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Show CHRISTIANISING THE CONSTITUTION. CONSTI-TUTION. We have written on this subject, oppressing op-pressing our views in plain language, aud with pleasure clip the following indorsement in-dorsement of them from the Denver Aries and the New York Iribune. The position taken by them is precisely the same as that taken by the Herald : The convention held at Philadelphia, last week, to procure the recognition of God and Christianity in the Federal Constitution, adopted ' a ' resolution stating definitely what they want. It is that an article be placed in the Constitution Con-stitution asserting that this is a Christian Chris-tian nation, and making Christian laws, institutions and usages the fundamental fund-amental law of the land especially those which secure a proper oath, and which protect society against blasphemy, blas-phemy, sabbath-breaking and polygamy. polyg-amy. Upon this proportion the New York Tribun? makes the following comments, which we adopt as expressing expres-sing our own opinions : "A proper oath" that is, an oath proper to be taken by Christians as these men understand Christianity. Can a Hebrew take this oath ? or a Deist? or an Atheist? or a ''heatheD Chinee?" or even a rationalizing Unitarian? Uni-tarian? Manifestly not. The verj object of imposing such an oath would be defeated ii' he could. This "propel oath" is intended and will be shaped to exclude not only from office but from voting, if challenged, from the jury-box, jury-box, and from the witness-stand, every one who is not regarded by its framen-as framen-as a Christian. "iVho does not see that this is Church and State in a far more intolerant union than any European monarchy now endures '? ''Sabbath breaking," too, is among the crimes against which it is proposed to "protect society" by federal power. Whose Sabbath is to be thus hallowed and hedged about with federal punishments punish-ments ? Unquestionably that of the promoters of the amendment, not that . of Jews, Seventh-day Baptists, c(c That God has set apart and sanctified v tb.3 first day of the week for a Sabbath, is not at this hour tho conviction of a majority of the American people; and of course any enactment which would satisfy the promoters of the proposed amendment would be violated each week by at least five million persons How shall our already overburdened courts find time to try the culprits ? Where shall we find prison cells in which to immure them ? But we forbear. The proposed recognition re-cognition of God involves a more fundamental fun-damental and sweeping change than was effected y our fathers' separation from Great Britain. It would give us - a government not unlike that from which Kome hasjustbeen emancipated. We entreat thoughful, intelligent citizens to refrain from giving a project countenance which cannot tail to be productive of grave mischief." |