The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1879-09-20

ou'Co VI ulo DcltJ, duO Oi t0e Iu>
ture rewards and punishments,
and the temporal welfare of so>
ciety, government can hardly con
slider itself entirely free from the
fostering care and protection of
religion as connected with the per
sonal, social and domestic virtues
OF its people; but to what extent
gov ernment may 60 in the sup>
port and protection of religion,
with safety end propriety, may
be a subject OF much contrariety
OF opinion with statesmen and
publicists.
The vast majority of our people
profess belief in the Christian
religion and its existence has
been recognized by the constitu
tion framed by them. The follow
ers of that faith have, from its
earliest existence and foundation,
regarded aud kept Sunday as a
day OF rest, free from labor and
devoted to religious worship.
Aud those not attached to any
religious denomination have hab-
itually kept that day as one Of
rest from secular pursuits; and
its observance as day of rest,
and holy, has for centuries become
more than habit or custom; it
has become sentiment engrafted
into our very social organism, to
be observed and respected by all,
without the sanction of law or de,
crees OF courts. And as civil
regulation, it has been considered
important for the physical we'll
being of society that sunday be
observed as day of rest from la
Dor IN order that the mind and
body may repose-that the for
mer may recover or retain its
wonted elasticity and vigor, and
the latter may recuperate and be
prepared for more arduous and
protracted exertions in manual
labor. And in this view the Oh
servance of Sunday, by a suspen-
sion of all secular pursuits, may
with great propriety be enforced
by civil law.
The observance of Sunday we
believe essential to a full enjoy
ment of religious exercises by the
various denominations in the
spirit Cf the constitution of the
State. How could a set of people
worship in city crowded with a
busy population, and in the midst
of the confusion, noise and hustle
Of worldly business, and the prac
tices deemed by them unholy an(
a sacrilegiOus dissertation of that
holy day.
The ordinance complained o
does not deprive any inhabitan
of the city of Houston Of any 0
the religious rights and privileges
guaranteed to him in the Consti
tuition of the United States or 0
this State. The mayor aud couh
Gil did not attempt to fasten upon
the people of the city OF Houston
any particular form of religion
Jewish, MOhammedan, Roman
Catholic, Protestant. or Pagan
nor has the free exercise of tn
rites of any religious deDomina
ton been forbidden or prohibite'
in any way. The right to wol
ship God according to the dicta
ton of the conscience has not a
all been interrupted nor Is
enjoined upon any inhabitant c
the city to attend the religious e
ercises of any denomination; an
he may decline to attend, an
amnse himself with the metaphy
ical reflections and deductions c
y the infidel. He is not require
3 to attend, erect, or support an
Ir place of Worship or to maintai
if any ministry, directly or indirec
n ly, contrary to his consclenc
e His rights of conscience, his n
II ligions principles and practices u
f, der them, are not at all infringe
ID or impaired; nor does the ord
j. nance pretend to give any prefe
le ence to any religion Or mode
le worship.
le The latter clause of the recitt
ic section of the State COnstitntiO
or it will be remembered, provid
nj that it shall be the duty of Il
at Legislature to pass such laws
te may be necessary to prote
N. every religious denomination