritaI
of freedom bequeathed from our fathers, Is
feating its own ends. And public opinion,
it Cypress the conductors of the press, and I