The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-06-12
THE CENTENNIAL AND THE SAB
BATH.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALp:-

To THE EDITOR THE HERALD
We have formally invited the whole world to the
double diamond wedding OF America and Liberty.
Our guests at this invited TO observe
the progress made by the youngest of the nations and
to compare the product Of institutions with those
OF their own Tho invitation SO frankly given has been
as frankly accepted The civilized world has for the
time planted little colonies around the hall where tho
Declaration OF Independence first published to tho
world by those who riskcd a fclon's death to give
freedom TO continent
There is no to apologize for our just prda
in what has been accomplished by the first hun
drcd years OF our national existence is there any
arrogance invitation to the nations to come and
compare with US. But the offer involves nee
essarily willingness 10 submit TO candid
Judgment upon our comparative achievements not
only in industrial and mechanical pursuits bur in
science, art, aesthetics and civil and religious lbety
THIS field OF the cloth OF gold is as broad as humanity
aud bounded but by me great round globe Itself. At
our great birthday festival all peoples invite To
EXHIBIT the results OF their laws and cusoms
with those OF ours. To our own pcope wo assure 10
oner an opportunity exceptional, unique, for mmtal,
moral material Improvement Not 10 fortunes
avores who at VIII traverse their continents 10
develop their taste and cultivate their minds, orcross
the Tor the qualification OF whim or the pnr.
chase OF picture or Tapestry but Tor the srcatmAsi
OF the people, who labor at the desk, IN the orun al
the loom. IN the factory or IN the icld-
most needed or whore the thirst and aspiration iof
culture most arden. aud most reprcssed by iron
ortune''was the promise OF the Centennial given Is
our race progressvcy shall 1t prosrcssy Who assist
II IN its onward, upward march and who oppose IL?
Tnesc are tho questions suggested by title gwen
this article and which must receive some answer, so
far concerned, before the Centennial EXIT
biion finally closes Its doors. We have invited the
whole to feast but 1t Is not necessary the
discussion OF the subject proposed to consider the
feelings, predictions or prcjudiccs OF any one outsds
the olu OF Christianity. We have. however, invllcd
all OF our own people, and they have irey
cordially IRON the public treasury and from LLcIr
private purses, and they have rights which must be
consulted.
The centennial Commission has decided to tho
Exhibition and the grounds Sunday and the order
has so been rlgidy enforced. The Presbyterian As
semby, just held IN brooklyn, has a matter OF
course resolutions encouraging the commission
10 MAINTAIN This decision against the emphatic pro-
Of large and respectable meetings Of cnizens, aud
ENORMOUSLY limited NJ The propricty OF the ISSUANCE Of
tickets TO the Exhibition Tor themselves, by way,
doubtless oil further improving the financial prospects
enterprise. The observance OF the seventh day
OF the week maize binding upon the jews, to whom
IL especially directed Christians however, are
nowhere commanded in the gospels epistles to OBJ.
that any other day OF the week. nor Is the
Sabbath mentioned in the New Testament except TO
show the entire disregard Of by The Saviour and the
apostles. The claim Of tho Sabbairlan churches Of
to-day to the tte OF Evangelical must strike US
rather bold in view OF this undennbic fact
Tho earliest enactment OF legal distinction be-
tween this day and rest Of the week made by
the Emperor Constantine The early practice OF the
Church and the modern pra-cc by far the largest
portion OF II still is TO observe sunday as holiday
day OF recreation, IN which religious obscrvances
the remainder II reserved for tho British re-
formers, aided by the hostility of feeling against the
Church and State, eliminating in the great civil war,
70 unchrlstan re Sunday They substituted for this
festival gloomy jewish Sabbath and their IDEAS
transplanted TO tins country by the Purisans have
taken such firm hold upon many Americans that Sab
hath breaking and blasphemy, Sabbath breaking and
infidcllty, SABBATH breaking and immortality, are as
sumed MS synonymous terms
We have among US "A largo number Of Christians cdn-
Gated III Europe. many OF them belonging To parent
churches Of the same Protestant denominations, which
In America by process OF assimilation, have become
violently Sabbatarian. To them this enforced solemn
dlcncss on Sunday, which they have been taught 10
consider as Judaicai and ant'-Christian Is simply
tyranny and odious invasion Of that right TO DO
lgious according TO the dictates OF their con.
sciences, which we pretend TO guarantee to all and
which claim more loudly for themselves than our
Puritan friends who are. in fact so voclfcrous In the
OF religious liberty that they cannot hear the
voice OF those who do not entirely agree with them
That the enforced observance OF days or forms Of
worship lpon large portion OF the community in de.
ancc OF their feelings and religious teachings at the
bchcst OF most overwhelming majority, IS unlikely
to improve public morals as 1t IS clearly arbitrary and
unconstitutional, IS proposition too plain 10 require
argument.
The holiday afforded on Decoration Day showed how
eager our busy working people TO avail them.
selves Of their rare opportunities Tor Improvement
Thousands of clerks aud Others TO wnom the Conten.
HAL has been but the feast OF Tantaus crowded tbs
from this city alone, and the receipts at the Exh
bton indicated the OF the deprivation 10 which
the workngmen have been subjected by this latter dav
robbery OF their ancient holiday. III IL be contendcd
that those employed IN the Exhibition need rest their
places could easily be filled sundays by others who
III these hard times have only little labor: or the
machinery might be lett in rcposc and only
such force retained as necessary for the protection OF
the articles on exhibition II reform and the good
OF society Is the object really sought the practice Of ha
whole Christian world outside OF Great Britain and Amer
lea points out tho obvious pursued at the
Exhioiton and throughout the country for tho next
SIX months and Tor all time increase the facilities for
innocent ana heathin recreation and Improvement or
the workngmnns only holiday. Seek to reform hi
tastes ny surrounding HIM that day with opportu
mites to cultivate music aud the kindred arts Opcu
YOUR galleries aud your Iibrarcs In proportion al
you rcino bis nature you Will purify his morals and
truly, ASTERrsH
Inn K