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About Talent news. (Talent, Or.) 1892-1894 | View Entire Issue (June 1, 1894)
in having passed in its place “ An Act for Establishing Religious Freedom/’ written * by * Jefferson. The doccument is lengthy * • but the f '¡lowing (¡notation will give the general tenor: ' ‘‘He it therefore enaetetl by tie (it th rtf I Axxembly, that no man shall læ compel I- ed to frequent cr support any religious worship, place or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinion or belief; butthat a’l men shall lx* free to profess, and by argu ment to maintain, their opinions in mat ters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge or effect their civil capacities.” The state-church party kept up the struggle, but the cause of religious freedom prevailed, and in the constitution, adopted soon after, there was no mention .of religion nor reference to thediety. James Madison, in a speech in the Virginia convention for the ratifi cation of the constitution, used these words: “There is no shadow of right in the general government to intermeddle with religion. Its least interference with it would be a most flagrant usurpation.’ Is there a true American who does not indorse these utterances of one of our greatest statesmen? And are they not as true to day as then? It will be seen by the above extracts that whenever r _ • .. _ may ... i be ~ ..i. .. i to tic short comings charged Quakers, Baptists or Presbyterians the world over, those of Virginia colony should be credited with taking a firm stand in favor of civil ami religious lib erty in those “times that tried men’s souls.’’ The efforts of the church-ami-stateit"- did not cease with the adoption of the constitution. 1 hey s t up a I mg dr t >v:i and pathetic plea that the g< xemn <nt would soon utterly collapse unle-’s the dcitx V ’ were recognized in the constitution. Another light was brought on which resulted in the first amendment to the constitution which says that “Congress shall make no Iftxv respecting an c.- tab- lishmont <• •f religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. This xvasupposed to shut off all fur ther demands for any such amendment, but this was not the case. The agitation did not cease. The most vituperativc terms were used in dennnei ition of the constitution. It was pronounced atheis tical, etc, and that even savages would have recognized 8» »me great spirit. Epidemics, storm-, famines and all other great calamities were attributed to the failure to recognize God ami his law • ii mir countryMagna ( dart i. When a our cixil war came on it xva< absolutely ct rtain that the »«nlv • !cj • e f >r the saietx • of the nati» n lax in Laving the name of (lod inserted rum» xvhere in the constitu tion. A society was form»d call« <1 tie .National Refoim Association, and that as.-ociation l as been xvorkirg with xvon- dcrful zeal ever since. It includes mem- I h rs from every state in tl e I nion a: »1 is well organized. It may be well to note the fact that the gallant Col. Breckin ridge, xx lio.-e name lias l»< • n so prominent ly before the public of late, has often given the Focietx’ the benefit of hi intlu ence a ml el« .<¡nonce. '¡’he snubbing these misguided enthu siasts receive«! last March xxill not dimin ish their ardor in the least. Like Ham let’s Ghost, they will not down. The amendment bill being defeated. Senator Kyle of South Dakota, on April 12, introduced a “Bill for Sunday Rest.’ which for its intolerent spirit, must make our old Puritan fathers rise up in then graves and shout amen. Aparently the bill is intended for the protection of Sun day as a day of rest, but its real purpose in the last clause of Section is expressed ( X 6 xx Inch sa vs that the bill I shall be coli- stilld so as to secure the “religious ob. sei vam <■ of the Sabbath.’’ •Jefferson and Madison we have not. but A. T. Jones, the able ami eloquent Seventh Day Adventist, ami the brav» ami energetic Lil»cral, S. P. Putnam, w 11 he on hand to put in their I • * t li» 1» against the enactment of so uifamou m -asure. This bill is noxx in the hand.- of the Committee on E< location ami Lu bo of which Senator Kyle is chairman, and max * ’ come on at :inv * time. hoove» everx * true American everx * ’ lox»f • of civil and religious liberty, to vigor- ously oppose the schemes of this associa tion of zealot-’ xvho xxotnd rob our con stitution of its libercl and se«‘Ular char acter’ I I • fc''AÀAlAlÀ'ÀAK4,f DEAl EC IN CENTRAL POINT FLOUR ano ’FEED. Ol(EG0N r a lent .