Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-05-03

he breathes, 1t only torblds the car
rying on Of certain kinds of business
on certain day Of the week, and the
day selected in Difference to the feel
ings and wishes of large majority of
the community is that day commonly
denominated the Christian Sabbath or
Sunday"
X X * X *
That is the voice that comes from
one of the young sisters who has
sprung into life with view of all the
past history of the older members of
the family, and with opportunity to
frame her Constitution and her laws
with the lights of their experience,
and with all the wisdom to be gather
ed from past ages, inserting the same
provision and, on gathering together
the latest decisions on the subject, set
ting in its most solemn form the fact
that the Constitution is not violated by
such legislation.
We are told by way of warning,
that if Christians thus persist in hav-
ing their Sunday protected by law,
that the time may come when those
who reverence the seventh day, or
those who reverence no day at all,
shall be in the majority, and can en>
force their religious Yrews. Then it
can only be said here that when that
day comes, the minority must yield.
But the principle cannot now be con-
troverted that in this country the ma
jorlty are to rule. Those who are in
the majority, therefore, would do very
little Justice to themselves if they
we're to let their own will-that will,
which by the very principle of their
government, is to be the law Of the
land-lie in allegiance for fear the time
may come when they will be in the
minority.
l do not undertake to say that there
is no contrary decision; but do ven
ture the expression Of confident be-
lief that the current is unbroken
sweeping from Maine to California, and
that throughout the whole land, the
judicial voice has gone up, THE Sun
day law is not unconstitutional
l shall only read in addition, de
cision of the Supreme Court of Penn
sylvania, emphasizing the very same
doctrines, and the argument Of thu
lawyers opposing the Sunday law il
that case, in which the very same pc
sitions are taken, the very same view
are pressed upon the court, that w
now hear announced as though the.
were new, as though they we're some
thing to cause people to rise up in tn
might and the majesty of their power
and act at once. This case was de
cided in 1848, and not one single ide'
is suggested in opposition to the Sun
day laws that is not now harped upon
Here man by the name of Spechi
had been indicted for working on Sun
day. The question was not brough
up by saloon.keeper, but by one VIII
was pressing his right of conscience bt
fore the court.
The lawyer Of the defendant woul
have been bound to concede, upon tn
weight of authority, and upon tn
natural principles involved, that, as
simple enactment that there should b
a day of rest, the law could have bee
sustained; but upon the peculiar Ian
guage of the Pennsylvania law he il
sisted that it was a declaration tn;
Sunday was a sacred day.
There is suggestion in the argu
ment of council as to our politics
Sabbaths, and want to say that tt
very same principle which is here il
voked makes the political Sabbath Of
noxious to the Constitution. In Il
patriotism Of this people, they hay
declared that the 4th of July shall |
a legal holiday. You have note tn
will fall due on the 4th of July, al
by force of law you are compelled
pay it one day before it is due
small matter to be sure, bat your CO..
tract is altered; you are deprived
the interest of your money for tn
day you are compelled to resort