The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-07-28

quiesesrce than by any definite ac-
fion on the part of people or Off
Gals. The first proclamation so
reads; it states no definite thing,
or things. for which TO be
thankful. Coming south il
reached Virginia, in 1856. But
in 1857 Henry a. Wise, COVER
nor, being requested to appointa day
of thanksgiving, publicly declined
to do so because unauthorized to
interfere in religious matters" This
Is the first instance of a governor
doing what Jefferson did-ignore
custom which had been silently
growing without any constitutional
warrant for doing so. In this | am
OF the opinion that Governor Wise
uttered warning which the Ameri-
can should heed, both for the safety
of the church and for the good of
the commonwealth, for, my friends.
while men say there can be no harm
in it, yet If it be not stopped the
time may come when there will be
harm in it, time, when however
true may be the patriotism of a gov
ernor or a president, there will be a
public clamor over his head if he
should decline to do so, asserting as
a reason, the true principle, stand
ing with Wise and Jefferson, and a
minister, however conscientious he
may be, will be blamed for not serv-
ing man rather than God.
Then, again, the mouth of these
officials who issue, with wordy
pomp, these annual decldmdtians for
thanksgiving days have no fear
of God before their eyes,
and do not honor them in their lives.
More than this, a majority OF them
do not believe in the overriding
providence of God in human affairs.
They deny his personal and direct
intervention in individual matters
commonly called personal provi-
dences. They are not the men to
tell the church of God, or his people,
where to pray, or when, or how.
With God worship Is a solemn
and awful thing. Thanksgiv-
ing must come from the
heart, with christian gratitude. God
turns his face from a people who
would so attempt to trifle with him
as to worship with their lips while
their hearts are far from Him. His
ordinances are solemn things, not to
be trifled with by the rise and fall
of political sentiment.
Civil officers are chosen to posi-
tions not one of whose functions can
touch the religion of the citizen, or
the duties of the church. This may
be seen at a glance by calling atten-
ton to the difference between the
civil and the ecclesiastical powers.
The civil magistrate has pow
er to keep his subject with
in the bounds of external
obedience to law, and this OBJ
legation is upon all men, not
because they are christians,
but because they are mem
bers of society and independent of
their religious opinions. The civil
power may enact civil laws, inflict
civil penalties and grant civil re-
wards. But all matters pertaining
to a mans religion, his faith, his
worship, when and where and how
all these belong to the church and
the individual. Now no clear-head-
ed, right thinking man can for a
moment question the propriety and
the necessity of keeping these apart. |
The civil must not in any way pre-
sumo to infringe in the least upon
the functions of the ecclesiastical,
even by recommendation. If the |
civil may recommend to the eccle-
siastical, as to his worship, for
thanksgiving is worship, then
the converse may be equally |
true and admissible. And now
let the churches begin their
recommendations to the people as
to civil duties, encroaching by mere
recommendation upon the functions
of the magistrate, and the response,
all over this land, would be that the
church is getting out her sphere
and encroaching upon the civil
power. If the christian people
want a thanksgiving let the
churches order 1t. and let the
children of God bow before
Him in sacred joy, thanking
Him for blessings with recognition
of His general and personal provi-
dences. If the people, as citizens,
want a great national festival in
which they may be glad and make
merry, let them have it; let the
chief magistrate call it at once, fix
the time, irrespective of mems
religion, faith, creed or belief, for
the chief charm of our civilization is
that the conscience is left free and
man is responsible to God, and God
alone, for his beliefs and his wor-
ship. A wise chief magistrate will
not issue a proclamation in any way
affecting religious worship, and the
true christian should not observe
them if they are so issued. There
is a fitness in things which should
never be forgotten, and the pro-
priety of which should strike us at a |
glance.