The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-12-01

The aspehtles u life that ID al best bitter
conflict will, circumstance and accident
and anything that we may say Is not In
tended either rs an attack upon, or thrust
At Tho faith that has glnddened The heart o
tolllng mllllons, or will continue 80 TO do. But
the greatest provision and the wlsest, that
has been incorporated into the political or.
ganization OF this new world Is the one that
lifts religion out Of the sphere Of politics, 0
measure or provision indeed that precludei
the possibility Of clash between sects such
as have time and again made the Old World
house Of slaughter and dissension. Iftht
constitutional safeguard relative to the
freedom Of views on religious topics Is to be
enforced at all, why not carry the matter to
Its legitimate conclusion? Why allow the
peculiar forms of any one belief to be intro.
duced into any of the departments of gov
eminent? Is not the judiciary most
important portion of the governmental ma
chinery, and is there any reason why man
when called as party, or Juror or witness
in judicial proceeding, should have his
truth, or honor, or competency tested by
the rules and regulations of any special re-
| ligion, that is paramount to any other rea-
son for forcing upon Lin in his everyday
life q faith in that identical form of belieff
We think not, and therefore feel that such
UNCONVENTIONAL regulations should be re-
moved from all departments or portions of
the body polite. AS we look at this sub
ject, it is neither religious or political
question purely, but one that dire city affects
| both the sacredness and purity of religion
| on the one hand and the freedom and invio-
liability of the political institutions of the
land on the other. The great fact stares us
in the face that no citizen acting in any ca
pacity as such, when called upon so to dc
| by the Government, can be challenged by
reason Of his views as to the truth or talsity
of any religious creed. And yet, speaking
politically and in behalf of the great body
of our citizens who have practically no
creed, we must say that this feature of our
Constitution is continually violated in
both the Federal and State administrations,
and should provoke at least pro-
test from that guardian of the
public's privileges and immunities, the
press Any citizen of this country has a
right to be heard in the courts of justice, a
right to sit on juries, to hold office, to en-
Joy in short, all the advantages of Ameri-
can citizenship. provided he be reputable
and competent man, exclusive ofany article,
or want of such, of his religious belief. The
statutes of various States providing pains
and penalties for perjury are amply suffi-
Gent to procure the necessary regard Tor
and sanctity of the oath, whether in judi
cial proceedings or otherwise, and do not
interfere with the private predilec-
tons or prejudices of any one.
| 1t is boast that our form
of government is sufficiently castle
to meet all changes in public sentiment,
and if so it should look after matters Of the
character referred to as closely and con-
| scientiously as to the varied indications of
the popular pulse on political or material
questions Let some ofour wide-awake and
progressive statesmen reflect on these cur
sorry suggestions, and inaugurate a reform
that will more clearly meet the advancing
views, and more cosmopolitan beliefs of the
age. Not, indeed, do we advise anything
that will discredit the hallowed convictions
of the past, but we advocate a
course that will render them
more sacred by removing them
from the vulgar contentious and contamin-
atiohs of the bar, the forum, the rostrum
and the popular arena 1t is thus possible
to satisfy the demands in reference to free
dom of opinion of all classes and, without
striking blow at any faith, more fully
meet the spirit of the constitution that
gives liberty and protection to all.