The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-25
OUR AMERICAN SUNDAY.
Editors of the Register:

Editors of the Register:
beg leave to offer you the following
views on our American Sunday for
publication in your valuable newspaper:
In NEARLY all, if not in all the states
of our National Union there exists q
statutory, that is, prohibitory Sunday
law. By such law the people OF a
state OF this free country of ours are for
hidden to use and spend Sunday as
freely, as any other day of the week,
namely as they see fit and choose.
AZ snch prohibitory laws right or
WRONG?
The Constitution of the United
States by the following provis-
ions, viz: Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof" and, "but no religious
test shall ever be required as quslitca-
tion to any office or public trust under
the United States" grants full religious
liberty and unconditional liberty of con-
science to every inhabltsnt of this free
country.
ouT sdlu law,
does not recognize Sunday rs a public
religious day or day oil enforced rest.
1t, BY the clause; IF any bill shall not
be returned by the President within ten
DAYS Sundays excepted) after it shall
nave been presented to him, the same
shall be law, in like manner, as if he
had signed it, ETC." recognizes Sunday
only as day OF voluntary rest with re-
gard to the President ofthe United States,
who needs not to consider or return bills
on Sunday, the first day OF the week.
This Constitutional clause, however, es-
tsbllshes only privilege OF the Presi-
dent, and privileges always must be
strictly interpreted. By the Constitu-
ton OF the United States, Sunday is no
more than any other day OF the week,
legally, a national day of rest or wor-
ship. 1t is this only by custom, legally
binding nobody, in the Union.
ConstitutionaIly, everybody in our free
country can enjoy Sunday as he sees tit
and chooses. Whoever wants to go to
church on Sunday, may go there, and
whoever wants to use the day for decent
amusement of any sort, or Tor other pur-
poses. is also fully entitled to do so.
Those Americans, who, by law,
indirectly want to compel their
fellow-citizens to attend Divine
service on Sundsys-the holding
of such service being allow
ed by all prohibitory Sunday lawS,--v'o-
late religious liberty and liberty of con-
science that are distinctly and expressly
Guaranteed to the American People by
Inc Constitution of the United States.
They, therefore, are no truly free men,
70 truely free citizens OF this tree coun-
trv of ours. But the Constitution of the
limited States is, according to its own
provision, "The supreme law OF the land"
Our said n stional fundamental law Sc
cures the blessings of liberty, full rellg-
ious liberty and unabridged liberty OF con-
science as shown above Included, to the
American Nation. 1t, therefore, by Its
very spirit, makes all statutory or pro-
bibitory Sunday laws, directly or
indirectly establishing Sunday as
a religious day or a. DAY
Of enforced rest, null and void. No
liberty guaranteed by the Constitution OF
the United States, religious liberty and
liberty of conscience included, can law
fully be encroached upon or abrograted
by the law of any state of our National
Union.
According to the Constitution OF the
I-nited States all churches of all denom-
nations in this free country are only
,,,.;pots institutions. Our said funda-
mental law does not grant or recognize
an exclusive right, that is monopoly OF
clergymen, to do business, that Is TO pray
and breach publicly on Sunday. Clergy
men, according to the Constitution OF the
United States, are merely private ousi-
ness-men. They are, like physicians ana
LAWYERS, professional men. Iheir
nresch;ng and praying is only
In.;yete work, because they are not paid
g. Il with money derived from puoilc
teres In this land of the Tree ana Tue
brave every man and every woman mas
a constitutional right, to take care OF MS
~ her salvation himself or herself, WITH
On, the and of a clergyman and thus Win,
o"t eynense. Besides it may be good
hing for everybody to take care OF MS
~ her salvation, that is moral welfare,
oot only on Sunday but on all days OF
,bo week. If American clergymen claim
the right, as they justly do. to work, tha'
is to pray and preach on sunday every :
80 else in this free country OF ours mas
oysc.lv the same right, that is to use ana
snond the first day of the week MS nc sees
fit and chooses. . oo,sa-
ouence of our noble American principe
If equal rights to all, laid down As al
o.or1sI truth IN the Declaration OF IN,
s sanandence, and one hundred years OLD
now. D.,o.o,,on of indie.
nondence and the Constitution OF the
limited States, the two iunosnoli 'a'
ohartars of our American liberty, every
I Ina,' IN this free country of ours Is iuily
o oOt; to pursue his happiness on
e enndsv that is to spend the first day OF
the week, as he pleases. .aon.o,
VI" According to said two tundsm 'eIs.,
,oas Of our American nation ssa!utos '
or prohibitory Sunday laws IN 'n's ii''
oonntrv are legal nonentities. -.
o0 Tbay are n thing but tho product OF
,I,nr;csn biootrv. Social education
onpht to and would prevensany lsprop''
uss Of free Sunday in free America
"' Very respectfully yours, uu,o
John GEORGE HERTwld'
Wheeling, Dec. %, 1876.
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