Year: 1871

German speaking inhabitants in
many parts of the United States are
organizing for a new departure on
the Sunday question. All these
movements partake more less Of a
partisan political character. In all
their pronunciamentos, the Romina-
ton and support Of only such candi-
dates for political offices as are right
on the Sunday question are set forth
as matters of the first Importance.
It is, indeed, only by political action
that the persons engaged in this
crusade against the political reeog-
milton Of anything in the name or


nature Of religion can hope to attain


their object.


one ofthe resolves adopted at a


recent meeting of twenty-one differ


ent German societies in Cincinnati
condenses the general scope of the
poltlcal arrangement against the
Sunday laws into the succinet ale.
cation that such laws are sin conflict
both with the constitution of the
State and the United States, and can
not properly be enforced anyway


Upon this ground a distinct issue
may as well be made. The idea
which our German Stree thinkers"
advance, and which not a few other
persons seen to entertain, that the
prohibition upon Congress to make
any law respecting an establish
ment Of religion" is a fundamental
declaration against all religion, or
against all laws to foster and encour-
age religion, is q very great error.
Equal erroneous is it to suppose that
the prohibition was intended to place
all NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Ju-
daism, Confucianism, Buddhism, as
well the different churches of Chris
tianity-upon the same basis, or
that the object or the effect of that
provision of the Federal Constitution
was to interfere in any way with the
original, inherent and just right of
the several States to make such laws
respecting religion as to them might
seem proper. The proposition has
indeed been advanced, and support
ed with considerable ability, that this
is not Christian country; and this,
obviously, is the corner stone upon
which tits intended to erect the plat
form of the no Sunday party. Never
theless, all the facts in the history
laws as Wellas in the institutions and
Of the United States, prove the con
trary. Every American colony was
originally settled by Christian peo-
pie. The settlers of Virginia did
morenotcertainly bring whit hem the
common law of England; the settlers
Of Louisiana did not more certainly
bring with them the institutes ofthe
civil law, then did both bring to the
new continent the common insti-
tutes ofChristianity. Itwas in virtue
Of their Christianity that they as
sumed the right to possess the land,
and to expel the unregenerate hea-
then whom they found in posses
sion. And it is upon this basis that
rests to-day all the rights of owner
ship that the people of the United
States have, as against the aborigin-
al owners.


Moreover, it is a fact well known
to every intelligent American school
boy that every American colony,
from its foundation down to the re-
volution with the single and doubt
full exception of Rhode Island) did
openly, by the whole concourse of
its laws and institutions, support and
sustain in some form the Christian
religion. And this has continued to
be the case in some of the States
known to the present time, without
the slightest suspicion that it was
against the principles Of public law
or republican liberty; or that it was
inimical to the letter or spirit of the
federal constitution. The right to
make laws to foster and encourage
religion was one Of the original in
herent rights Of every State, which
no State has surrendered; which ev-
cry State therefore still possesses,
and which certainly most of them do
now exercise, as witness the Sunday
laws.


So far from intending to prevent
the enactment of laws to encourage
Christianity, the express object Of
the constitutional provision in ques-
tion was to more certainly affirm to
the several States their sovereign
right to do that very thing. Con
cerning this prohibition upon Con
gress, Mr.. Justice Story says:


"The real object of the amend
ment was not to countenance, much
less to advance Mohammedism, Ju-
daism or infdelity, by prostrating
Christianity; but excludes all rivalry
among Christian seets, and to pre-
vent any national ecclesiastical es-
tablishment, which should give to a
hierarchy the exclusive patronage Of
the national government"


1t is seen from these historical
facts that the legal institution and
government recognition of Sunday
rest upon a very different basis from
that which the Cincinnati Germans,
in common with all others Of the no
SUNDAY party, assign, namely, ''that
out of the seven days of tie week
there ought to be one day devoted
to rest and recreation" AS regards
rest and recreation, every inhabitant
of the United States is at liberty to
devote all to those objects. Govern
ment has nothing to do with the
regulation of any mans personal
affairs; it can neither prescribe his
hours Of labor or ohis hours of rest.
1t is his own business, which gov
ernment leaves every man to TegU-
late for himself, providing only that
he shall respect the individual rights
of others and the common interests
ofsociety. In every civilized coun-
try, religion of some kind is recog-
nized and fostered, if not sustained,
by law. In this country, it is


Christian religion which Tece


such public and legal recogniti
and encouragement. 1t is for this
reason that the laws in every State
and in every city command at least
the semblance ofrespect for that day
which is, and for eighteen centuries
has has been, regarded by Christians
everywhere as essentially aChristian
Institution.