National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1873-07-02
CHURCH TAXATION AGAIN.

| n ne Ef,f,r Of hs Nafferdi RsrNbifoars
SIR: Pressing duties have prevented me from
paying an earlier attention to your remarks In
your Issue Of the 2sth June, on the subject Of
church taxation. Sou commenced this discus
| sion by asserting that church exemption was
gross injustice to q certain portion Of the COM
munity. have proved, according 10 your own
principles that there Is no such injustice; that
II Ia idle and manifestly Inconsistent to talk OF
any injustice In church exemption, when you
approve OF the system by which one half OF the
population OF Washington city are taxed against
their will for the support Of schools which they
do not want, and from which they derive no
benefit. DO you not know that this Is taxing
them for the exercise OF their rellgio on, since II
Is solely on religious grounds, and from con-
scientious motives, that they cannot avail them
selves OF the public school system7 II this Is
not unjust, according to you, do not continue to
tell us that II Is unjust 10 tax a certain number
Tor the Indirect support OF churches.
Your main argument against church exemp-
ton Is drawn from the clause contained In the
first amendment to the Constitution OF the TINT
| ted States, which says that Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment OF religion,
or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" You
inferred from thig that II was contrary to the
spirit OF the Consultation TO give any, even indi.
rect, support 10 religion; that complete separa-
| can dOctrins. I refdted the positlG, which you
here assumed by showing mat while the Constl-
| tuition OF our country forbids Congress 90 estab-
lish or create any particular religious orginiza-
tIon. il doe, not forbid ieQislaiion In regari 10
the unfolding or maintenance Of that Christian
moral law, which a. recognizes, and which has
nenceinenI Of our Goyernncnt. mis- hsye
shown by referring to the obligation Of an oath
or Animation, which IL esseriisIly A religions
act. and which con stitutss The fundation al onr
whole judicial system, Has not Congrea, m ala
laws Ia regard TO the condition OF such an obli-
rat,onf And In exempting some from the oath,
while II requires an Animation from others does
!, nvt dis,,utliy lor,slate In favor of Inc reIi.
yious preferences Of a certain class7 Does moi
everybody know that Congress has its chapl,ins.
are laws 81 Congress regulating the dulles AMI
,,ay OF such ofliclais7
ftcannot, then, be asserted that 1t Ia At variance
% favor religion or to support il. 1, womb he
uncon Al tutioual to snow pArtiniity FOR 4 partic
mar acct or ORGANIZATION: hut 70 favor All the
Ienominailons equally, Of 70 place them on th
same fyotIug. far from being opposei 10 Inc fan.
IamentsI law Of the land, Is ID conformity 70 il.
HeDce we deem ID incorrect 10 say that the en-.
,ctment OF Juue ~, 1870, by which the church
from assessmsnt. WAS "a depsrtuse from tbs
trs,iitiopsi policy Of our Nstionai Leaislaturs"
rhe tradIIional policy OF principle Of our Gov
irnInent mas beeu 10 encour "a Ne religion and a
10 nave SHOWN, BY positlye and direct Ievisls-
ion. such being the case, Although there NAV
nave been no previous enactment Of Consress
connecting church exemptiou. ,t ia manIfest mai
mis- exemption IA In perfect harmony with the
temper and spirit which were ortgna,y infuse,l
into ia ORGANIC code the nrat smen,in = nj 10
ne CollstIi,ition nrohibits the estallishment ~
,ny parti,uar chi,rch. but n ,Ioes mai nrabih,t
iegisIniion I'M regsr,I 10 me relivion which II "a,
L .ovnizes IJnstice story an ina Canatit,,ian
| ,oSt a n. lsTi n s,oi IL recognixes the nrnc,'
oles m the moral inw which ohtained amops ina
american colonies Al Inc nerio,I of ina Da.lar..
HON AZ Indene ndence and these nrinrinis. .sara
| ieriyed fro,n Inc Cnristisn Cnnrsh Tnnnvs
| thev were nromulgated long before Tho inany..
| rtion OF Cnristianlty. we derived them FINN
| mr. tyroqenitors in Inc mother ropntrv Tn,s
Ghrstisn sentiment Was incorpora ri In our ar
| fanic law. ami. a the eioouent DANIEL Webster
inca saiI aryerytbing ds,,iares IL ina m ssiys
at6eJrai Of tke Cstnolic: Inc Raissansl,sn
;burch win its splres mounting hes Ven rnri ina
| Sialn trmnle Of Inc ouaker: me log chnsrb m
me hanIy ploneer Of M. wll,Ierness. the me,nen.
| soes ami iuemor,sls around and nbout us. The
yrnyeynr,is their tombstones and epita ma ths,r
| client vaults and mouIder,ng conteIts-al attest
| II. me deai prove ID a. well a. the living We
EEL II. An. All proclaim that ChrIstisn,ts.-uen
| md partie,-that Christianity 10 which ina
| .uori ami the fagoot are n9rnowr"geno,af
Iolerant Christlanlts IL ia tse law az ths isnd !
| fSnasrh hefore tne 5npreme Can't ~ tbs Ifa,f.a
Ststes in inc t;lrani viii cas. Febrnary ia IN
| rne great Washington Vas Ok ina same on,n,oni
| mere h nothing that he more soe,nniy uryri
mon the peopl. If Inc intel states IN bls fssa.
veil address. lhan religion and moraiItv' a. the
nlsuen sable 80 Dorts Of poIItIeaI nrosrrit, and
/ ma vreat piiIsrs II human hanninrss a. hsre
~ me seclirity he a,ks Ufor pronerty for renn
l tatIan for ria N ina sense n r,iynns nni,s,s
lam ,,,ssrt ms oaths wn,ch Az ma m !,