, 1866-02-17

I Illinois has adopted certain laws regardfn:
Sunday, and We find In the criminal cases o
Ills siato under section LA and l45 the fol
lowing:
| ly disturb the Feace and good order of so
cfety by labor or amusement on the first da,
ofthe week, commonly called Sunday, (wuk:
Of ptce4sity and charity excepted) shall bt
fined upon conviction thereof IN nny sum 1oi
exceeding FIVE doIla.s."
"The preceding section ahall not be con.
strued 70 prevent Waterman from lAndng
their passengers, 1ading and unlading theff
cargoes, or ierrYmen from carrying oy.t the
water travellers, or persons moving with
1 their families, on the first day OF the week :
nor to prevent the dne exercise Of the fights
| Of cons ciente by anY person who may link
| proper to keep my other day As SABBATH
than the first day Of the week."
Now the question arises, What Is The mean
ing and intent Of this statutes Did the Ae,s-
laiors Of Itl'no's. who passed the quoted lat
Certainly moi. The legislators OF 1llsois
knew well enough that they had no powt 10
create any religions institution, md II The
quoted statute has any meaning at ali =
Law, not conflicting with the Constitution OF
the United States, It could have been tntendJd
only as sanitary law, the object Of whiehis
to preserve and promote the health and body
VI LIE u Lul3 SIQIG. "
compelling them to abstain from certain lator
aud sven Amusements on Sunday, as a dayof
rest, but not as Sabbath. Whether the C.
sired object is attained OF not, in the way,hIs
law prescribes, or whether the law Is wis Or
unwle, do not want to investigate now,
But 1t is certain that the makers of thatlw
were fully nWarc of the fact that they coud
not create Christian Sabbath. nor did thy
intend 10 do so, much less to put obstrlf-
tious in the way Of the press, Us that law e.
press1y admits "works Of necessity" in tie
most general term. and newspapers belong n
our, day Just as much to t6e necessaries It
LIE rs meat and drink, and the preparing aid
selling, on Sunday. OF one Is, under that lay,
as proper and right as of the other. -
Another point that has been left untonchal
IN your controversy with NJ. Junkln and hs
that -: What Is the reason that 60 many II
the Christian clergYmcn In the United State
preach the doctrine OF Christian Sabbatl,
while it has no foundation In or oatslde OF tle
Bible, and for what purpose do they malc
snch extraordinary efforts to force It upon
That reason Is very obvious. In most pora
OF Europe the clergy Is the most powerful
tool OF tyrnnnlcal governments 10 suppress
the people and keep them In quiet subfuRf-
tiot, and for these services the clergy hay,
large salaries given to them the respcctfY.
governments giving them Offices for Lie tiu..
With heavy stipends to be paid by the peopls
and pensions In sickness md old age. he
bread and butter being thus secured aud the3r
position being such IS to make 1t matter Of
no importance to them whether they preach
to more or less full churches, they care moth.
Ing: about public an1nsemcnts, newspapey;
mail service. etc on Sunday,
In most Of the European countries, there Is.
however, but one established church Whose
ministry Is 80 well provided for, and ministers
OF other denominations must do the best they.
can for themselves, ~ IN England and Scot
land. Hence the stra3ght7 Jacket way ol keep
Ing Sunday In ENGLAND aud Scotland whereas
the Emperor Of Frnnce considers ministers Of
a!l denoninations good tools for the fastening
ol his throne, and provides for them all alike
ont Of the same fund; hence hardly any Sale
bath keeping at all on Sunday In France.
Now here In the United States, we haye
thank God no established churches, aud the
ministers depend mostly upon the persoual
influence they can exercise over their rcspec-
tire nocka. To get people to 70 to church
Is Inc main prop OF their existence. Now these
gentlemen. know we'll enough, Tint If ther
allow people to entertain themselves as they
please and think best, and let them read, kc..
ihetr churches In great many cases will be
but sparinEly risltod,. their congregations
grow small and their income stili sma1ier.
Therefore their extra efforts to drive peopln
TO church, and to prohibit any amusement,
or anything that would afford
enter1 ainmcnt on Sunday, so as to compel
people to go to church, merely for the want
Of something else to do. IT
l hope the press Of the United States will
never lend hand to this process OF eusiaytpg
Lhe mind by ahstainiug from furnishing good
reading matter on Sundays. L. 81.