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Show COVERXMKXF ()".Vi: ROME- THINGTO Till: ?:X)i'LM Som? people are always reasoning .o:n a falsi basis, and in cmiis.- j i i ;n?i are by. i cjnin'.j.i!iy lcd into error iti t'.it-ir conclusions. Mistaking effect for catt-f, and the r.ieans for the they ttti.icrtakc ?U kiti;!s of impractical plans to fit r.iankiiii! to their theories. We tf:en fniij these jH'iiiic advocating imav j urci cf reform, which but for (he fart that someone is liable to be injure. in-jure. 1 by them, would b; laultablo. Aiaoni; these abstitd peotiic may be, classed tlic cranks who, led away by mistaken notions of patriotism, socl; j to hutiilms their folloiv mortals j into the belief that citictu cxid only j for the good of the '-state," instead! cf what is actually the fact, flint j governments- should exist only for1 the benefit of the citizens; and that: to secure the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, gov- j emmeuts are instituted among men j iVc. ;" and .further, "that whenever-any whenever-any form of govern merit becomes j destructive of these ends, it is, the; riyhtof the people to alter or abolish it." These people scorn to imagine, that the only object in a man's life; is "to keep his house iti order and be an obedient servant of the! state;" that tube a good ritien means you are witling to throw, at your heels all belief if the govern -ment officials demand it; that a man ) should turn tr;iitor t) his friends, his! family, himself, hi ; religion, and j his God, it the party bos bin!.-that bin!.-that he wills s..; in short, that j to be a loyal citizen it t tieres-ai y i to cease being' a man, atnl become ' merely a machine in the hands of; the political inatiiptilalor. Sin h I people make loii; winded spivchc . about mati's'dirst allieg un e,' or draft bill-i inaking religious belief a crime. 1 as in Ihe case of the ('itllotii-Siublile Hill; or support such incisures as the Ileiiuet law of H isconsin, which allows al-lows the state official to Usurp tiie rights of the parent, and makes the child a factor in the affairs of the fdate. It is evident that these mistaken Ktates-men do not understand the first rudiments of government iu a free country. The true object of 'government lias never been better expressed than in the "Constitution. "Constitu-tion. 'Tt is there given as: "To establish estab-lish justice, insure domestic tran- ituility, provide for the common de- ... , T' , II ..Mlaic, and secure l.'ie blesnugs unmirr"J Outside of these, governmeiit has no right to interfere. .While every citizen citi-zen owes much to hit; country, there are certain ""rights which individuals, communities, and governments should respect, rights that are inalien able, because none have the right to take them away, livery man has a right to worship (Tod in his own way, or to get along without worship if he prefers it; and be has a further right to proclaim and maintain his belief as long as be does not intrude ! on the rights of others. Between a man ami his God, governments have no more right to interfere than the United States has to legislate for the Chinese Empire. A man in not re- J sponsible to his government for his convictions, and it is. no sign of dis-j loyalty if he resents its interference in matters outsVie of its sphere, i Parents owe it to their fellow citizens citi-zens that their children be educated in such a way that when they reach majority they will not be likely to become be-come dangerous to the community, and to the gnvernment they owe the duty of making the children loyal to the nation iti which they reside; and should the parents be so neglectful neglect-ful as to fail in these respects, it becomes be-comes the duty of the "State" to see that this training is furnished the child; but when thecivil attorney undertakes un-dertakes to dictate what a man shall believe or disbelieve, or pass laws making his conscience a test of citizenship, citi-zenship, they are treading on dangerous danger-ous ground; and when legislators be-gin be-gin to contemplate making laws that will take the control of the children by compelling attendance at a particular partic-ular school, and prohibit the study of certain branches of education; they are becoming dangerous to the liberties of the people, and should b : retired to private life, where they will be unable to do much harm. In regard to a man.s "just al-liegancL," al-liegancL," there is no Christian who docs not believe that "There is a just God who presides over the . destiny of nations;" and the fact is no stronger argument against his patriotism than a man's love for his " v.ife is evidence of treason. Religion Reli-gion is as far removed from civil government as heaven is from earth; mi it is a foolish presumption that tries to place Deity in the scales chains! anything human. The fact that a man is loyal to his religion r,nd true to his family, instead of being be-ing a proof of treason is one of the best proofs that he wilt be loyal to Lis country. |