Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1870-02-10
COURT ON SUNDAY,


ing town Of HilIsbOro have been
very much inceuSed on account of
Judge saiTord's having held Court
on the 23d day of January, Sunday.
The case before the Court to be
tried, was the State against James
Davidson, for murder The Judge
is not alone to blame for this viola
ton ofthe Christian Sabbath, for
while no juryman could compel q
session Of Court on the Sabbath
day, single juryman by refusing
to sit as such on that day could
have prevented it.
The remarks of Rev. Mr.. Marlay
in relation to this outrage, as it is
termed, from what we can learn of
the excitement, seems to express
the sentiments of the Christian, and
moral law and order portion Of the
community of that section Below
VIC giYc the Rev,s remarks with
the predatory words Of the editor,
which we find in the HillsborOugh
News ofthe Sd inst;
REMARKS OF THE REV. J. r. MARLAT,
ON THE RECENT DISSERTATION OF.
THE SABBATH, BY HOLDING COURT
IN HILLsBoRo, tr9f
As the remarks ofRev Mr.. Mar
lay, in his sermon of Sunday even
ing, Jan. 23d, in regard to the con
duct of Judge Stafford in holding
Court on that day, have been the
subject of much comment, we have
thought it proper to publish them
in full, in order that all our read
ers may know exactly what they
were, we copy them from the
manuscript of his sermon, which
Mr. NJ. has kindly furnished us
''When Judge, by permitting a
session of his Court on the Sab
bath, without one plausible plea OIL
necessity, procIaims his contempt
Of God and his disregard of the
rights Of CAristian men-when an
outrage like this is committed
against the consciences of Chris.
tian when open contempt is
cast upon the holy Sabbath, and an
insult is flung into the faces of all
who love and revere it--when re.
ligion is thus trampled under foot,
by those who are charged with the
administration Of justice, it is high
time for good men TO be aroused
to sense of theirpcrsonaI respon.
sibility for the manner in which
they exercise the right of suffrage.
In o free Government like ours,
where the people are the sources Of
power, they are primarily responsi'
BILE for the character OF the laws,
and of those who administer them.
The greatest element of our
stength and prosperity as a nation,
hitherto, has been our strict observ-
ance Of the Sabbath. The contin-
ent of Europe has nothing like it
rhdro tho Lorci'srut 10 most shock I
ingly proianed, and turned into a
day of secular amusement and sin
fui dissipation, The result is, q
people fit only to be the slaves Of
temporal and spiritual despotism-
the willing slaves Of such tyrants as
he who trembles upon the throne of
France-the no less willing slaves
of spiritual despotism like that Of
Rome. We are not quite ready for
that yet
| do not claim that It'll the prov
ince of the civil power to enforce a
spiritual observance fthe Sabbath,
| admit that 1t has no direct con
Germ with duties purely religious
These it must leave to the authori-
ity of God, which is infinitely above
their authority. But to protect
those who are disposed to observe
the day religiously, in the peaceful,
undisturbcd enjoyment Of the privi-
lege, is as much the. duty of the civ
II authority, as to protect them in
the enjoyment Of any other right
or privilege. When, instead Of this,
men are compelled to abandon the
public worship Of God to perform
Jury or ether duties about a Court
House, such an abuse Of power
calls for the sternest rebuke from
all who are in position to reach
the public ear,
So far as / know, this case is
without precedent, as tits without
Justification. Low as the Judiciary
of the city of New York has sunk
openly corrupt as tits publicly pro
claimed to be, l am persuaded that
it has never dehod the religious sen
timent Of that community by hold
irg Court on tho Sabbath. hna
/ denohnes this act, then, an
outrage against the law and author
ity of God-I denounce 1t as q stig-
ma upon the town and the Court
| donounce it as an attempt to pull
down the strongest pillar of public
virtue and piety, and | denounce
those who are responsible for 1t, as
the public enemies Of religion and
/ call upon all good men
vile would not see the food gates
Of inddclity and irreligion let leose
upon the community, to stand ts-
gether firmly and solidly, for the
maintenance Of the Christian Sab
bath, without which there never
was and never can be q free Chris
tian nation" "
Davidson has been acquitted by /