The Daily empire. (Dayton, Ohio) 1865-1867, 1867-07-09
sunday Ordinance.

ris matter Of regret. that the people
sf,bi, country, take so little interest," VI
he local politics OF their respective loS'lS ,s
lana connties, whilc al their sygp"'n'e'
lprb engaged, aud all their p'ss'o"s aIe
l.s,,,sed I'm more general elg'''ohs' were
,no,. ,o corsuIt their truetnterests' the re-
.or,o .,, ~ or mi. would be - case for so FAR
''ise .,',',c,c,rc <oncerned, It Is really
a1. our wv. wv, ,,arn< <portance, that we pos
- N local officers. than that
. SEES S'"u 6d President and Congress
we ". PSs. Ss e,cooncil andstate Legislature,
II !" n ,nS Sational Congress, which makes
uo' "a that come home to us, and regu-
The enjoymtnts Of private lie. Except
N the one matter OF taxation, there is
scarcely q subject withinthe proper control
Of Congress, that has any direct bearing on
the happiness Of the citizen; while our
State or municipal legislature can scarcely
act at all, without enlarging or curtailing
the liberties OF the people.
4 These thoughts are suggested and en-
forced by the execution of the SUNDAY
Ordinance, by which so large number
OF our fellow-citizcns, are deprived Of their
accustomed rccrcations, on their only day
! loflcisure.
without entering at length on the alb
stract question: asto the right OF Council to
abrdge the liberties Of the people, except
when il is required for tleprotectien OF their
rights; it may be sufficient to remark that,
In the present case. nosuch reason exists.
We do not seethat selling cakes and beer
on Sunday, or, for that matter, selling any
thing else, necessarily prevents those, who
do not believe in such things, from OBJ
serving the day in such manner as their
conscience dictates.
We do not wish to be understood rs en-
couraging Sabbath breakers Doubtless
men might be better employed than drink
ing beer and rolling ten-pins on Sundays.
This Is not lho question. So long rs they
do not prevent others going to church, or
observing the day in such other way as
they see fit, is it any ones business?
With the morality of actions, Council
has nothing to do. So long as our conduct
does not interfere with the rights of others.
it is not proper subject for legislation.
Once admit the principle that govern
ment may regulate our conduct, with ref
erence to its moral character, and you open
wide the door to every species of despot-
ism. In such case, the liberties of the mi |
nority are ut the absolute disposal of the |
They must conform their conduct !
in every particular, to the peculiar, per-
haps nnlatical, opinions of those who hap
pen to be in authority. There is no line of
demarcation. If an act may be prohibited. |
simply because 10 is tsrong; and if the ma
jority are the absolute judges of tchat is
,orong (as must necessarily be the case, in |
this country, if we admit them to Judge at
ALL there is no one whose conduct may |
not, nj some time, be called in question: for |
there is scarcely anything, which is not
thought by some. to receive the condemna-
tion of the Lord. oil -ErI#-
II such is really justice, the Spanish In
QUESTION was, in fact, Il wise and benevo-
lent institution; for it struck at the root of
the evil. by prohibiting, not immortality
but hetcrodoXy. 1t corrected abuses, not |
by restraining mems conduct, but by reg
ulating their principles. True, it some
times employed pretty severe arguments, |
to convince men of their errors. 1t some |
times found it necessary to build bonflres
of obstinate heretics. But what Of that
If the end is proper, the means necessary |
to its accomplishment are so; and those |
who have the determination of the one |
must necessarily judge of the other. ut
government may prohibit what is wrong,
merely because it is wrong, they must, of
necessity, determine ust) the laws of NOR
ality, and end the means necessary to
their execution.
The fact is, government has nothing to
10 with morality, as such. The end of gov
ernment is the protection of its citizens In
their persons and property. Whatever
powers are necessary to the accomplish
ment OF tllis purpose, it may justly exer-
else; whatever goes beyond 1t, whether
exercised by one, or many,-whether it
springs from an irresponsible agent, or the
representatives of majority, is simply
deSpOtiSm.