A COMMON FAILURE IN CIVIL GOVERNMENT.
By G.
MANY attempts have been made to establish government that would be void of tyranny; that would recognize the rights of the people. Every popular revolution against an established government that ever has taken place had that purpose in view, however mistaken the revolters may have been regarding the situation. But, prior to A.D. 1776, all such attempts fell short because some particular kind of religious faith was recognized in the civil law, and effort was made to enforce it by the civil law. The government, however liberal in other respects, would set up and endeavor to maintain at public expense some form of religion. And it has ever been a fact that the enforcement of the observance of religious creed by law has worked oppression and limitation of the exercise of civil rights by those who were conscientiously opposed to the state religion. But through the ever-increasing light of the Gospel of Liberty, there at last dawned the true idea of civil government—the complete separation of church and state, and the recognition of the equality of men. This was the perfect ideal as seen by the framers of the Declaration of Independence, and, later, by those who constructed and adopted the Constitution. That the ideal has not been fully put in practise is due to the innate selfishness and bigotry of individuals and classes who have been enabled to wield a certain degree of deteriorating influence. However, that ideal was set up by our forefathers, in the providence of God, for the first time in the history of nations. And it is yet (in the letter) held up by constitutional expression, and in the periodical heralding on state occasions. Its failure to hold place in spirit as well as in letter in this Republic must be due to the waning of the spirit of civil and religious liberty in the hearts of the people, and the consequent disregard of that principle in the halls of legislation and courts of justice. G.