The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-12-06


wise and just provisions and guaran-
tees our fathers began their upward
career Of happiness and prosperity
until the experiment of a successful
Republic was about solved. At that
time a frtcan slavery was recognized
by the Bible, the Constitution and by
christianity; then the STAKEHOLDER
and the non STAKEHOLDER, north and
south, worshipped the same God, and
peace, love and harmony reigned SUI
preme, Notwithstanding the free dis
cussion of that question by the peo-
pie as a matter of conscience and re-
ligion. That was their right and it
marred not, to any great extent, the
peace or prosperity of the sections;
until that question was made to as
sumo "menaced law" which before
was a question of religion only, and
then the fearful consequences follow
ed, so fresh in our recollections, as to
relieve us of the painful duty of re-
hearsing them. That was an unlaw-
full effort to "bulldoze" the con-
sciences Of the slave holder and CO.
cree them to embrace the same relig-
ION on that subject Of the then dom
inant party of non slave owners.
Who has forgotten that unwise and
arroganteproclamation of the Presi-
dent as such, and not as command
erin-chief, purporting to abolish sla-
very in the United States and to rob
the southern people OF millions Of
property without process of law, in
violation of his oath of office and of
that constitution that be had sworn
to preserve, protect and defend, and
which provides that no one shall be
deprived of life, liberty or property
without due process of law. But it
is now done, and let it remain done
and in the hands of the hi storian,
and had the question Of force d relig-
ion stopped there the Americ an peo-
pie might thank God that they had
passed an ordeal never to recur
again. But it is not so. These
models of religion who owned slaves
until they found it not 80 profitable
for them as merchandising in
wooden nutmegs, and then sold their
slaves to the south and begun their
crusade, in the name of religion,
against the religion of their fathers
and of the constitution of their coun-
try, and being successful in that
these same "per force" religionists,
who elope with other mems wives and
daughters, or live in adultery with
them, and tolerate and support thou
sands of "hells of ill-fame," are max
ing a crusade, per form Of laac,on the
Mormon religion, at least so far as it
tolerates or teaches plurality of
wives" Well, as a question of relig
ious faith, these fanatics have, in our
Judgment, as much right to say that
religion shat tolerate three wives
or none, as it has to say they shall
not have two. We are not advocates
of the Mormon religion, as we never
were of African slavery, but it is the
religious sentiment of the questions
that we are discussing. What results
may follow this attempt to force the
Mormon religion in this country is
vet to be seen. But next and last, but
not least, we come to discuss, very
briefly, another phase of this attempt
to coerce religious duties in this
country. This we regard as the most
subversive of religious freedom, be-
CduSc Juc luOSJ UStutOuo, ucCCPelNC,
and sugar-coated. We allude to the
new-fangled habit of the Chief Exec
utive of the Federal and State Gov
ernments, proclaiming annually, or
oftener, what they are pleased to call
day of general thanksgiving and
prayer to Almighty God. This they
do with all the pompous. forms of law,
as though there was any pretence
of legal authority in either to do so,
and we challenge the production Of
such authority. Would to God our
readers would carefully study these
proclamatons and see their import
and how Imperative they are becom-
ing. If we had space we would quote
| them rerbatim. Now they have the
form of law, soon they will have the
force of law also; now they assume
to appoint and recommend, soon they
will appoint and command. Answer
us not that such has been the custom
for many years, for that but aug
ments the danger to our liberties.
| Now If Won refuse to obey YOU NAV