The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1876-03-02
lro De coNTINrED. I
From the United Preslyterianl
mot This Man, But Barabbas. "


The following item comes from Wash,
ington:
"O'Brien, Of Maryland, Democrat and
Cathlic, proposes to support Blaine's pro-
posed amendment to the Constitution in
regard to schools with the following
amendment:
"No State shall make any law respect
ing an establishment Of religion, or pro-
hibiting the full exercise thereof. and no
minister or preacher of the gospel Of any
religious creed or denomination shall
hold any office of trust or emolument
under the United States, or under any
State.
"SEc .. No money raised by taxation
in any State for the support of public
chools, or derived from any public fund
therefor, nor any public lands devoted
thereto, shall be under the control OF any
religious sect, nor shall any money so
raised, nor lands so devoted, be divided
between religious sects or denominations,
nor shall any minister or preacher of the
gospel, nor of any religious creed or de
nomination, hold any office in connection
with the public schools in any State, nor
be eligible to any position of trust or
emolument in connection with an insti-
tuition which shall be supported in whole
or in part from any public funds
History repeats itself, and the repeti-
tions are curious and instructive. There
was a time, a good while ago, when a GER
tain ecclesiastico-p political party held "a
notable prisoner whose name was Barab-
bas, which lay bound with them that had
made insurrection with him, who had
committed murder in the insurrection.'
This party moved the governor that
he would release Barabbas from his diff
culties and disabilities and cruelty
Jesus, who was called Christ" And be-
cause they were very urgent about it the
governor did SO. And now a politico-
ecclesiastical party, with the same prin-
ciples, spirit, and objects, comes forward
in the Congress of the United States and
moves" the government to release a GER
tain notable prisoner" called Jefferson
Davis, who lies bound" (under the disa-
bilities Of treason) with them that made
insurTection with him, and who commit
ted (wholesale) murder in the insurrec-
tion," and at the same time to put a
mark of dishonor on Jesus. who is called
Christ" in the person of his representa-
tives, by providing by law that mo min
lister OF preacher of the gospel, of any
religious creed or denomination shall
hold any Office of trust or emolument
under the United States, or any State"
Nor shall any such person hold any
Office in connection with the public
schools in any State
The arbitrator, jefferson Davis, shall
be made eligible to any Office in the
United States, TO q seat in Congress. to
the Presidential chair; but the chaplain
who shared with his regiment the perils
and hardships of war to suppress the "in-
of
his confederates, and the minister who
stood in the ranks and left an arm at
Manassas, or a leg in the trenches before
Petersburg. shall be ineligible to a place
on the School Board, or to the Office Of
teacher
Such is the cxquisitely modest propo-
sition which has been submitted to Con-
gress by the member from Maryland
The former part Of this proposition was
strenuously supported by almost an en-
tire party; with what degree of favor the
latter will meet we shall see in the course
of time. Amnesty to the Confederate
Barabbas has failed for the present, but
rather through blunder than from want
Of will.
The object of the Romanists in propos-
ing this addition to Mr. Blaines amend
ment is manifestly to load il down till il
becomes too heavy for any party to carry,
and thus ultimately TO defeat il altogeth-
er. But there never was a more gratuit-
Gus or meaner insult offered to the Chris
tian religion. The ministers of the
United States are not seeking office. The
offices which are sometimes thrust upon
them, in connection with the public
schools, are usually such as are not
greatly burdened with "emoluments >
but have their full share OF responsibility
and annoyance. And when Christian
ministers have been called (as OCCASION
ally they are called) to fill other offices,
they haYe not disgraced the bodies to
which they belonged, nor have the inter
ests Of the public suffered in consequence
OF their presence
The constitution provides that mo re-
ligious test shall ever be required as a
qualification to any office or trust under
the United States" But this proposition
is an approach to the making OF irreligion
a qualifying test for office. If man
must be purged of any very close connec.
tion with religion in order to be eligible
to Office, it will follow that the less con-
nection he has with religion the better
are his qualifications. There is, unhap-
PLY, among a large class, deep and
wide current Of opinion drifting in this
direction. While the ministers Of relig-
ion are not courting office, they have not
deserved that the profane swearer. the
m-seller, the drunkard, the Sabbath
breaker, the gambler, and the idolater
should be held eligible to office, and they
only excluded. The propriety Of minis
tiers OF the gospel holding office is a ques- ]
ton for themselves and for ecclesiastical
courts. Their civil rights are the same
as those Of other men. An awakened
public opinion will see that the Protcs-
tant ministry are the firm supporters Of
republican institutions, and at the same
time among the real guardians OF our
public schools, and Of every precious in
tcrest Of society. j. +. L.