Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-03-02

be amended 20 read a. follows. viz:
We. the people of the State Of Indiana. hum
bly, acknowledging Almighty God ss the source
Of al power and authority in civil government.
and Jesus Christ the ruler Of all nations. and He
revealed will of supreme authority, in order 70
constitute a Christian government. to form a
more perfect union, establish justice. insure do
nestle tranquility, provide for the common de
tense, promote the general welfare, secure the
inalienable rights and blessings OF life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness to ourselves. our
posteriiy, and all the inhabitants Of the land do
ordsin and establish this constitution for the
state Of Indiana.
MINORITY REPORT.
Mr.. Speaker-The undersigned members Of
the select committee on constitutional amend
ments, TO whom referred the petitions of
various citizens praying that All amendment be
proposed to the preamble of the constitution of
the state, acknowledging Almighty God as the
source OF all authority aud power in civil gov
eminent. the Lord Jesus Christ as the ruler
among nations. and His revealed will as of su
preme authority" have had the same under con
sideration. and beg leave to submit the follow
ing as minority report OF the matlers therein
referred TO:
The proposed amendment is prayed for by gen
tlemen of the christian faith. The present con
stituton of the state fully Acknowledges the ex-
istence and supremacy OF Almighty God Ac-
cording TO the christian faith In the orthodox ac-
ceptation, the Lord Jesus Christ is God. The
constitution, therefore, according to the belief of
the petitioners themselves, already sufficiently ac
knowledges the supremacy Of the Savior. Lord
Jesus Christ; and any further amendment of the
constitution, in this respect. cannot be necessary
| To them.
The state OF Indiana is not Theocracy nor
| Hierarchy, but civil or political organization
instituted by the people of the state. under the
| sanctions of the constitution, "to the end that
justice be established. public order maintained
and liberty perpetusted - To secure these Oh
jecls certain inherent rights are defined aud
| equally guaranteed to every citizen. Among
these rights stands pre-emiDent the right TO the
| enjoy ment OF religious opinion Thus the con
stitu'ion opens with the following guarantees:
Sec. All men shall be secured in their natu-
raj rights to worship Almighty God according 10
| the dictates Of their own conscience.
Sec. 3. No law shall in any case whatever,
control the free exercise and enjoyment of reli-
| gious opinions, or interfere with the rights of
| conscience
Sec. 4 No preference shall be given by law to
| any creed, religious society, or mode of worship;
and no man shall be compelled TO attend, erect or
support any place of worship, or to maintain any
ministry against his consent
Sec. ,. No religious test shall be required as
L
Sec. 8. No money shall be drawn from the
| treasury for the benefit OF any religious theo
| logical institution.
| Sec. I. No person shall be rendered incOmpe-
/ tent a witness, in consequence Of his opinion
| in matters Of religion.
From the above provisions of our matchless
constitution, there is no installing the sentiment
OF the people of Indiana on the question OF the
| right TO the full and unrestricted enjoy ment of
4 reii Oin hcfa III
/ predictions. they fully accord to each other,
however diverssnt, the undisputed possession Of
| this natural right. Having learned enough of
the bigotrles, prosecutions and mseries that have
oppressed other nations by an abandonment of
| such policy. they seem 20 DE immovesbly settled
upon this principle.
Among the people of Indiana there are many
citizens. relgionists and non-religionists who do
not coincide with the petitioners in their creed as
to the character of the Lord Jesus Christ
| Whether wrong or not, IL of no consequence TO
the remaining portion OF Indiana, as citizens of
state. They may deen them wrong in a reli
glous point OF view, vet grant 10 them the same
right OF opinion as they themselves enjoy, as
citizens. under the constitution. Simply ac-
Housekeeping the supremacy and bene6cence of
an Almighty God, about which there can be no
controversy among the nations of the earth,
the people of Indiana leave all questions afford
ing any grounds Tor differences of religious opn-
lou. 10 the sole determination of each individual.
Governed BY this principle of equal and exact
justice, they have grown prosperous, united and
| happy Any innovation III this respect, however
| trivial, or necessary il NAV seem TO some might
eventually precipitlte into those religious
strifes and expressions that have so sadly dis
| turbed the peace and liberties of other nations
| We are therefore satisfied that the adoption of
the proposed amendment would be destructive
of natural right, hostile the true policy and in
terests of the state and that the same is not de-
sired by the people.
! In addition TO the foregoing considerations,
/ there Is another objection 10 the adoption of the
proposed amendment. which to the undersigned
seems insurmountsble. IL declares the Il" Lord
Jesus Christ as the ruler among nations, and his
rereaied iriH as Of supreme authority"
| This proposition is intended to nj a standard
Of government for the people paramount to all
temporal enactments. constitutional or legisls-
tive and to introduce into this state that "higher
law" doctrine, by which each citizen is TO be gov
erned by the sanction of his own conscience, or
by his own construction Of the Z" revealed will. !"
The constitution Of the state, as is now stands.
is simple in its terms. easily understood by all.
and universally agreed to. interpreted by the
people, Or a. expounded by the SUPREME court
On this point there seems to be no diversity of
sentiment But for many ages past, there have
been wide differences OF opinion among christian
nations ard communities themselves, 10 what
the revealed will is upon many vital ques-
tons. Aud there appears 20 be no diminution
of tbs diversity of opinion. Under the proposed
standard of supreme authority" the inevitable
result would be collisions of greater or less ex
tent among christian communities themselves,
eveniusting in the supremacy Of one party over
az the Others. Under these circumstances il
would be extremely perilous, ii not certainly
fatal, to the people OF Indiana. 10 surrender their
present form of government so plain and certain
IL its character, ard so bene6cent in its opera
tons, for one % inpraetcabls 10 its aspects
For TIE reasons thus briefly and but partially
given. the undersigned beg leave 10 report that
they deem the adoption of the proposed amend
ment 10 the preamble OF the constitution Of the
state as unnecessary and inexPedient: and they
recommend that the petitions praying for the
same 90 lie upon the table.
CHARLES Is. LassyrIr,
JANIS Hanson.
BAEraRIsx IN CoSSEorIour-Ac ouesponden,
OF The Hartford Times, in Berlin, makes the