The Hawaiian gazette., 1874-05-13
Snndny Laws.


The AdrertiSs- objects to our Sunday laws, as
made by men Of the Puritan race of New Eng
land, who strove to introduce here the Puritan
Sabbath as it was understood and enforced in the
days Of Cotton Matber in Massachusetts, and the
reign Of the Blue Laws in Connecticut" Some
thing also is said by that journal, on the question
whether a man who enjoys music pure air and
flowers, watching the gambols of his children
4 on the green" cannot have as pure religion " as
the ascetc who dares not put his foot outsi de the
door for fear Of profaning the holy Sabbath. -
But the bearing Of this is in the application
thereof viz " Will the great corporations that
conduct the wcSld's traffic and travel consent to
allow Hawaiian Sabbath laws to make them
day behind time !? Will the Honolulu marshals,
sherifs constabes and other public officers strict
/ ly enforce the Sabbath law should these ships
happeR to arrive or depart on Sunday r.
/ Before undertaking to answer for the great
corporations or the public officers, we will say
word about the laws. We do not now discuss
the origin of the obligation to observe the Lords
/ Day. 1t is enough to say that Christian princi-
I
business. The experimen; of the French social
lists, Of taking one day in ten for rest, ignoring
the Lords Day, soon proved a failure, for it was
found that the proportion of time set apart by
the Bible for rest could not be changed. That
/ Christianity is part Of Hawaiian common law,
as well as Of English and American common law,
does not seem to US to be open to doubt We
will however briefly alde to the 4drsrtissr's
fling at New England Puritanism. 1t may be
that the PUritsns were bigoted, iutolerant, and
stern in their fashion of living. These Traits
heEeTeT are not uncommon with minds capable
Of strong convictions Few men reach conclu-
sious on matters which they regard as important,
and retain charity for opposing views. In the
serious aspect of the Puritan character. lis ad-
herence to ideas Of duty, in its inability to yield
what it regarded as rights, one recognizes the
sturdy Anglo Saxon spirit which insisted on Bills
Of Right Magma Chartas, and on whatever is
sincere aud good al over the world The laws
shall not be changed, HoltmUS isgsS ARqliE nil-
tlri, said the English barons, Now intolerance
is no more akin to reverence for duty, nor to the
serious nature Of the Puritan, than to frivolous
or sensual nature. Men can be selfish, narrow
and bigoted, whether their dispositions be grave
or gay. Intolerance is distinctive neither Of Ca
Waller nor Puritan. The man himself is more
than his pr1tessed views. We usually learn to
judge Of opinions by the men who hold them,
more than We judge Of men by their professions.
To return to SuEday laws: The observance Of /
the Lords Day in the early Christian Church /.
does not seem to have excluded amusements or
certain kinds Of labor Constantne's edict in f.
regard to The Venerable Day Of the SUM-" re-
quired rest for the judges, and city people, and
the business Of all arts Later views excluded 1
all work but that Of mercy or necessity.
10 looking at English legislation we fud in the 1
reign Of Edward V. the first Sunday law, requir-
ing the day to be kept holy Statutes Of Eli
zabeth and James L punished BY foe all per.
sous having no lawful or reasonable excuse for
absence from church These last statutes have
not been retained in the United States. The
act Of Charles II. for the first time enacts the
spirit Of the fourth commitment, Six days
shalt thou labor and DO all thy work and from
it have sprung the United States and Hawaiian
Sunday laws. That law enacted that mo trader,
arti6eer, workman, laborer or other person or
persons whatever shall DO or exercise any worldly
labor or business or work Of their ordinary cali
ing on Sunday and prohibited the sale or hawk
ing Of goods or wares. In lois. james l. issued
bis Book Of Sports to be lawfully used on
h.-h - l. !
pie should not after the end Of divine service, be
disturbed, letted or discouraged from any lawful
But en- Act Of Charles /. prohibit
ID Sunday sports, and annulled the effect Of
James ediet- That Act is generally re-enacted
q the United States.
Now 10 all this, We see nothing to lay to the
iOor Of poor Cotton Matber and his New Eng
anders, to say nothing Of the mythical Blue Laws
II Connecticut
Nor is there anything in these laws which de-
lies usn the privilege Of pure air or sunshine.
What have ne to say against it, if some find !
trength and pleasure 10 spending the Lords Day !
Q sslf-eommuniou at home, rather than IN social
Few are in danger Of too much re-
lection on matters Of duty. The excitements of
be world give none too much time for calm
bought All are entitled to their views, whether :
o stay at home or associate with others, or read
sermons in stones, books ia the running brooks
ut for our part give Us men who retire within I
at least once a week.
The danger that religion will place too much
oustraint on worldly pleasures or business il not
0 great IL these days, as that it will have no ]
inc for itself The correct ground for Sunday
'gislasion, as many think, is that religious duties