The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-03-18
THE SABBATH IN WASHINGTON,
How it is Observed-The Law Rigid.
ly Enforced and Cheerfu!ly Obeyed
The Policy POpular-The Rea-
SOM
From the Cincinnati Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March 4 :.


The discussions that occur in
Cincinnati and other places, from
time to time, induce me to devote
a letter from this city to the Sun
day question, which may be as in
teresting to those who regard the
subject from q secular standpoint
as to those who view it in differ
ert light.
It was in the interest of man
that God Almighty instituted the
Sabbath. In all his dealings with
the human race the Creator had in
view the interests Of the people,
The laws given to Moses prove
that the oppressed always had His
special care, and the teachings OF
Christ we're in continuance of this.
The associates Of the Savior were
the poor, and from this class near
ly oil his Apostles were chosen
w ealth tends to an aristocracy,
and this class usually regards the
masses of the people as born to
serve Wealth can not only take
care of itself, but it can also rulc
those who are not wealthy. Hence
the wisdom of the divine laws,
which were framed. not in the in
terests of the wealthy classes, but
of the whole people.
The Sabbath is part of this sys-
tenn, and it was ordained in the in
terests of the p,ople, in order that
all classes might have that rest
which medical experience proves
necessary to the moral and physic-
al we'll being of mankind.
The laws, therefore, which pro-
tect the Sabbath are of more i'm
portance, by far, to the working
people than to those who arc able
to live without work. The former
are the children Of necessity. The
latter are the children of wealtt
and ease.
If the civil Sabbath should b,
broken down it is very easy to SCI
that there would be no day OF res
for those who work for living
Competition would very soon oper
every store and shop in the land
and the American year would be
come one Of perpetual toll
The encroachments that hav'
been made upon the civil Sabbath
in Cincinn a.i have rendered it nee
essarv tor twenty-five Thousand
people to perform common labo
on Sunday, and as the encroach
: ments progress this number stead
J ily increases. One man is compel
led to work on Sunday because hi
neighbor, in the same business
works on that day,
Thus step by step the restraint
: that secure the poor man one da
, of rest in the seven are being re
f moved, and at the rate we are pre-
i, crossing in this country we sha
sooa have no day of rest. and ir
stead of the American Sabbath W
shall have the Sabbath of Franc
5 and Mexico.
am writing now, you will OK
!. serve, from secular standpoin
.. and il is in this light that / as
nv readers to look At it. The ant
t Sabbath movement is conducted Q
t if, the Sabbath were an institutio
Of the church, and that only thos
. who are professors of religion al
interested in it: but the Sabbat
: was instituted before the churc
4 was established, and the latter i
, adopting it only obeyed the la
: given by God in the interests (
men
: People, therefore, who suppos
D that to oppose the observance ,
the Sabbath is to oppose the churc
: and that in doing this service the
!. are advancing the cause of the PEI
= pie, make great mistake.
Whether those so-called leader
e Of public opinion believe in Go
:, or not, whether they believe in re
a ligion or not, they will not den
that the institution of the Sabbat
was wise, and that the rest prov
= ded for is adapted to the physic
D necessities of man. When, ther
+ fore, these people talk about Il
. liberties of the people and the
> right to do as they please on Il
L first day of the week, let them be.
. in mind that they are fastening
Q load upon the people which the