Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-03-30
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. |


Appalachian Mountains. The churches
and the block-houses were cDeval.
Church organization and church gov
ernment preceded and furnished the
inspiration, and, in large sense, the
model for their social compacts. They
held their religious services with their
trusty weapons at hand in their rude
churches, and literally obeyed the
divine injunction Of watch and pray"
No one can doubt that they were sus.
tanned and soothed in their hardships,
dangers, sutferings and bereavements
by devotion and faith that admitted
no materialistic theories, ever extended
the horizon OF what they wrought for,
beyond the limitations of narrow
selfishness, and inspiring them with
the conviction:
"'Tis not all of life to live
Nor all of death to die"
Nerved them for that heroism displayed,
not in bursts of enthusiasm, amidst the
flourish of martial trumpets, with the
world looking on to applaud or con-
denim, but in obscurity, with constancy
and patience, throughout a longer
period than the Trojan war, or the
march of the ten thousand, or our
struggle for independence, with no
assurance that their achievements
would find chroniclcr, or that the
memory of their self-sacrifice would be
enshrned in the hearts of a grateful
posterity. The religious atmosphere
In which our infant State drew its first
inspirations exerted an influence more
potent that all others in shaping the
ideas which have controlled our social
organization.
The church spiritual was the church
militant, and in those stirring conflicts
it was the church triumphant.
AS the Metropolitans in the Caucasus
girded the sword, and led their flocks
against Tamerlane and the invaders
who threatened their faith, so did these
pious pioneers of religion inspire and
OllNh W ouNahSO
guard of Christian civilization.
OF the men who planted religion in
Tennessee, and who were the leaders
and inspiration of the time, were those
learned pious, study, aggressive, hard
necked Scotch Irish Presbyterians, who
were the first to resist British aggres-
sion, lighted the fires that burst out at
the Alamanance, and framed and pro-
mulgated the Meclllenbur declaration,
the first pronunciamento of independ-
ence ever made in America.
Shortly after them came the Baptists,
no less earnest and patriotic.
Methodsm came later, only becoming
influential after the Revolution, but its
growth was wonderful and its impress
upon religious life in Tennessee has
been greater than that of any other de-
nomination.
While these pioneers may have been
intolerant of those who held to no re-
ligion they were absolutely tolerant of
all religions They were not like the
pilgrim fathers, who sought freer air
for religious liberty but allowed no
liberty of religion that did not conform
to their own. In Watauga absolute re-
ligious liberty prevailed.
The Cumberland constitution recog-
nized Divine Providence" but put
no religious test for the exercise of any
right of citizenship or the enjoyment OF
any governmental privilege.
The constitution of Franklin has not
been preserved, and nothing in respect
of it can be positively affirmed on this
point
The constitution of 1896, the first con-
stitution made for and by all Tennes-
scans, the constitution of the day we
celebrate. the constitution created by
those earnest men of such deep convic-
ton and reverental nature that they
opened their convention, not merely
with prayer, but by formal sermon by
the Rev. Samuel Carrick, established
unlimited religious liberty
Believing that religion was the con-
serving principle of civilization they
also believed in religion OF love, and
not of prescription or law, one that was
TO prevail by a conquest OF the mind
and heart, and not by the fierce pro-
naoandism of fanaticism and c2pres-
sion. knowing that State founded
on the consent of the governed must
look for its development and greatness
70 the patriotic endeavor of all its citi-
zens. with no part of them ostracised
or suspended from political fellowship,
hut with all inspired by that proud
sense of sovereign power and individual
responsibility which is the life and
strength of republics, they declared
that:
mo religious test shall ever be re-
ouired as qualification to any office or
nublic trust under this State"
The wisdom of man could not i'm
prove upon this declaration. 1t was
literally preserved in the constitution
of 1884 and again, after having been
proven for three-quarters OF century,
was repeated in the constitution OF
1870.
It was imbedded in the organic law
of the State, and comes to us with the
sanction of hundred years. 1t com
mapds our obedience to its spirit as
well as to its letter. 1t will never be
form from the constitution, nor be prac-
ticallv annulled by political action, SC
long as the spirit of American liberty
dominates our people. Woe to those
who shall give occasion for such a con,
80, Wo. 70 those who shall make OF