The Sumter watchman. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1855-1881, 1871-03-08
DEVOTED TO MORALITY And GENERAL INTELLIGENCE
LETTER FROM DANIEL WEBSTER
ON SABBATH SCHOOLS.

ON SABBATH SCHOOLS
PROF. PEAsE-Dedr Sr: I have
received your very able and interesting
annual report of the condition of the
New York Sabbath School Association,
and read it with great pleasure and in
struction. 1t is gratifying to lealn that,
10 ga city where vice and immortality
lun riot with :mpuuity," a few humble
Christians have devoted their time and
energies to the cause of religion, and /
fefveutly pray that your labors may be
crowned with success.
The Sabbath School is one of the
great institutions ofthe day. 1t leads
our ryauih--in.ethes-path Of truth and
morality, and makes them good men and
useful citizens. AS a school of religi-
Gus instruction lit is of inestimable value;
as civil institution it is priceless, and
has done more to preserve our liberties
than grave statesman and armed SOL
diers. Let it, then, be fostered and
preserved until the end of time!
once defended man charged with
the awful crime of murder. A: the con-
clusiou of the trial, 1 asked him what
could induce him to stain his hands
with the blood of fellow-being. Turn
ing his bloodsbot eyes full upon me, he
replied 10 q voice of despair, "Mr.
Webster; in my youth spent the holy
Sabbath in evil amusements, instead Of
frequeuting the house Of prayer and
praise" Could we go back to the early
years of all hardened criminals, be-
lieve, yes, firmly believe, that their first
departure from the path of morality was
when they abandoned the Sabbath
School, and their subsequent crimes
might thus be traced back to the neg
lect of youthful religious instruction.
Many years ago l spent Sabbath
with Thomas Jefferson at his residence
in Virginia. 1t was in the month Of
June, and the weather was delightful.
While engaged in discussing the beau
ties of the Bible, the sound Of a bell
broke upon our ears, when, turning to
the sage Of Monticello, remarked,
GLOW sweetly sounds the Sabbath bell!"
The distinguished statesman for a moo
ment seemed lost in thought, and then
replied, "Yes, dear Webster, yes it
melts the heart, it calms our passions,
and makes US boys again." Here l OBJ
served that man was only az animal
formed for religious worship, and that
notwithstanding all the sophistry Of
Epicurus, Lucretious and voltaire, the
Scriptures stood upon a rock as firm, as
immovable as truth itself; that man. in
his purer, loitier brea.hings, turned the
mental eyes toward Immortality; and
that the poet only echoed the general
sentiment Of our nature in saying tha:
"the soul secure in her existence,
smiles at the drawn dagger, and de6es
its point"
Mr. Jefferson fully concurred in this
opinion, and observed that the tendency
Of the American mind was in different
direction, and that Sunday Schools Che
did not use our more correct term Sab
bath) presented the only legitimate
means, under the Constitution, of avoid
ing the rock on which the French re-
public was wrecked. "Burke," said
he, "never uttered a more important
truth, than when he exclaimed that a
religious education was the cheap de-
fence of nations" "Raikes," said
Mr. Jefferson, "has done more for our
country than the present generation
will ack knowledge. Perhaps when l am
cold, he will obtain his reward; hope
so, earnestly hope so. l am considered
by many, Mr.. Webster, to have little
religion; but now is not the time to
correcs errors of this sort. I have al
ways said, and always will say that the
studious perusal of the sacred volume
will make better citizens, better fathers
&apd better husbands" took the lib
erty of saying that l found more plea
sure in Hebrew poetry than in the best
| VI OtCCSC ou1 4eSA1St sAos
the "harp upon the willows upon Baby
lon" had charms for me beyond any.
thing in the numbers of the blind man
Of Smyrna, / then turned to Jeremiah
(there was fine folio of the Scriptures
before me of 1859, and read aloud some
of those sublime passages that used to
delight me on my fathers knee. But
fear, my dear friend, | shall tire you
with my prolx account Of what was q
pleasant Sabbath, spent in the company
of one who has filled a very large space
in our political and literary annals.
Thanking you for your report and
heartily concurring with you in the
truth Of your quotation that "righte-
business exalte,h nation, but Sin is q
reproach to any people" remain, with
high regard your friend,
D. WEBSTER.
Mansfield, June 18Th, 1852.