The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-08
THE SUNDAY QUESTION.
Considered IN ITS RELATIONS To
RELIGION AND POLITICS.


Bread AIOne-A Weekly Day of Rest
10 BE Consecrated to Those objects
Most Worthy of the Human Mind.
but Everything in That Direction
should BE Accomplished in All
Freedom.
The Sunday question has assumed too
large proportions for the press to abstain
from all interference with it. This complex
and important question should be consid-
cred in its relations to religion and poll
tics. 1t is important because a great people
considers it such and the American nation
is not alone in this, for all Christian people
admit the dogma of the holiness of the
Sabbath, although they interpret it in
different ways. The principle of compul7.
sorry rest, on certain days, comes to us
from the Semitic family. and in fact is to
be found, to some extent, everywhere and
in all ages. If it is not a reason for accept
ing it blindly, it is at least one deserving
our earnest consideration.
The French, even those adhering TO the
Catholic religion, are the people who at
tach the most liberal sense to the precept
of dominica rest. Therefore those who
come to the United States are disa-
greeably surprised at the rigour with
which the Sabbath is observed here, al
though the Americans have already given
I'D many of their old habits regarding it,
As to those who profess an utter indf-
ference to all things concerning religion,
they cry out energetically against a GUS
tom which seems to them to be a direct
attempt upon their liberty as well as upon
reason itself. In this quarrel, as in many
others. there are some misunderstanding
which il would be well to clear away be
fore declaring that reconciliation IS i'm
possible.
terial interests, or with his amuse-
ments, innocent in every respect,
on the Sunday, or on any other
day, he merely makes use of his incon-
testable rights. If any one should come
and tell him that he was doing wrong
and, having the power should try to pre-
vent him, he would revolt against such
pretension, and repel it as an encroach-
ment upon his natural independence. This
is exactly what would happen to the man
Of whom we speak, who, being sup1ect 10
no religious system, may, in other re-
spects, be disposed to observe all the
moral and social laws. Let us now sup
pose that it be attempted to prove to him
The criminality of his conduct, by invok-
ing the authority of the decalogue, which
forbids all work on the sabbath. Would
such an argument convince MIN! Assuf-
edly not; for he would reply in the first
place, while taking the same religious
standpoint, that the Mosaic law has been
anew the essential principles whilst
eliminating the others, and which. in
specially declaring that man is master of
the Sabbath, clearly slenl1es tnat the SAP
bath has ceased to be compulsory. He
would add that if it were persisted in en-
forcing obedience to all the prescriptions
of the decalogue, that it is the Saturday
which ought to be sancthedt as the day
of rest and not the Sunday, seeing that
Judaic tradition, perfectly preserved up
to our days, attests that II Is the Satur-
day which is the ancient Sabbath, the
seventh day, on which God rested after
having created the world. The law of the
Sunday as a day of rest, is evidently in
fragrant contradiction with the decalogue,
and it is. therefore, absurd to seek in
the latter its justification. If in Cath
ole country it is sought t9 forbid man
from working on Sunday, it is not the
Semitic prescription which would be in
Voked but the authority of the church,
that has instituted dominica rest, not
in commemoration of the Sabbath, nor as
the seventh day of the book of Genesis,
but to honor the memory of the resur-
rection of Christ, which, it is said, took
place the day after the Sabbath. What
would man say, to whom on such pre-
text, it We're forbidden TO work? He
would reply, as he could certainly do in
a Protestant country, by asking If re-
ligous liberty exists or if it be but vain
word. If il truly exists, everyone is free
TO believe or not to believe that Jesus
rose from the dead or that God gave laws
on Mount Sinai; each one IS free to ad-
init or to repel the authority of the
church. If religious liberty be. sacred, if
Ii be one of the most essential guaran-
tees of political order, it is monstrous
TO pretend that the civil authorities should
place their power at the disposal of re-
lgiOn and take measures for ensuring
obedience to the commandments of any
church whatsoever. 1t is on such grounds
that the question would be put and dis
cussed, if the partisans of dominica rest
had recourse 10 cOnstraint in order TO
enforce their opinions. In such a case it
is evident that all attempts a. an under
standing would be impossible, and that
70 m
and individual liberty would be irremedi-
able But the advocate of weekly day
of rest might put forth a perfectly just
idea and maintain it with good reasons.
If they remind a man that he does not
live by bread alone, that there is some
thing in him fan more noble than the
body and that his thoughts should not
De entirely absorbed by his ma
terial interests, this man has
reply that these things concern himself,
and that he does not need the proffered
advice, but he has. no motive for brutally
refusing it. If q neighbor, more experience
ed in horticulture. shows him the best
manner of cultivating his garden, he would
only too gladly accept the advice given.
Why then should he not receive in a SINH
lar spirit the instruction given relative 10
the general conduct of this life? If we do
not accept willingly advice upon such
subject, it is because each one or us has
the pretension of knowing how he should
act. But each one may be mistaken, and
consequently it is prudent to show some
liable also to mistrust, and that not with
out reason. the encroaching and intoler
ant tendencies of religious seets. But there
is a very simple means of testing the dis
positions of the advisers. and that is to
discuss the sugtect with them.
Il they take their stand behind
written law or behind an abso-
lutte command, it shows that they wish
to dominate. If they appeal to reason, then
there is common ground upon which an
understanding may be arrived at
We should not, however, forget that the
question of weekly or periodical rest is
not merely an individual question, and
that it is of incontestably social impor-
lance. Whatever may be our religious
ideas, to whatever theory we attach our
selves in regard to the origin of things,
10 the harmony of the universe, OF to hui
man destiny, not one of US can pretend TO
have the right to withdraw himself from
the necessity of moral organization of
society, no one should be so vain as TO
imagine that he can. by his own isolated
labors, accomplish as much for the general
good, as by combining his efforts with
hose of his equals. It is self-evident that
en- men should find means for escaping
from vulgar egOiSme and fha cOntin J.