The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1870-03-18
Original.
Written fer the Journal
A WEEK IN THE WOODS.
THE SEVENTH DAY. 2

Inc next Qay was Gne holy SaD-
bath-the Lords Day-the day of
rest. Not to enter upon theologic-
al polemics to any extent, but mere
ly to advert to q single point, l
would modestly ask, if the seventh
day from beginning of creation was
called The Sabbath or "Day Of
Rest" and was set apart by the
Creator, for religious reflection and
exercises, what more fitting, than
the day be changed in honor of
the resurrection of that same Creator
lii the person of Jesus Christ, Lord.
of the Sabbath Especially as the
Savior has, since the Assertion,
been the central object of all enlight-
ened worship and adorations 1t
matters little, otherwise, which day
is observed, if a seventh day
is regularly set apart for rest from
secular labor and for deyout contem=
plation and pious exercises. And
yet any dashing and disturbing Of
one by another should be avoided;
and as our government was founded
upon a system of religion, which re-
cognizes the first day Of the week as
the Sabbath, although that same
is designed to secure to
all full religious liberty, there would
seem to be no warrant for any por-
ton Of our adopted countrymen
either to advocate or to change the
Christian Sabbath. Hence laws
are enacted for it's protection. These
laws however are not partial to any
particular denomination, nor do they
compel any person to yield obedi-
ence to any sectarian requirement,
or support any religious organiza-
ton or enterprise. We have no ses-
tablished church, to aid in sustaining
which, every citizen must be tithed
or taxed: Each can help support
the church of his choice, or if he
have no choice, he need not pay to
aid in sustaining any. This l call
religious liberty. Doubtless this
liberty has its disadvantages, as for
instance, in the establishment and
prosperity Of Mormonism il our
western territories. This so-cIaimed
system Of religion is moth lg less
than clooked +, cs tuition or adultery
without even legal protection, ex-
cept it has enacted its own laws in
its defence. And yet SO strenuous
advocates for religious liberty are
we as q nation, that we have suffer
ed this moral cancer to fasten itself
and throw out its leprous arms, till
the entire body polite is being per
yaded with its deadly virus, and
there is no physician in the lf nd able
to heal, and no surgeon skillfuI to
remove the disease. As in the case
of its twin ulcer, African slavery,
its removal will doubtless endanger
the national life; bu., if not removed
the patiaI might better die H0'
Being urged to spend the sabbath
in the country, I accepted the invita-
ton rather than walk four miles to
church in the neighboring village.
Th, e was another reason for my
decision which 1 may mention as I
am protected from the jibes of my
many friends by my disguised sig
nature; I allude to the fact ofmy ap-
parel being neither fashionable,
whole nor clean. Villagers pay
more attention to the demands Of
the popular tyrant, fashion, than the
inhabitaays Of a city, or rather they
make mc parade of their ability
to dress fashio lably, and more sew
erely ignose those who are not able,
than citizens. OF course 1 supposed
that folks living in the country, with
few privileges, either educational or
religious would pay less regard to
outward appearances.
1 believe in putting the best foot
forward, to use an old saying; so /
Strengthened up my wilted garrote,
brushed the lint and dust from my
clothesand"dapedpor creased mycow
hides, (saturating them with water
had stifened them so they would no
longer be called kip-skin, and in
company with the family of my
friend, set out for the red building
that answerered the double purpose
of school-house and church. We
he'd to walk two miles through the
mud, picking our way as we could
and by the time we reached the
building, my boots looked as if they
had not been creased. The woman
folks by wearing dresses more APP
prOpriate than fashionable, got along
very well. Already some twenty
men had arrived and were standing
in small groups about the yard.
The attitudes they had assumed,
and the fact that some Of them were
whiting, and the subjects of their
conversation, made it seem more
like town-meeting day, than like the
Sabbat. 1t had somehow become
generally known that the surveyor