Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-02-18
n From the Columbus Journall
Mr. 'Wheelock's Lecture

Mr. A. A. Wheslock, of Toledo
\ delivered at Nadghton Hall on Fri
day evening, answering in the neg
ative and at length the question :
"Sball the Constitution of Che Uni
,S-s States be amended to recogniz
<the authority Of the Christians
God"
We published some two week
siace the proceedings Of the Con
vention'in this city fa1Qring sucl
an amendment, andnow present q
fair a synopsis as our space vii
allow of Mr.. WheelocRs argq
ment.
The question exceeds in import
ance, any which has ever been rails
ed for free men and women to NEE
since the birth Of our Republic
Other questions of great moment
we have met and settled other
are still before us-political, social
fnalcial; each and all Of vital in
terest-but none Of them strike Sc
deeply, and so fully probe both tht
individual and national life, as tht
issue now fairly presented TO us by
the self constituted representative
of God and christianity, in their dc
snial Of that sacred right, Freedom
to Worship God.7
What do they ask ? Simply ant
only, that in the name of ChTistisf
ity we assist in turning hnpanits
backward Is this Che lesson ths
ages have taught us Ear "
Ifthe past has any Instruction fol
US, it is found in the living and uu.
deniable facts that man is a pro,
gressive being, and that the law Of
progress inheres most fully in the
moral force and power Of his being,
which we denominate conscience.
The measure of this is the measure
of man, as we look for an estimate
Of character and stability. If it be
true that all of goodness, beauty
and progress of the individual, race
or nations, proceeds from this NOR
al power, which is the center and
force Of each, then the placing of
any restriction upon mans religious
ideas and convictions, can but inter
fere with the law of his growth and
progress, and the same law applies
to races and nations. In view Of
these facts, we are enabled to see
more clearly what would be the re-
suit (if successfully ofthe movement
inaugurated by those nine Rev. and
twenty one Hon. gentlemen, who
assembled recently in this city, and
as they thought very wisely resolv-
ed that God should be put in the
Constitution of the United States
Many questions of grave import
ance arise, when we consider this
proposition. Fret, why is this de
sired? 1t cannot be solely for rec
ognition, for. the Constitution rec
ognizes and guarantees to every
individual the right to entertain his
own idea of God, and worship in
accordance with that idea when it
declares that Congress shall net
establish any form ofreligion"
Do they desire his recognition
for ornament? An ornamental
God could be Of little service
They must desire his recognition
for use, and therefore he must have
authority, and that authority must
be supremei
But the difficulty arises here as
every human being has God ac-
cording to their conception Of Del
ty), whose God shall be recogniz-
cd? The Protestant, Catholic, jew
ish or Chinese God-"Josk Y"-
Which shall exercise this supreme
authority? Who shall decide ?
How shall it he decided? At the
ballot box? Shall the number of
votes that decide the fate Of the
politician determine tvhat God shall
exercise authority over the nation
If so, as changes the policy Of the
government, by the success Of diff
ferent political parties, so would the
character and authority Of the Ma
toms Deity change, and at no dis
tant day, this land Of religious lib
erty might be given over to the
control and authority Of the Catho-
lies God, as expressed through the
power Of the Pope. Do Protest,
ant Christians desire such a re-
sultp ..
Suppose the Protestant God be
placed in authority, would Catholi.
cism snbmit2 Or, should the Chi
naman's God, "Josk,' come to be
the sovereign religious power of
the Nation, would Christians meek,
ly ohey2 Are mems consciences
made orsuch flimsy stuff as to yield
their religious convictions to the
demand of Others2 Would not
this be the elimination Of religious
tyranny And yet those who ad.
vocate the idea Of thus amending
the Constitution, disclaim any de-
sire or intention to interfere with
the sacred rights Of conscience
guaranteed by the organic law of
the land, Mistaken men Their
zeal is not according to knowledge,
Upon this plea, tI ranny has based
its Justification the world over
Humanity has been enslaved, op-
pressed, bound and fettered, re-
ligiously and politically, and the
claim has ever been, it was for their
benefit.
The high. sounding name which
these gentlemen have assumed
uTho National Reform Associa.