Untitled article by Ira D. Blanchard

Pacific Press Publishing Company · New York · September 15, 1892

FromThe American Sentinel, Vol. 7, No. 36

The American Political System.

By Ira D. Blanchard

It was declared to be the opinion of the United States Senate, in 1829, that, “Extensive religious combinations to effect a political object are always dangerous.” There exists at the present time in this country the most extensive religious combination the world ever saw, and it exists for no other purpose than to effect a political object. We are evidently entering a serious crisis in our national life. By careful study of the principles which underlie our American political system, every citizen should seek to understand what is involved in the political success of this intensely un-American and most dangerous movement.

In the development of the American idea of government many futile attempts were made to formulate a complete assertion of the principle involved. Of this class is the resolution adopted by the New York provincial congress, June 24, 1775, as follows:—

Resolved, That neither the parliament of Great Britain nor any other earthly legislature or tribunal ought or can of right interfere or interpose in any wise howsoever in the religious and ecclesiastical concerns of the colonies.

This was too general to give protection to each individual in the colonies against any interference in his religious concerns by the government of his own colony.

The Virginia declaration of rights, adopted June 12, 1776, is more to the point. In the Constitution of nearly all the States, similar assertions have been adopted. Section 16 reads as follows:—

That religion or the duty which we owe to our Creator, and the manner of discharging it, can be directed only by reason and conviction, and not by force or violence; and therefore all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of all to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.

In the discussion of this resolution Madison said:—

The free exercise of religion, according to the dictates of conscience, is something which every man may demand as a right, not something for which he must ask as a privilege.

We can more fully realize the force of

these “self-evident truths” when we unselfishly assert the other man’s right to believe and worship as he chooses, or not to worship at all if he chooses. Freedom to do a thing necessarily implies equal freedom not to do it. It is the selfish assertion and reiteration of our own rights that leads us to forget the rights of others and try to force them to conform to our way.

The words of Christ (Matt. 7:12,) “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so, to them; for this is the law and the prophets,” were his explanation to his followers, of what constitutes proper obedience to the law, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” As Christ’s legal opinion this rule is binding upon all Christians, unequivocally requiring them to accord to others in all things, the same right and privileges they would wish accorded to themselves. It does more than this.

It exposes the character of those who claim the name Christian, but have so little regard for this fundamental law of Christian conduct, that they seek to enforce upon others hollow formalities of their own lifeless, if not absolutely hypocritical, profession. The law of Christianity is the law of love, “For love worketh no ill to his neighbor.” And that the principle of freedom of conscience for every man, as embodied in the Declaration of Independence and guaranteed by our Constitution is in harmony with it, is a “self-evident truth.” These principles should be maintained by Christians and all others. “By their fruits ye shall know them.”—Ira D. Blanchard, in Duluth Evening Herald.