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As Sanctioned by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.
Though Judge Bell in his decision gave it as his
opinion that the Sunday was merely a legal institution—(we pass by Judge
Coulter’s views as not meriting any notice, since he places it on
Christian grounds which are not tenable under the constitution of the
commonwealth, as we have proved)—and therefore liable to be repealed at
any time: we nevertheless find that our apprehension as regards its
enforcement have already been realized, since persons have been seized
and imprisoned for working on a day which their conscience tells them is
profane, and which they are nevertheless told they must not
profane by labour. There is tyranny in this, and a tyranny the more
galling as there is no redress, the majority not likely being willing to
repeal a law, which, though evidently against the spirit of the
constitution, has been sanctioned by the Supreme Bench in deference to
popular clamour. But public opinion may undergo a change for the better
before long, and then this odious distinctive law will vanish from the
statute book, and with it the favouring of one religion above the other,
a measure never contemplated by the fathers of the commonwealth. We
quote from the Sabbath Recorder of October 12th:—
“Doings in Pennsylvania.”
“From a letter written by one of the German
Seventh-day Baptists of Snowhill, Pa., we learn that soon after the
decision of the Supreme <<414>>Court at Harrisburg, the Sheriff came and took
property of Jacob Specht and Peter Fyock, which was sold to pay their
fines for working on Sunday, together with the costs attending their
prosecution. Three other men, Andrew Monn, David Monn, and John Burger,
having no property upon which a levy could be made, would have suffered
themselves to be taken to jail, except that their bail was responsible
for the money. The fines and costs of the last three amounted to about
twelve dollars each; those of the first two were more, but we do not
know exactly how much. Probably one hundred dollars will not more than
cover the expenses attending the prosecution of these five men for
working on Sunday.
“We farther learn, that during harvest, six persons
were informed against for taking in wheat on Sunday. Two of them, being
boys, were discharged by the Justice; but against the other four
judgments were given. One of the parties has taken his case up to court;
the other three were to have gone to jail on third-day of last week.
“After the above transaction, but little work was
done in public on Sunday until the 2d inst., when a man and three boys
picked apples, and were informed upon. If judgment is given against
them, they will probably go to jail, as they have no property upon which
the officers can lay hands.
“—What a record of transactions in the State of
Pennsylvania in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and
forty-eight! A band of peaceable and conscientious citizens, who believe
that the fourth commandment requires them to rest on the seventh day and
work on the first day, and act accordingly, are watched with
inquisitorial strictness, and subjected to fines and imprisonment
whenever a wicked law can be so construed as to apply to them. And what
is worst of all, this kind of persecution, begun by base men for
purposes of revenge, and sanctioned and approved by men calling
themselves Christians, and even Christian ministers! Tell it not in the
Vatican, lest our boasts of religious freedom be held in contempt! Tell
it not among the heathen, lest they despise Christianity, and be
emboldened to persecute and slay its advocates!” |
