The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-18
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IN NEW HAMP-
SHIRE.

anu IL appears JuaJ all save Two nave Deen
ratified by the people. The rejection of
the first of these two shows q peculiar
phase of the popular mind for the nine
teenth century, and the first year of the
second century of American independence.
The original constitution of New Hamp-
shire, adopted 10 177C, was designed to be
only temporary In its operation, and was
silent upon the subject of religious toll
Grafton" but on account of the rejection
of constitution proposed in 1779, it re-
manned in force until 1884 The proposed
constitution of 1870, in its declaration of
rights, contained the following clauses:
The future legislatures OF this state,
shall make no laws to infringe the rights
of conscience, or any other of the natu-
" raj, unalienable rights of men, or contrary
/" to the laws of God, or against the Prot
estant religion"
This, we believe, is the first reference in
any American constitution, or proposed
constitution, after the declaration of in
dependence, TO religious liberation, as it
certainly is the fret attempt to discrmin-
ate in favor of any particular "religion."
The constitution, however, as we have said
was rejected by the people; but another
convention assembled IN 1884, and, in sub
hitting the result of its labors to the peo-
ple,sissued an address containing, among
other things, the following language: ave
have endeavored to ascertain and define
" the most important and essential natural
"s.rights of men. We have distinguished
g betwixt the alienable and unalienable
rights. For the former of which, men
" may receive an equivalent for the lat
" ter, or the rights Of conscience, they can
"receive none. The world itself being
"wholly inadequate to the purchase. For
" what is man profted, though he should
gam the whole world and lose his own
" soul'' The various modes of worship
among mankind, are formed in their
" various sentiments and belief concerning
" the Great Object of all religious wor-
" ship and doration-therefore to Him
" alone, and not to man, are they account
" able for them"
Notwithstanding these sentiments, the
bill, or declaration of rights, after
declaring that the rights OF conscience
shall be inviolable, and that every
citizen shall have full liberty to worship
God according to the dictates of his con-
science, provides as follows:
on evangelical principles, will give the best
and greatest security to government, and
will lay in the hands of man the strongest
obligations to due subsection, and as the
knowledge of these is most likely to be
propagatcd through society for the insti-
Iution of the public worship of the Deity,
and OF public instruction In morality and
religion therefore, to promote those i'm
portant purposes, the people of the state
have right to empower, and do hereby
fully empower, the legislature to authorize,
from time to time, the several towns, par
ishes, bodies corporate, or religious socie-
ties within this state, to make adequate
provision, at their own exp, nse, tor the
support and maintenance of public protest
ant teachers of piety, religion, and NOR
ality.
But az the same article went on to declare
that no person of one religious sect or de-
nomination should ever be compelled to
pay toward the support of teachers of an
other persuasion, sect or denomination, 1t
would seem to be without much force, any
further than to prohibit the legislature
from creating corporations for the purpose
OF employing, even at their own expense,
other than public protestant teachers
" teachers" being understood to mean cler-
gymen. Or, if the words "evangelical
principles" should be construed as limit
ing the word protestant" that towns and
parishes should not be authorized to teach,
or corporations be created for the purpose of
teaching, the particular tenets of Unita-
rians, Universalists, Shakers, Quakers,
Spiritualsts, etc. At the time, however,
somewhat of force was given to the pro-
hbition by further provision providing
that only Protestants should be eligible to
the office of governor or member of the leg
islature.
For nearly century these provisions
haze remained part of the organic law
of New Hampshire; but at constitutional
convention held early in the year, amend
ments were proposed and submitted to the
people, striking out the word protestant"
from the article in the bill of rights and
from the several clauses rendering other
than Protestants ineligible to office. The
people adopted the several amendments
making all citizens alike eligible to office,
but refused 10 strike out the word 'Protes-
tant" from the bill of rights so that
now all citizens, whether Protestants or
Catholics, evangelical or unevangelcal, are
eligible to office, yet the legislature can in
corporate only evangelical Protestant relig-
ious societies-and yet the rights of con-
science are declared inviolable and the
right is guaranteed to every citizen to wor-
ship God according to the dictates of his
own conscience.
Such then, 10 1877, is religious federation
and religion freedom in New Hampshire.
Men may worship God as they please, but
they have no right to combine together to
employ teacher according to their own
faith. They may obtain the control of the
state government, but they cannot author
ize the creation of "bodieS corporate, or re-
"ligious societies 10 make provision, at
their own expense, for the support and
maintenance of public teachers of piety,
religion, and morality according to their
own belief. We are told that this provis-
ion is dead letter, and has been for years,
but. II 80, what shall we say of the respect
of the people of New Hampshire for con-
stitutional obligations2 Either the people
of New Hampshire are the most narrow
minded people on the continent, or they
are the most law deflinR.