Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1924-03-08

this declaration, which says: "That no
man shall be deprived of his liberty,
except by the law Of the land, or the
judgment of his peers?" This don't ap-
ply alone to persona liberty, the tree
dom of the body from prison, but no
man shall be deprived Of his franchises
of any sort. of his liberty in its largest
! sense, except by the law of the land or
the judgment of his peers, the trial by
! jury. Has then, private and secret
/ tribunal right to impose qualifica-
/ tions for office, and to enforce their
| laws by test oaths, so as to deprive any
! man Of his liberty to be elected?
Again:-Is this organization not an
Imperium in Imperio against the 14th
! section of this declaration, which says;
THAT the people have right to uni
form government, anu, therefore, that
no government separated from or indie
! pendent Of the government of Virgin
ia, ought to be erected or established
W thin the limits thereof" It is not
| government. but does it not will it not
politically govern the portion of the
people belonging to it, differently from
what the portion of the people not be-
| longing to it, are governed by the laws
of Virginia?
Again:-It does not adhere to the
Justice and moderation" inculcated in
the 18th section Of the declaration
And lastly, it avowedly opposes the
10th section, which declares. that re
ligion, or the duty which we owe to
our Creator, and the manner of dis
charging it, can be directed only by
reason and conviction, not by force or
/ violence; and, therefore, all men are
equally entitled to the free exercise Of
religion according to the dictates OF
conscience; and that it is the mutual
duty of all to practice Christian for
bearance, love and charity towards
each other"
This is plain writing. And again:
But this organization not only con-
, travenes the rules of our Declaration
OF independence and Rights, but it is
in the face Of positive and perpetual
statute, now made part of our organic
law by the new Constitutional Act
OF Religious Freedom passed the 18th
of December, 1885 Against this law.
this KnowNothing order attacks the
the freedom of the mind, by imposing
civil Interpretations; it attempts to
punish one religion and to propagate
another by coercion on both body and
mind" it sets UP it's own opinions
and modes of thinking as the only true
and infallible;;" it makes our civil
rights to have a dependence on our rer
ligious opinions" it "deprives citi.
zens Of their natural rights by proscrib
Ing them as unworthy Of the public
confluence, by laying upon them all in
capacity OF being called to offices u
trust and emolument, unless they pro
Tess or renounce this or that religious
opinion" st tends to corrupt the prln
cipleS OF that religion it is meant to ell
courage, by bribing with monopoly OF
worldly honors and emoluments, those
who will externally profess and con-
form to it." it lacks confidence in
Truth, which, sis great and will pre-.
vail" if left to herself; that she is the
proper and sufficient antagonist to
Error, and has nothing to fear from
the conflict, unless by human interpo-
slt1on disarmed of her natural weapons
fir e argument and debate; it with
draws errors fromSfree debate; it with
debate, and hides them in secret, where
they become dangerous, because it is
not permitted freely to contradict
! them.
Lei it not be said that this is re-
strainfng ste cute upon government
and is prohibition to Legislators and
rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical.
| If they even are restrained by this law
fortiori, every private organization,
or order, or individual, is restrained.
The Know-Notmngs will hardly pre-.
tend to do what the government itself,
and legislators, and rulers civil as
well as ecclesiastical, dare not do. If
such be their pretentions they claim to
be above the law, or to set up higher
law-then, SIC volo, to compel a man
to frequent or support any religious
worship, and to enforce. restrain, mo-
lest, or burthen him, or "to make him
! suffer" on account of his religious opin
| ions or belief, or to deprive men of
their freedom to profess, and by argu.
ment t. maintain their opinions in
matters of religion, and to make the
same diminish enlarge or affect theil
civil capacities. No, when our Constitu
lions forbid the legislators to exercise
a power, they intend that no such pow
er shall be exercised by any one.
Not only is the law of Virginia thus
liberal as to religion, but also as to nat
| uralization.
Our people should read gracefully and
study these citationf