New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-20
A CLERICAL SYMPOSIUM.
Continued from Fourth Pa Q.

physical point of view the observance OF sunday IS
a duty of absolute consequence" john Bright
thinks that :" the stability and character OF our
couutry. the advancement Of our race" depend
uponits observance. Shaftesbury declares that the
laborers said to him 10 1850. that breaking down OF
the Sabbath meant seven days work Tor SIX days
wagesn Waddy warned the Commons lately that 10
devote Sunday TO amnsoments generally woulu
tiobt.n the collar of work on the laborer as on
other days. And Adam Smith decided that the
sabbath rs a political institution Is of inestmable
value independently OF It's claims to divine author
ity."
The Sabbath. then, according to these high au-
thoritles is invaluable as civil renovator, moral
and social disinfectant. And. since our state has
localized It, that protection NAV accrue TO those
who wi TO observe iton strictly religious prin ipes
the law only enJons the legal provision that every
man must use his own so not to iniure another IN
the full enjoy ment of his rights. This IL all that our
Penal Codo proposes by closing the most lerllie
sources of crime and by preventing disturbance III
the Of religious liberty. H. then. the day
OF rest is of such civil and legal Importance on
economic principles. in what consists It's value as
moral and political agentY The Work NJ classes
know too we'll that it is not merely day oil resi-.
change aud amusement for to hold IL TINS - simply
10 make il stalking-horse by which grinding zap
ital NAV compel a seven-day bondage. Its power -
found in its religious character nseparably untcu
with ITS civil privileges in all healthy and moral
nations And here no means are at band To enforce
tie observance of Sunday; this must be lelt 10
moral sunsion and to the healthy practice ana eh-
ample of religions men. Reform among me de-
graded classes by this method Is slow. but II IS
sure and every true American owes 1t to himself
and his country 60 stand side by side With the law
which protects the civil prlvllcge and win ths
moral forces which eAalt the Natlon, oy Keeping
rel gious Sabbath.
The most pure and far-sghted Americans have
not fallen whit behind the leaders OF clvIi ana re-
hgious liberty in Europe IN exalting The sabbath.
Justice Strong, OF the United states supreme
Court says : There Is abundant justification TO-
our Sunday laws, regarding them rs mere civ'l
,ns,Itution And he is no friend to the good order
aud welfare of society who would break them down
OF who himself sets an example of disobedtnce 10
them" Randolph Tucker pats his views IN very
strong words /" wish to testify my belief that tie
institutional custom of fathers IN remembering
the Sabbath day TO keep IL holy is the foundation
stone of orr political system and the only hope OF
American Freedom progress and glory Far az this
goes Emerson goes further, saying; "ChTlstlanlty
has q ven us the Sabbath, tho Jubilee OF the whole
world"
We talk foolishly aud cut the of our own
right arm when we imagine that our sabbath Is
undermined because some of ITS aspects are not OF
Puritan strictness The cool and clear intel llgcnce
of orr people practically adopts the wisdom OF
Burke: "They who always labor can have no true
iud ment; they exhaust their attention burn out
their candles and are left ia the dark" The Sab
bath and the RepIbo stand firmly. neither oi
them endangered be, a1se they have changed some
of their features their foundation. Beth prln-
cirle and profit invoke Christian civilization IN
snpuort of the sabbath and honor it when given.
All intellgeu: labor here nDitcs with the petii
ing engineers OF the New-lork central Rhllr0ad !;
Give us the Sabbath for rest. and We III accom-
p,ish moro work and do il better in six days than
we now can do in sevrn' And lie lOcpueVle
simply records this result of this sentiment IN his
crisp observation: Nothing strikes foreigner on
his arrV al in America more fUrceuly than the re-
gard paid TO the sabbath" Great chances have
taken place IN population since he na'lr TINS r.
marked as ever. THOMAS ARMITAGr
-Ncs- York. May Il. 1888.