The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-11-07
Eag., SilsIsATHu.


1t is known to all VINO are familiar with
the early history of Vermont both as a
colony and n state, that her brave sons and
pioneers, through difficulties and dangers
That w0ufA have dlstheaTtungi fTreii Hess
brave and patriotic, fairly conquered for
herself place in the Union of States
Prizing human liberty and tie inalicnable
rights of men above every other considcra-
ton, she enacted first Of all in her consli-
tuition which is called her " bill of rights
In the third section thereof, she pro-
claimed the existence Of " Almighty God,"
and emblazoned on her Magma Charter the
inalienable right to worship Him according
to individual conscience. But in closing
the proclamation of this section she an
nounced the convictions of united and
Christian people that " the Sabbath" the
day of the Lord, shall receive and command
the recognition and observance of all her
people. The law OF God, as above all con.
situations and laws, is here empha,cally
declared and our commonwealth thus
committed by constitutional enactment, to
m element perhaps more properly, a result
of civilization which is known and &C
knowledged wherever in the broad world
the Gospel Of Christ is proclaimed
While the liberty of conscience is thus
clearly set forth, it was feared that this re-
igious freedom might in individual cases
result in religious vagates offensive 10 the
great mass of the people. So it was de-
clared in qualification of this inalelable
right THAT every sect or denomination of
Christians ought to observe the Sabbath
. or Lords day, aud keep up some sort Of
religious worship which to them shall
" seem most agreeable to the revealed will
of God"
il is gratifying to the freedom-loving and
odfearing people to recur to this feature
in our early history. 1t is a sublime specta-
Gle to contemplate, even at this distance of
years. this assemblage of Christian patriots,
in their very first political act, planting
firmly in the fundamental law of the state
The broad recognition of God and Christ,
and connecting them thus ndissolubly with
The inalienablc rights of men. So when
the quiet Sabbath, the day of the Lord
sheds its golden light on our hills, and we
wend our way to the house OF God, it is
pleasant to contemplate that we not only
10 it in obedience to "hgher law" but
from the authoritative leadings of the
Christian patriots who laid this foundation
OF popular rights in our constitution. |,
becomes necessary in all organized states tc
supplement the constitution by details OF
statutory law, Hence it was not enough
for our fathers to say in the constitution
what ought to be done. They have thrown
further legislative guards and guarantee
around the observance of the sabbath by
declaring by statute what shall nat he don't
on Sunday by any citizen.
While the spirit and purpose OF legisla
ton on this subject is to be commended
there are some provisions which will b,
considered by many as having strong
flavor of the old days Of puritanic legisla
ton. How many of our readers know tina
Sunday drive, 'eXcept from necessity O.
charity" makes one liable to fine and [,
-tand committed until it is pad? How
many are aware that a ''yisit from house II
house, except it be from motives of human
ty or charity, or for moral or religious ed
ifcation,' is punishable by fine, and that i
is made the duty of consiables and gran,
jurors to enforce this provision? Who ha
ever read that the least secular labor
business or employment, except only q
works of necessity and charity" is viola
ton Of statute of long standing ? An at