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accomplished by this and the former reports. As he sometimes transforms himself into an angel of light, that he may the better succeed in his nefarious designs, so do these reports. They admit just enough of the truth of the Christian religion, and of the importance of the Sabbath, to throw the reader off his guard; and then, by bold and unfounded assumptions, by false premises and wrong conclusions, lead him to think that the writer is contending, legitimately, against a reality, and not fallaciously, against a figment of his disordered imagination. But no discriminating mind, and especially no enlightened Christian can fail to see in these reports blank infidelity, touching this institution, and the right of God to require its observance.

It is greatly to be desired, that the writers of these reports may see the error of the course they have pursued, and repent of it, though they can never make amends for all the evil brought on the nation through these instrumentalities.

Report of Hon. Mr. McCreery.

The HON. MR. MCCREERY, of the same committee, submitted his views on this subject to the House, March 5th, 1830, defending the aspersed character, impugned motives, and misrepresented views of the petitioners; as well as the principles for which they contended. It is a document too sensible, candid, and too much in point, to be withheld from the reader.

"All Christian nations acknowledge the first day of the week to be the Sabbath. Almost every state in this Union has, by positive legislation, not only recognized this day as sacred, but has forbidden its profanation under penalties imposed by law.

"It was never considered by any of those states as an encroachment upon the rights of conscience, or as an improper interference with the opinions of the few, to guard the sacredness of that portion of time acknowledged to be holy by the many.

"The petitioners ask not Congress to expound the moral law; they ask not Congress to meddle with theological controversies, much less to interfere with the rights of the Jew, or the Sabbatarian; or to treat with the least disrespect the religious feelings of any portion of the inhabitants of the Union; they ask the introduction of no religious coercion into our civil institu

tions; no blending of civil and religious affairs; but they do ask that the agents of Government, employed in the Post-office Department, may be permitted to enjoy the same opportunities of attending to moral and religious instruction, or intellectual improvement, on that day, which are enjoyed by the rest of their fellow-citizens. They approach the Government, not for personal emolument, but as patriots and Christians, to express their high sense of the moral energy and necessity of the Sabbath for the perpetuity of our republican institutions, and respectfully request that Congress will not, by legislative enactments, impair these energies.

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Among the many reasons which might be advanced, that it is both expedient and a duty to grant the prayer of the petitioners, the following only are submitted:

"The petitioners ask the enactment of no law establishing the first day of the week as the Christian Sabbath; they only ask the extension and application to one department of Government, of a principle, which is recognized, and has, since the foundation of our Government, been acknowledged in every other department. The principle embraced in the petitions has been recognized by Congress, by adjourning over the first day of the week. ** All the other Executive Departments of Government are closed on that day. Congress has never, by this, considered itself expounding the moral law, or as introducing any religious coercion into our civil institutions; or making any innovations on the religious rights of the citizens; or settling, by legislation, any theological question that may exist between Jews, Sabbatarians, and other denominations. The good of society requires the strict observance of one day in seven. Paley, and other writers on moral philosophy, have shown, that the resting of men every seventh day; their winding up their labors and concerns once in seven days; their abstraction from the affairs of the world, to improve their minds and converse with their Maker; their orderly attendance on public worship and instruction, have a direct and powerful tendency to improve the morals and temporal happiness of mankind.

'The wise and good Ruler of the Universe made the appointment, not by a mere arbitrary exercise of authority, but for our good; and, whatever difference of opinion may exist in respect

to the proper day to be observed, almost all agree that one day in seven should be devoted to religious exercises. That being admitted, can any thing be more reasonable than the request of the petitioners, that at least so much of the law should be repealed as requires the Post-office to be kept open every day of the week? Does not the enactment of that law plainly imply that mankind are under no moral obligations to refrain from secular labor on any day of the week? Is it not in direct opposition to the received opinion of almost all professing Christians? It is to that part of the law, more particularly, which requires, in terms, all the Postmasters throughout the United States to deliver letters, packets, and papers on every day of the week, to which the minority of your committee object; and which is most offensive to the petitioners. In this statute is at once seen a palpable encroachment on the rights of conscience. It either drives every man who feels himself morally bound to observe the Sabbath in a religious manner, from the service of his country, and equal participation in her favors, or subjects him to the hard terms of remaining in office at the expense of his principles. It is freely acknowledged that works of necessity and mercy are not forbid. den; and if the transportation of the mail on Sunday could be justified on that ground, (which is not admitted), it cannot be contended that the keeping open offices where no mail arrives on that day, is the work of necessity.

