The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-06-03
SUNDAY AND THE CENTENNIAL.

SUNDAY AMI HE lENIENNiAL.
Congregational meetings were held in
both the Presbyterian aud Methodist
Churches OF this town, on Sunday morn,
ing last, Immediately after divine service,
for the purpose of obtaining an expression
of feeling from the members in regard to
the demand for the opening Of the Centen.
NAL grounds on sunday now being made
i'll various quarters.
At the Presbyterian Church, Rev Mr..
lIeberton, Pastor, the meeting was organ
lied by calling Jas. +. McCuIloagh, Esq.
to the chair, and appointing Rev. Jas.
Mclntire Secretary. After 4 statement OF
the purpose of the meeting, the following
address to the L. ). Centennial Commits
sioncrs was read and adopted, and copy
thereof ordered to be transmitted 10 said
Commission:
To tie L. s. CeatsHRiM Commissioners:
WHEREAS, Strong and persistent efforts
are being made in Philadelphia and else
where to induce the L. S. Centennial Com
missioners to reverse their decision to close
the Exhibition on the Sabbath; and
WHEREAS, Such reversal Of their deci-
sion would not only violate the law OF the
land, but would contradict the sacred prin-
ciples of Gods VOID, and violate the con-
victions of the vast majority of the intelli-
gent inhabitants of the country, and bring
lasting dishonor and disaster to our time
honored American Sabbath; therefore,
BE ii Resolced, That the Presbyterian
endorses the act of the Commissioners in
closing the Exhibition on the Sabbath, and
earnestly urges them to remain firm in
their determination to resist the efforts
which are being made to alter their decision
and that the signatures of the President
and Secretary of this meeting, appended to
this resolution, be regarded as conveying
the sense of this entire body.
JAS. T. MCCULLoUGH, President
JAMES MCINTYRE, Secretary.
At the Methodist Episcopal Church, the
meeting was called to order by the PASTOR
Rev. G. A Phubus, and VIM. Torbert was
chosen President and VIM. X. Wright Sec
rotary. \ committee, consisting of Messrs
+. \. Ellis and VIM. J. Jones, to whom
the object of the meeting was REFERRED
reported the following paper, which was
unanimously adopted by the congregation,
and a copy ordered to be forwarded to the
Centennial Commission at Philadelphia:
In the name of God, of religion, of
patriotism and of truth, we hold and
declare that this nation is emphatically
and undeniably a Christian nation. It's
foundation as nation was laid by Chris
tian, God fearing men, who pledged their
lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor,
under an unfaltering faith in the God of
the Bible, before whom they reverently
bowed in recognition of His divine au-
thority, and of their obligations as men
and citizens to obey His laws.
In all its constitutional, legislative and
judicial records in all its legal sane
tions, in all its official formulas and trans
actions, the same high authority is dis
tinctly and specially recognized, admitted
and appealed to.
No form of government, National, State
or municipal, that should ignore this solemn
responsibility, ever could have successfully
exercised any authority over the people of
this land.
For the splendid achievements of the
first century of our history. which the ma
tions of the earth now unite with us in
celebrating, We are indebted to God, and
to this universal acknowledging of His
authority in this land; repudiating which,
we should long since have realized the folly
and wickedness of national suicide.
The God whom we thus recognize, honor
and revere is the God of the Sabbath
by the terms of the moral law, has made
no distinction between that which foTbidS
the violation of the Sabbath and those
which forbid any other crime named in the
decalogue.
Any deliberate attempt to violate that
Ia" io 90. Io ."',', t'oi' ;".i. W
directly orr ohIiration to reverence and
keep holy that sacred day, and thus to over
ride the laws oil every state IN TINS hion'
ca'5not IarI 20 fesI'. III n''l;'lial uIsi9n"l'
a ~. ,,st t,,a ra ~ ~ ,ani
a tloodtide of iniunitv. which. by our own
act, we shall have deprived ourselves of the
right and authority to restrain.
Holding these views, we, the members
and congregation worShipping in the Meth
odist Episcopal Church, at Elkton, Mary
land, in congregational meeting assembled.
this 2Sth day of May, \. d., 1876, send
greeting to the gentlemen composing the
Centennial Commission in Philadelphia,
our earnest Christian sympathy in their
wise and patriotic determination to close
and keep closed the grounds of the Iuter
national Exhibition every Sabbath during
its continuance.
pose and to reward them and the people