The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-01-23
THE SUNDAY QUESTION,

Inc SURUAV QUeSItuS,
TINS subject is gathering vitality and import
ance with rapidity. The people are begin
ming to agitate the matter with great earnest.
ness, and we doubt not that the sanctity Of
the Sabbath will be. advocated with that
forcible logic and clear reasoning that Will
make it claim the respect of those VINO have
heretofore neglectedfthe religious observance
of Gods day OF rest. In this connection we
invite the readers attention to the following
communications g. .... rmoJy
The 'SPress''-Christmas Letter.
To the Editor OF The EYEMNG EELEGaAPH.-7
sr;-Christians who re 'pect and Keep holy tue day
of sacred rest are charged with doep gloompess Of
spirit, 'tbe sscedc and gloomy. observance of the
first day Of the week." scctarian bigotry," and,
speaking OF the freedmen, the Press to- the commlp-
tee says:-5"Your docTno, won d entnral and darken
the intellectual encTgies oboth races-woud peryert
the divirest examples and the nobest naxims, to.
the destruction OF that spirit Of intelligent inquiry,
and the paralysis oI those natural rights without.
whicA no, people can, claim to be entirely free"
Thus the Christian Sabbath IS alleged to be paYof
gloom, "sec'arian bgotFy," and calculated to crush
the intellectual enerSles,oa both blacks aud whit9s.
Now, In regard to ''the accet c and gloomy ob. >
o1dcnce. Where is the evan. .ehell CHRISTIAN?
Where is the cct, denomination or congregaionof Of
SabbatA-keepors who exhibit ip their countslano.s
and conouct any such characteristic? Lot the Press
respond, OF let it acknowledge that it has hurled
loul SANDER IN tho aca OF The whole Christian COM
munIty. Does he not fnow, Of, his own kuowledge,
that the tens of thousands of abbathkeapng Chris,
tan', all around HIM, the most cheerful, com
PLEASANT, and hoppy-loolnns rpeqpjo he eyer looks
uponY Go, sir, INTO any SABBATH ocpool, and op4
around on these thirty taacheEi and these two nun,
died schoars-all neat, can, snIIlng, and, joyful;
now, sir, listen TO these Two hundred sweet voices
Singing
Bound 1or the evergrc IN, shoEeJ' etc. .@ o
And when they shall haye rdoro, and tho grand
chorus is thundecd iolth If you don't feel your.eh
nearer heaven than ever hero 70 and than etcr you
can hope II be- unless youjorn Shis Joyous band,1t
mus be because you feel like DaVIo Hume who 90
served that he never saWone of your pioas, podly
people, but that be saw sad, gloomy, sorrowiul
cOuntenance whereupon Mr.. Durham remarked,
at is quite probable, for Mr.. Hume had very little
intercourse with piOus peoples df seldom any;
besides the sight OF him was enough to mako auy
good man feel sad and soFroWtul. ysNos you know
better; you know the Sabbath keepers of Philadel-
phia are the most cheerful and happy people in it,
hey do not, indeed, frequent the rumholes, and
and bull-baits, and wresttings, and dances, and
races, according to the tree and liberal course OF
'such reform" as you contend for. Of,
% Sectarian bigotly p Who are these bigoted
sects that disturb the free people of this Common
wealth in The enjoyment of their rights of con-
science? Noslr, you dare not fling this insult in
tho face of any denomination of evangelcal Chris
tans in this city. These weeks of Union prayer
meetings uhe third week will ha We gdnbefore you
can read this paper) look you in the face. Yes,
bigotry a cruel despot; but the world knows that
the bgotry of liberalism is the most fearful of all
despOrs. Witness France in the days gof) her iSe.r
rality, when she abOlshedothe Sabbath and worli
shipped ahaElot as the Goddess of Libertv9nN 4 a
HAnd hey ond doubt the resa itself is oEte though
not by name1 prayed for eby these bigoBD Andi
again, your charge thatthe Sabbath Keepers In their
gloom, are bruLfSDg the whites and the blacks
'both races Does Mr. lForney know what efforts
are being constantly put forshDy the pions Sabbath
keepers of all these sccts TOR the intellectual and
moral, and religious pIoVement of the black race
and the white? If he does not is he fit TO be q
nsws-gatherer in a Commonwealth which Tor one
hundred and sxty-ene years has had on her statute
book the very sabbath pfUtectipg law which he
labOrs to have rsRealed2 If he does know that the
pious people of Philadelphia and the state are
making great and successful efforts to educate the
blacks, and yet utters the charge aboyeauOted then,
humbly submit tho question: is he fit to be
teacher of publc morals Are we to be sravely
or angry told that the conscientious ob1srVerl OF
the law of God and of this commonwealth against
Sabbath profanation, have boen and are teachmg
doctrine thar would enthTal and darken the in
teectual energies of both rAceo-wOu Id pervert the
diynest examples and the noblest InfpencesS" Does
this Editor not know that the maxims and the
example o6Jthe Divine Saviour OF lost men con-
stitute the bulk and burden of all the Saboath
school teachings and all the preachings of all these
''sectar an bigotsS" II he does not, then let HIM
come into our Sunday Schools and learn. But
close with the expression of my humble opinion,
that for whatever of talent, energy, sound moral
principle Gndpurty of conscience the Editor Of the
Press processes he is TO the taachinTs and
the example OF Sabbath-koeping Christians.
-4 THEoPHlLUs.
The sabbath Protects the LabOrer.
To THE EDITOR OF HE EVENING TFLRGR APH-Slr: