Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-04-17
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
avery Pertinent Question.

Very Pertinent Question.
EDITORS APPEAL-I wish to ask some of
the ladies and gentlemen IN our midst, what
motives have they in attending divine SER
vice in our churchesP | went to st. Peters
on Easter Sunday, and was quickly accom-
modated with seat by the courteous gentle
man in attendance. As the pew was near
the entrance, thought now l will have full
opportunity of drinking In the beauties of
sight and sound, and how it will rest me.
But, alas, for human calculations.
In the pew before me were seated three
young ladies and two young gentlemen
chatteIing like magpies and chewing gum.
Great heavens! chewing gum, and the divine
strains of the great chapel master floating
around us. Never had | seen the beautiful
structure to such advantage, and Oh | so
yearned to lose all sense of care and toll in
the contemplation of the souls immortality,
and what right had those people to mar all
this. l ask again. what motive have they
for going to church? If, as l suspect, to ex-
hibIt fine attire, why not choose some more
suitable place, where the lilies of the field
are to be found, and leave the churches to
the weary ones of earth where the time spent
on Sundays Is most valuable to them to
strengthen and prepare them for the inevi-
table trials of life. MA. NJ.
The Pastors Association and the sun
day Law.
EDITORS APPEAL-Our attention having
been called to this paragraph which appeared
in your issue of the ninth, we request you TO
republish it that we may correct the mistake
into which the writer has fallen:
The Pastors association OF Memphis which in
cludes all the white pastors of the city except the
rectors OF Episcopal churches and priests Of Catho
lie churches, are divided in opinion to whether
the SUNDAY religious law ought to be imperativelJ
enforced upon the people OF Memphis By the new
son9 he Saes H ts Sq bn 1d "
do so, but they have no right to compel other people
who do not think as they do to obey in like manner
style of observation of Sunday which they them
selves observe from purely sectaTian religious mo-
tives You cannot cram your peculiar religious opin
| who want to engage In the crammlng business are
far In the minority in the world in the list Of
christians
Now, we respectfully beg leave to state
that no such differences exist, or have ever
| existed among the pastors who compose this
association, touching the obligation laid by
| divine authority upon all who profess the
| christian religion, to observe one entire day
In seven as season of religious rest anC
| worship. One of the members of the Pas
tors association has, indeed, published somt
subscribe. This is all of it. And we have
positive assurance that this worthy brother
| approves the substance of this PAPER, anC
would have signed it with US had he not beer
called away from the city by professional
duty. And it seems proper to add that WI
are NOT CONSCIOUS Ot attempting III any WAY
to force our convictions upon unwilling PEG
ple We have had no agency whatever il
giving shape to what is termed the ''Sunda!
law, now in force In the city. No word o
hint from US had anything whatever to d.
with it And yet, speaking as citizen
possessed of the same right
and privileges as others, we do recoepiz
| these police raAzllaii@--- OCILS IN peIieC
Keeping ' With the statutes of this State anc
with the traditions of the American people
They seem to be. well-ftted to repress tn
great evil of drunkenness, with the violenct
and pauperism attending it. Our own eye
and ears testify that they are accomplishing
this very purpose to'a very gratifying degree
Nor do we see, after all that has been as
serted to the contrary, that these police regu
lations do interfere with any mans liberty, a
guaranteed to him by the constitution OF tn
United States and the civil codes founded
thereupon. Such being, in our Judgment
the case, we cannot but hold the law to b
worthy of the respect and obedience of al
citizens, no matter what may be their religion
faith or disbelief
| s. Landrum, j. G. Hooks,
E. NJ. Richardson, j. N. Waddel,
Eugene Daniel, T. O. Holmes,
W. 7. Harris, R. II. Mahon,
j. NJ. Tribe, j. o. Stedman,
VIM. e. Boggs.