The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-07-21

,asb lodid fent 10 lhis course Of onf s'h'e,
md would have-mu,t have manifested ~
M dis.snl day n telling appreciation Of o's
feeling toward W. lie would have peen
lower than human had he felt and done
loss. We had luckily pu, our best FOOT
foremost, snd:humsniy's offerings wera In
oompleest harmony with ths beet OF policy
Wa had but 10 wait TO see the harvest ripen
from the seed we had sown.
But we apprehend that tho action OF the
governor will chill the current OF the presi-
dental thought, and destroy all the good
that was so close within our grasp. When
all the other governors Of these southern
states, all democratic, had joined in concert
in general wish prompted by liberal
sentiment, we cannot help regretting that the
Lone Star State, should be the alone state not
to acauiesce. Nor are the reasons rendered
by the governor of consistent CHAR
acter. Our special telegram asserts
that be telegraphs to Governor Foster that
he deems it Inconsistent to issue sprocisms-
ton directing religious services whore church
and state are, and ought to be kept, separate
in their fuoctions," Acting upon tbs prin-
ciple, why does the governor appoint d day
of general thanksgiving and prayer as pro-
vided for by the statutes of the state?
If the general government may
appoint one, and the state con-
form to it in the selection, for general
policy. why cannot the citizens as
whole, acting through their execu-
tivqs, select q day without any
special Infringement of the principle involved
in the church and state argument. Again,
there is nothing obligatory, nothing enforced
upon the people. They may close their
places ana opening Their
churches, attend the services or not,
Just as they may elect. An opporiu-
nifty of a general, uniform sort and time, is
by such a proclamation rendered them.
This is all, only this and nothing more.
Jew and Gentle, civilized, and heather
Chinee, may or mag not regard the requests;
the rule applies TO all alike, and we fail to
see wherein the slate shall suffer by the
church in such matter. Again, if the gov
ernor is so precise as to literal observance
of the law, wherein will he find his justiics-
ton, when, for instance, he orders the school
| apportionment of the available fund for the
| Is n of July, when the statutes are distinct
in requiring that it shall be made 'on or
before the 1st of July of each and every
year," we hit here say much ni> ra but
we fancy We have set out enough to evidence
what we believe to be the very universal
sentiment of her people, as to
| the anomalous position of Texas
On this excellent opportunity. That the
governor may be of little faith in the efficacy
Of prayer, assuming that it will avail herein
no better results than what comes from those
soliciting the emigration Of grasshoppers,
cotton worms etc., may all he true, but this
line of argument is out of the record, and We
have no right to travel beyond it for the re-
ply to his argument. Ga general theory he
may be right in the abstract,
out when custom is so universally prsc-
ticed that the slightest deviation from it, is
productive of i'll and NJ special advantage,
we are scarce y excusable in insisting on it. If
IL 10 quite general to wear black clothes aud
Grape at a funeral, it would be distinctly out
of place TO array ones self in penitentiary
striped knee breeches, with circus clowns
cap. The Gaze put is on extreme one, per-
hsps, bu! the principle involved is identical.
We are no advocate Of her1 worship, but If
to follow The custor. fpraying for the
chief head OF our nation wen he is in health
and to observe one day in the year, of thanks
giving and prayer, be any less dangerous than
fixing simultaneous time for those willing
to pray for him when in extreme danger of
life, we utterly fail TO perceive the logical
nexus. If the latter threatens dreaded co
alition or cou1 ct of chur. h and state, then
tho sooner we enact law prohibiting the
former, the better for this government that
has boen, it would thus -eem, sleeping on the
brink of al eruptive volcano.
p. S.--Since the above was in type, n
large and enthusiastic meeting has been hello
here disappearing the course of the gov
ernor, and resolving that this city do observe
day for thanksgiving as shall be indicated |
by the states. as per the suggestion OF Cows |
eruor Foster. The city council also took !
similar action.
TIE BLEOTI0E IN OHIO.