Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-03-29

country. We have never, till lately, been
brought face to face with large and power
full sect that believes that liberation Of a
faith opposite to its own is a sin against God
and man. But OF late years we have begun
TO feel the presence and influence of an i'm
mense religious corporation with ideas unlike
those ON which the government was built
We are beginning to understand the fact,
that two men travelling on the highway,
in opposite directions, can pass each other If
the way be broad enough; hut two men rea-
soning upon opposite principles of religion,
cannot so easily pass, without a collision,
unless they are both governed by the law Of
Christian federation and charity. If one Of
the men only has it, the other will push him
off the road to his injury. The spirit Of in.
tolerance in one party viii always produce a
shock and strife. Then force is the only ar
bitter of the dispute.
There is no present danger of religious
conflict and division. But il one after
another Of the American ideas, Of freedom
built upon intelligence and charity, of lib
erty educated to the preservation of It's birth
right, Of religion mestablished by the state,
but free to all its members, should be sue
cessfully assailed. or charitably surrendered,
we shall find that our history will be red
dened with many a repetition OF the bloody
scenes Of the past. 1t is doing injustice to
no form Of religion, to no sect in religion, to
require uniform education, at the expense
of the state, for all its children aud youth.
And to guard the people from the overshad-
owing growth and influence of any religious
sect, the state must confer no privilege of It's
treasury upon one that it does not upon
another. II the Methodist or Episcopalian
or Catholic wishes to give his children a sec.
tartan education, let him do so at his own
expense. Every man is willing, if he ac'
cepts American ideas, to be taxed to give q
system of uniform education to all the chill
dren OF the country; but a man does moi
wish to he taxed to give the children of his
Catholic or Methodist neighbor a denoni
national training. If this very simple prin
oiple is remembered, it will be possible fo
the various sects in this country to 60 bacl
and forth, and pass each other continual,
without collision, strife and persecution.
any denomination has not yet learned it, i
will be advisable TO give it ample and consist
ent instruction in the next hundred years
So senseess thing as a religious war cal
never occur in this country except by tn
permitted overgrowth Of a church that re
iects religious tolerance
1t would not be amiss to remember tina
the material prosperity of a country is base
on a solid and permanent currency of inter
national and fixed value. The mean an
decaying nations have always issued an il
convertible currency and preferred it
gold. A strong and honest nation will nc
long consent to have its notes aud promise
to pay greatly deprecated in the market O
the world. Only shabby and outwor
government holds ON TO a deprecated cui
rency. The margin between gold and pape
is the register of national dishonesty.
hundred Belknaps cannot harm the countr
so much rs an unsettled financial polio
which makes government paper go up Q
down with the breath Of the Speculation
Babcock or Belknap are small pustules o
the body polite. But an inconvertble, d.
preciated currency is poisoned blood rul
ming through all the veins, and weakenin
the action Of every function and member.
1t would be well TO renew this year-tf
centennial birthday of the country--ol
fealty TO the fixed currency Of fine gold, an
to the ideas and principles of religious an
civil freedom. Gold is the medium of e.
change between individuals and nation
Tolerance and charity are the medium
exchange and communion between diver
religious FERNS. Righteousness and chart
are two good principles upon which to bull
the permanence of a republic. The OF
guards from a conflict Of hostile interests |
reason OF personal, social, financial and civ
integrity and honesty the other guar,
from religious controversy and hatred
making all sects equal before the law. Bl
gold basis can never be reached by inf
ton, and religious tolerance can never
reached by the state discriminating betwe,
the churches.