The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-04-26

triumph Of this great principle, in
America as in England, had not been
reached without a gigantic struggle.
In England, for two centuries or more,
with domestic u foreign foes, ut
times doubtfully, at others, triumph.
antly, but, at all times, with persist.
ent doggedness the battle waxed
warm. And, II the victories Of this
period could not be considered as inpl,
they were at least the proud monu.
ments which marked the way to that
ultimate triumph which came a cen.
tury later. A broader policy was TO
triumph, and statutes for religious lib.
erty became general throughout the
colonies. 1t Is an interesting fact to
recall that the Colony OF Maryland
settled largely by Roman Catholics,
was the first OF the American colonies
TO declare for religious freedom. The
representatives Of this historic
church, when %transplanted into the
free air of America, burst the bands
OF ecclesiasticlsm, and proclaimed
themselves the pioneers Of this great
principle. The Maryland Act was soon
followed by all the colonies; by Vir.
ginia, December 10th, 1855, in an act
drawn by the hand Of Mr.. Jefferson.
The preamble of this act Is vel!
worthy Of reproduction: "That 10 suf.
fer the civil magistrate 10 intrude his
powers into the field Of opinion, and
to restrain the profession or propaga.
ton of principles on the suppositfon
Of their real tendency, Is a dangerous
policy which at once destroys all re.
ligious liberty. 1t is time enough for
the rlghtful purposes OF civil govern.
ment for It's officers t 0 interfere when
principles break out into overt acts
against peace and good order"
The same. view has been well stat.
cd by another author: "As long as
religion Is a matter Of the conscience,
the civil power must not invade It;
~
but when religious conscience VIC.
lates the rights Of others and dis.
turbs social peace and order, It must
be restrained within its own domain.
and excluded from the civil realm
which II may not control"
Indeed, the citizen Of America may
hold TO the most absurd religious
views; may believe anything, or moth
Ing, and will be upheld In SO doing
by the laws Of the States and Of the
United States. His conscience Is his
castle; that, no power can invade and
no enemy attack: hut, II that silent
monitor, secure in It's proper abiding
place, thrusts itself Into the open and
by overt act interferes with the civil
rights of others, civil power may In
terfere.
In days now happily gone by, 1t Is
said that the Mormon, under his creed,
c%onsientously believed that the taking
Of more than one wife was right and
proper. The right to such belief could
not be questioned by the civil power;
hut, when such belief is. put into llv.
ing action, the civil rights of others
to so where they please and live
where they please Is curtailed by the
presence of this Objectionable Gus.
tom. The Friend or Quaker, who be.
lieves that was Is not ~justlfable under
any circumstances, who believes in
mis- conscience that war Is wrong,
may not be compelled to go 10 war,
because for the civil power to com.
pei It would be an invasion Of the hui.
man conscience; and so, while the civ
II powed may not compel the doing
of that which Is against conscience, II
may compel the not-doing OF that
which might consclentiously be done,
II. in the doing, It invades or curtails
the civil or religious liberty of anotil.
er.
And so, the first amendment to the
Constitution Of the United States,
which has been regarded with the 9TH
er nine amendments as parts Of the
original instrument, declares that
Congress shall make no law respect.
ing the establishment OF religion, or
prohibit the free exercise thereof. Tn,
der this amendment anu the laws OF
the several colonies and States, gunr,
%anteeipg freedom Of religion, we can
look back over three hundred years
Of our life and thank God for that free.
dom Of conscience which has created
in this country a broad and catholic
spirit II religion; that has developed
-