Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-04-18
..RELIGIOUS FREEDOM"

IL these days Of coniemptUous
disregard 6fthe basic principles upon
which this Republic was founded, il
! refreshesa patriot to read such an ar
! tic!e As the following, which lately
appeared under the above healing in
the Chicago Tmsc
a frequent recurrence, says the
c institution OF Illinois. to the funda
mental principle Of civil government
is absolutely necessary 70 preserve the
blessings Of liberty.
When yirg mia having jurisdiction
by It's charter in the vast domain be
yond the Ohio River, ceded the same
to the United States as 1t did in 1854,
the Congress sitting dnder the articles
Of confederation passed an ordinance
for the government OF the territory OF
the United States northwest Of the
Ohio River. 1t was the work mainly
Of Thomas jefferson, a stat, sman
whose fertile mind grasped tho great
continental possibilities Of the repub
lie, and its provisions have become
the guide for the government OF all
the Territories, and for their admis-
sion, and one by one they have been
gathered to the Union. 1t has not
been an arbitrary standard; indeed,
Congress has had authority
from the Supreme Court 10
disregard it. but in the main
it has been followed. In l7S7, it
mus. be remembered, the United
states had no jurisdiction on the
hr bank OF the Mississippi or its delta.
Il did no: own Florida. Louisiana,
owne2 by the French. was Territory
extending with vague boundaries far
into the northwest, even to the source
OF the Missouri. We had, Of course,
none Of the territory since gained
from Mexico. The ordinance Of l7s7
applied only to the unorganized terri
tory then fully possessed, and out Of
which have risen some Of the great
States o. the republic. But this or
dinanee, not by reason Of any valid
ity beyond its time and place, but be-
cause OF the sagaeity and justice OF its
provisions, has become the common
law governing the admission Of
states.
One OF the wssest provisions OF this
ordinance was the following: NO
person dcmeaning himself in peace
able and orderly manner shall ever be
molested on account OF his mode Of
worship or religions sentiments And
50 far As enactment OF law could as
sure that end no citizen in the vas,
territory or the States growing out OF
!: has been deprived OF any right by
re son Of his religions belief, however
at variance with the prevalent
opinion. Every constitution OF every
new State has containeda clause as
suring religious liberty to The people.
Illinois viii serve as an example. The
constitution OF isis declares solemnly
that al men have natural and in
defeasible right TO worship Almighty
God according 10 the dictates Of their
own consciences; that no man can Of
night be compelled to attend. erect or
support any place Of worship, or to
maintain any ministry against his
consent; that no human authority can
in any case whatever control or inter-
fere with the rights OF conscience, and
that no preference shall ever be given
by law to any religious establishment
or mode Of worship"
That no religious test shall ever be
required as qualification to any Of
fee or public trus; under this State
A new constitution was adopted in
Illinois in IsIs, and contained, as mat
ter Of course, a restalement Of this