Tombstone epitaph., 1890-02-01

Kent, author of Commentaries on Amer ican Law, delivered a similar opinion on
 behalf of the Supreme Court at Albany,
 New York. Judge Dwight, President of
 Columbia Law School, says: 1t is well ] settled by decisions in the courts of the
 leading States of the Union that Chris | tianity is part Of the common law of the state" A New Jersey man was re gently punished for blasphemy, although defended by the eloquent Robert Inger- soil. From these decisions we do not infer that any one can be punished in this country for rejecting part or the whole of the Christian system, but we may infer that our system of jurispru- dence, together with our whole civiliza- ] tion, has grown up under the influence of this faith and is indebted to it for many of its best elements. The very fact that an in6del is protected in his non-belief reveals the true spirit of lib- erty inherent in the teachings of Christ.
 The same truth is further illustrated in the existence of a national conscience that is as yet quite sensitive. In this, more than in navies and armies, lies the real defense of this great republic. When a national evil has become truly menaCiug it's grUwef1,- e...a &sscor4.es sufficiently bold to unmask itself, the people, impelled by convictions of right, have arisen in their strength and stamped it out of existence. Thus far, and no farther, seems to be written on the fore head of our nation, and the promoters of public evil would do well to read if they would escape the iron tread of an indig- nant people.
 Those who consider that religious in- fuence is valueless have but to win a certain class to the basis of their belief in order to be convinced themselves that such an influence IS no mean force among us. The destruction of faith will be followed by reign of passion and ruin as certainly as that the light of day is chased away by the shades of night Let the 7,ooo,ooo of black men in the South bury their belief Tn a God, whose eye is ever watching the budding of character, and how long will life, prop erty and the honor of womanhood be safe in the sunny South land? An emf nent writer has wisely inquired: "What basis will be left for brotherhood when fatherhood IS denied p Christianity is truly the greatest police power on the face of our far continent to-day.
 The objects of the state and the Chris tian teaching are largely identical The state seeks to educate, so does Chris tianity, for education has been rightly designated as character building. The state would promote justice, and yet jus tice is an element of religion The state seeks to discard the disease of crime, while religion seeks to redeem the race from sin. We desire to reassert OUT belief that the State should not ally itself with any creed, ritual or hierarchy, but it cannot afford to become divorced from religion, and that the Christian religion, in its broad and liberal meaning. On the other hand, 1t is the duty of our state to protect and encourage religion by giv- ing to the people a decent Christian Sabbath-one day in seven; by teasing to grind out divorces by the grist. and by giving to its children, if not a Christian. at least moral education.
 Let us, then, continue to remember that Christianity is not an unnecessary parasite on the body of this great repub- lie, which is so grandly leading the civi- lization of the nineteenth century. Chris tanity is not an impostor; she has a right here, for she is part of the state Indeed, she is even more, for in her we may find the balm of healing that vii cure all the fostering sores of evil that might in time poison the very life-blood of our nation. C. F. SPRAY.