St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1871-02-10

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of the people in our land are in favor {
these Christian features of our civil lilt
lIut there is 10 authorization of them i
our National Constitutions The theor
of this instrument, according to its bcs
interpreter, Judge Story, is that civi
government with us is to have no relation
to religion. If it means simply 10 forbi'
Il union of church. and state, that wuul,
be right. The friends of this movcmcn
are most determined opponents of surl
union. But they are equally opposed t,
the divorce of government from religion
la the unwrittcn constitution of our na
ton there is no such divorce. In the writ
ten constitution there is. Judge Jameson
one Of tie best constitutional lawyers in
our country, drawing the distinction be
tween the unwrttcn and the written con
>ltution Of the nation, and determining
the relation between them, asks: "Whcn
Il people frame for themselves Il written
constitution, what is the nature of the
act - And then he answers : at is n
TRANSMITTING into appropriate legal Ian
gnagc, ard Il formal registering amongst
the archives of the nation, stamped with
tie fH which marks the national acqui-
essence and gives 10 it authenticity, of
the constitution, which has, in the pro-
grcss of the nation, and under the opera
ton of all lis social forces, actually evolv-
ed itself as a fact Constitutional Com
roition, j,Hge1l. Now according to this
fundamental principle of constitutional
law, it Is nothing more than reasonable
that cur national constitution should be
50 amended as TO authenticate. and guard,
and develop the imperilcd Christian in
stilutions and laws OF our land.
The speaker then went on to show how
the constitution is made an argument for
the repeal of Sabbath laws, for the him
dcring of legislation against polygamy,
and for the expulsion of the Bible from
our common schools According TO the
principle of the constitution itself, and
two treaties made by the constitution of
equal authority with itself, this govern
mcnt has nothing to do with Christian
morals rs distinguished from Mohamme-
dan morals, and is Sin no sense founded
on the Christian religion" If the prin
rule, we must break down, as the atheist
and iniidcl INSIST, everything diStinctively
Christian in our national life. We are
not ready to do this. If we would put
our anti-p ylygamy laws and our system
of common school education on an unde
niablc legal basis, we must have n Chris
tian amendment 10 our national constitu-
ton.
The speaker then called attention to
the grounllcssneSs of objections to the
movcment-spccialIy the objection that
thus TO amend the constitution would
make the nation prosecutor. The gov
crnmcnt now makes men swear TO sup
port constitution into which has been
incorporated an anti-slavcry amendment.
Some men still believe slavery TO be Il
divine institution, and can't consci,n-
tiou,ly swear TO support the constitution,
Does the nation therefore persccute them!
Other men are consclentiously opposed to
the very principle of state education
Yet the government taxes them to sup
port that 10 which they are opposed.
Does ii therefore pcrsccutc them! SO
if the nation believes It's acknowledge
mcnt of Gods authority and the auihcn-
tication of its Christian laws and institu-
tions in the constitution are necessary to
its welfare, it no more than in either Of
the other cases opens itself up 10 any Just
chargc of persecution.
At the close of his address, OH motion
of Rev. Jas Nj. Beatlie of Rycgatc, Rev.
John Service was appointed delegate, and
judge buchanan alternate, to attend the
National Convention TO be held in Phil
adeIp!ia, on Wednesday, the 18th of
January.
On mott III If Rev ID. McAlliSicr, Mrs
Robert Laird was appointed a member
additional names to the roll of members
Of the society.
Bcnjamin Gibson, Esq, then made a
short address heartily endorsing the move
mcnt, and expressing the hope that it
would soon succeed.
James Guthrie, deacon in the Connrc-
gational church, offered tle following res
olulion, which was unanimously adopt
ed:
HtSOicod, that the sentiments advanced
by Rev. David McAllister in the address
to which we have just listened, are wor.
thy Of adoption by the meeting, and by
all Christians i'll all lands
Rev. James Nj. Beattie was then re.
quested TO close the meeting with prayer.
After prayer three persons came forward
and wished TO have their names added tc
the list of members. This meeting though
the first of the kind ever held at McIn.