Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-02-24
Not This SIan. But Barabbas.'
The following item comes from
Washington:

Inc following lleD, comes iron
Washington
O'Brine, of Maryland, Democra
: and Catholic, proposes to supper
; Blaine's proposed amendment TO tn,
, Constitution i'll regard to schools will
. the following amendment:
No State shall make any law respect
ing al establishment of religion, o.
prohibiting the full exercise thereof
and 10 minister or preacher of the gos
pei of any religious creed or denomina
ton shall hold any office of trust ol
emolument under the United States, ol
under any State.
in any State for the support OF public
schools, or derived from any public
fund therefor, nor any public lands de
voted thereto, shall be under the con
troll of any religious sect, nor shall any
money so raised, nor lands SO devoted
be divided between religious sects' OF
denominations, nor shall any minister
or preacher of the gospel, nor of any re.
ligiOus creed or denomination, hold
any Office in connection with the pub
lie schools in any State, nor be eligible
to any position of trust or emolument
in connection with any institution
which shall be supported in whole o.
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 certain ecclesiastico-political
party held "a notable prisoner whose
name was Barabbas, which lay bound
with them that had made insurrectiOn
with hi:n, who had committed murd-
er in the insurrection." This party
"mOved" the governor that he would
release Barabbas from his difficulties
and disabilities and "crucify Jesus, who
was called Christ" And because they
were very urgent about it the governor
did so. and now politico-ecclesiasti-
cal party, with the same principles,
spirit, and objects, comes forward in
the Congress of the United States and
moves the government to release a
certain notable prisoner" called Jeffer-
son Davis, ''who lies bound" (under
the disabilities of treason) "with them
that made insurrection with him, and
who committed (wholesale) murder in
the insurrection," and at the same time
to put mark 0. dishonor On "Jesus,
who is called Christ" in the person of
his representatives, by providing by
law that "no minister or preacher of
the gospel, of any religious creed or de-
nomination, shall hold any Office of
trust or emolument under the United
State, or any State" Nor shall any
such person "hold any Office in connec-
with the public schools in any State"
The arbitrator, Jefferson Davis,
shall be made eligible to any office in
the United States, to a seat in Congress,
to the Presidential chair but the chap
lain who shared with his regiment the
perils and hardships of war to suppress
the ''insurrection" of the modern
Barabbas and his confederates, and the
minister who stood in the ranks and
left an arm at ManDasses, or leg in
the trenches before Petersburgb, shall
be ineligible to a place on the School
Board, or to the Office of teacher!
Such is the exquisitely modest propo-
sition which has been submitted to
Congress by the member from Mary
land! The former part of this PROPOSE
tion was sterenuously supported by al
most an entire party; with what degree
of favor tine latter will meet we shall
see in the course of time. Amnesty to
the Confederate Bara bbas has failed for
the present, but rather through blund
er than from. want of will.
The object of the Romanists in pro-
posing this addition to Mr., Blaine's |
is manifestly to load it
down till it becomes too heavy for any |
party to carry, and thus ultimately to |
defeat it altogether. But there never
was a more gratuitous or meaner insult |
offered to the Christian religion. The !
ministers of the United States are not |
seeking Office. The offices which are
thrust upon them, in con-
nection with the public schools, are U.s.
ually such as are not greatly burdened
with "emoluments;" but have their
full share of responsibility and annoy
ance. And when Christian ministers
have been called (as occasionally they
are called) to fill other offices, they
have not disgraced the bodies to which
they belonged, nor have the interests
Of the public suffered 10 consequence of
their presence.
The constitution provides that mo
religious test shall ever be required as
4 qualification to any office or trust
under the United States" But this
is an approach to the max
ing of irreligion qualifying test for
office. If man must be purged of any
very close connection with religion in
order to be eligible to office, it will fol-
low that the less connection he has
with religion the better are his qualifi-
,ations. There is, unhappily, among
| large class, a deep and wide current
Of opinion drifting in this direction.
While the ministers of religion are not
courting Office, they have not deserved
hat the profane swearer, the rum-sell-
or, the drunkard, the Sabbath-breaker,
the gambler, and the idolater should
De held eligible to office, and they only
excluded. The propriety of ministers
,f the gospel holding Office isa question
for themselves and Tor ecclesiastical
courts. Their civil rights are the same
Is those OF ether men. An awakened
public opinion will see that the Protes-
Iant ministry are the firm supporters