"The arguments which have been urged for the transportation of the mail, &c., on the Sabbath, are mainly derived from commercial convenience, and from alleged derangement of business and intercourse. This doctrine militates against the first principles of good morals. If these are important at all, they are paramount to the claims of expediency; but this plea makes them subservient to the pressure of worldly business, and converts them into mere questions of profit and loss.

"The prayer of the petitioners cannot interfere with the religious feelings or consciences of any portion of the citizens, because they ask no service to be performed, no principle to be professed. It is only asked that certain duties be not required on a certain day. Were it imposing any service, or requiring the profession of any opinions, those whose religious sentiments were different, might justly complain. But he who conscien

tiously believes that he is bound to observe the seventh day of the week, in a religious manner, can have no just reason to complain, because Government takes nothing from him in permitting all classes of citizens to observe the first day of the week as a day of religious rest. The case would be quite different, did the privilege of resting on that day, impose any thing on any class of citizens contrary to their conscience.

"Therefore, Resolved, that it is expedient to grant the prayer of the petitioners."

(Signed)

"WM. MCCREERY."

In order to place before the reader more fully the arguments of the petitions and remonstrances against Sunday mails, a few extracts from some of those presented in 1829, will now be subjoined.

From Newark, N. J., Dec. 10th, 1829.

** "That your memorialists conscientiously believe that the people of these United States, in their national capacity and character, constitute a Christian nation; if a Christian nation, then our Government is a Christian Government, a government formed and established by Christians, and therefore bound by the word of God, not at liberty to contravene his laws, nor to act irrespectively of the obligations we owe to him. * * *

"Your memorialists do not ask a legislative act, or any governmental declaration that Sunday shall be kept holy; they only ask that the existing laws, requiring any part of that day to be appropriated to secular business in the Post-office Department, ** may be repealed."

From North Carolina. December, 1829.

**The practice of thus violating one of the express commands of God, having the sanction of the constituted authorities of the Government, assumes a national character, and may be justly called a national sin--the awful consequences of which are so often detailed in the sacred volume. **

"To put a stop to this practice is not to impose restraint on the rights of any, but rather to remove a restraint which is

grievous to many; it is to give liberty to all to enjoy the rest and privileges of that sacred day; and to terminate a practice, the example of which your memorialists humbly conceive to be injurious to the morals of the people. * *

'By the observance or profanation of the Sabbath, the standard of morals is regulated in every Christian land; and in proportion as Christian morals prevail, the people are happy and the country prosperous; and if the bond of union, which holds our beloved country together, is ever dissolved, (which may Heaven avert!) it will be by first throwing off all religious and moral restraints. ** No nation has ever suffered by cherishing the spirit of Christ; but many have been ruined by giving place to a contrary spirit. ** It would be too much to say (and it is now too late to say it) that there shall be no legislative sanctions to enforce the laws of God; the statute book of the nation furnishes too many instances of such sanctions, now to call in question the right. And if, in copying the laws of God, your honorable body can say (without approaching the awful whirlpool of church and state) that murder is a crime, and shall be punished with death, where, your memorialists would respectfully ask, is the danger in saying, after the same example, that the violation of the Christian Sabbath is a sin, and ought not to be countenanced? But, in truth, the subject matter of this memorial does not involve the question of Church and State, but of morality and State. And in such a union as the latter, all ** would have much cause to rejoice."

From the County of Williamson and others, Tenn.

"We usurp powers of the General Government to disturb the Sabbath's rest, which the States have never granted; and we interfere with their constant use of powers, to protect its rest, which they have reserved to themselves. We brand our nation with a dishonorable inconsistency; virtually declaring, it is from no regard to the authority of the Most High, that we suspend, on the Sabbath, our legislative and judicial business. ** We entice thousands of our citizens from their duty to God, to their families, to society, and their own souls, on the Sabbath, to work for unlawful gain; or to amuse themselves and their acquaintances with the news just brought from a distance by the Sab

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