The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1893-05-16
COLONEL N. ]. HAMMOND
Asks If the Constitution of the United etates
Is Christian or Pagan?

Editor COnstitution-When Wendell fnliups
denounced the constitution OF the Oni.eu
| States as "a covenant with the deVll anu a
| league with hell" only because 1t protecteu
| property in slaves, we passed 1t by as the
| outburst Of an angry abolitionist. But when
| one of such learning. such piety and such de-
| served influence as the Rev. DIR. J. w. Hin
| ton decres that constitution from the pull
| pit, and u carefully revised sketch OF that
| sermon is published in The Wesleyan chris
! tian advocate, the organ In this state OF the
| Methodist Episcopal church, south, without
| criticism or a word of dissent. We may well
| be alarmed.
Lest he be misrepresented. the objectiona-
| BILE parts are here quoted from the sKetch'
| viz:
"The constitution of these United States
has curious history. In reading 1t no one
can tell whether we are Il Christian or
| pagan nation, for the name of GOO does not
| appear in that famous document IN any form.
| When the convention met in Ph1adeipnla IN
| May, 1877, the elements Of a fierce mhdelty
Were beginning to rage in France and We're we're
success in the revolution OF 1776 was attain.
ed by French money and men. Ihere was
naturally close sympathy between the Two Two
| Lafayette had inspired our allies with oar,
ing for freedom which took the most radical
| form of revolution. These views reacted upon
us u nation, and there was no small
| amount of intidelity in our land: Paine, now
of infamous memory, was then the most noted
| maps, Jefferson, Hamilton and Madison.
The confederation first formed lasted dur
was falling to pieces and the states were
rapidly drifting into the Maelstrom of an
tation to revise the articles of confederation.
IT met in Independence hall, and soon decid.
ed to make new constitution as the ola
| bui ding too rotten to repair. 49,
For weeks the discussions proceeded with
no visible, tangible results. Dscord reigned
supreme in the councils of these very en-
| na,,t nj seemed inevitable.
enough to find relief; He was the e, famous han1.
| (cighty-four years Of age and he arose to
make a motion. Said he Mr.. President
weeks and have done nothing but quarrel
we cannot agree on anything,
1--we have had no prayer In this conven-
ton, have not recognized our dependence on
| God | move that the Rev. Mr.. Dutch. of
| this city, be invited into this convention to
offer prayer in our behalf .,, .,
'Of course such motion would prevail.
| Mr.. Dutch was invited; he accepted and pray
| ed them out of their troubles: They. went
making it they seemed to have no further
use for Mr. Dutch or Jehovah--if not dismiss
| ed from the assembly. at any rate they were
not honored in their work. | know this Is
negative evidence, but 1t IS weighty.
eve call this a Gristian nation, and on
organic law. Our churches, our colleges our
literature show the d%minance of ChrlSiaa
E ER Famous panf arpm ME'S'e in thc G
| rard will case that part Of
his will which was an aspersion on Chris
| tianity the court ruling as webster contend
! ed that this is Christian nation. and this
must be recognized by our courts ac-
| ccpt this gladly as an offset to the falling In
| our constitution.
Later on is this declaration: after God,
| our reliance for happiness md prosperity must
| he found in rigid adherence to the constltu-
| ton. Here is the charter of our liberties and
| their bulwark. | publicly avow my allegiance
| to this authority, and chiefly because there
| is 80 little government in it.
| The statements if all true. seem to be
! wholly Illogical. If the constitution be the
work Of inlides and wholly Goddess in his
| opinion, how can he, minister of the gospel,
| ayow allegiance thereto and call it ''the
| charter of our liberties and their bulWark!'
| Why did those iniidels so readily agree to
| have prayers? They were not very we'll
| prayed out of their troubles" IL they pro-
| cccded to make an ungodly constitution.
But are those statements true? Concede
that the incident about prayer occurred as
| stated. Then the picture drawn is his: French
iutidcty was there dominant; the influence
| of "pafnc. now Of infamous memory" and
Of Girard. who in his will aspcrsed Chris
-eianity. brpoded over the convention, and was
| met by the motion of the Christian. Ben
! Franklin for prayer. OF that infidelity in
that bodt there is no evidence except that
alleged negative evidence
Now for the facts. 1t seems safe to say that
monious debate Franklin did propose to have
prayers. Madison, Christian, opposed for
| special reasons no way wrong, and none was
had. Paine was not then in the United States,
had been honored by his state and the whole
country patriot, and had not written the
works which made him offensive to Christians.
Franklin had been more directly in contact
with French influence than any other member
of the convention.
| Girards will was not written until 1880.
| will provided: Secondly, enjoin and require
| that no Ccclesiastic, missionary minister
of any sect whatsoever, shall ever hold or
exercise any station or duty in said college;
nor shall any such person ever be admitted for
any purpose, visitor, within the premi-
SEES appropriated to the purpose of said col
Iege." Webster did attack that clause as anti
| Christian, because of that exclusion of ecclesi-
astics ETC., and because rs he alleged it
limited instruction to pure morality and
general benevolence, etc, love of truth So
briefly and industry, thereby excluding by
implication all instruction in the Christian
religion" The supreme court said that the
Christian religion was part Of the common
law Of Pennsylvania, but subject to its con-
stitutional right of freedom of conscience az
had been held by the supreme court of that
state The United States supreme court said:
80 mat we are compelled to
admit that although Christianity be a
part of the common law of
that its divine origin and truth ure admit
ted, and, therefore, 1t is not to be mali
ciously and openly rcviled and blasphemed
to the annoyance of believers or the in
jury OF the public But the conclusion
| unanimously announced was, 1--WE are SAT-
isIGd that there is nothing in the devise es-
tablishing the college or the regulations and
| restrictions contained therein, which are
inconsistent with the Christian religion or
are opposed to any known policy of the
| state of Pennsylvania The will was not
"invaidated," but sustained and has been
In full operation up to this day. There was
no question as to whether this was a
| '.Christian nation;' the case turned upon
| the laws of single state.
| Lastly, the members of the convention
| were mature men Of high position, born and
| bred here, and their characters We're formed
| free from French intideity and before we
| owed anything to France.
| Nor is it true that from the reading of
| the constitution none "can tell whether we
are Christian or pagan nation" In sew
eral places 1T requires oaths. Oaths are In
vocations of Gods blessing or vengeance
according to the observance or violation of
the assumed duty. Such Invocation is de-
| manded of every officer from baiff Of a
state militia district to the president, the
! commander-in-chief of the army and navy
| of the country. That requirement is the fin