From Strasburg, Lancaster County, Penn.

"Moreover, the indulgence granted to mail coaches to pursue their daily vocation on that day, holds forth a demoralizing precedent to the citizens of the United States. Many teamsters, disposed to commit breaches of the Sabbath, by transporting merchandize on that day, plead, in justification of their conduct, to be entitled to the same privileges as those which mail coaches enjoy."

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From Chester County, Penn.

Many, who habitually violate the Lord's day, plead the example of the Postoffice as an apology."

From the vicinity of Agnew's Mills, Penn.

"The command of God, and the welfare of our country, require that you should make no law which lays the burden of breaking the Sabbath upon inferior officers; that from the fountain head of the public good, no stream should be sent forth to desolate our comfort, our intelligence, our morals, our liberties, and our religion."

From Windsor, Conn.

"We believe we have a right to look to the Government of our country for example-and we trust that Congress will not suffer a practice which continually undermines the morals of the community."

From Philadelphia.

"That the direct effect of the present regulations in the Postoffice Department, together with the influence of an example originating with the Government, tends greatly to the general profanation of an institution with which the best interests of our country are connected, and leads to numerous breaches of the good order and peace of society."

From Atwater, Portage County, Ohio.

"The religious assemblies of citizens, peaceably convened for

the worship of God on that day, are in many places disturbed, and the weight of national example and encouragement is given to the cause of vice and irreligion. * * Regarding the subject in a political point of view, we apprehend that those feelings of reverence for the Sabbath, which exist in the minds of the more virtuous part of the community, have too serious a bearing upon the stability and perpetuity of our free institutions, to be discouraged and eradicated by legislative enactments. Such, we think, to a very great extent, is the tendency of that law, which requires the secular business respecting the mail for this whole country, to be transacted on that day, in some measure at least, as on other days of the week."

From Elkton, Todd County, Ky.

"The demoralizing effect of withdrawing so many officers from exercises peculiar to the day;-the allurements held out to our citizens to gather around the offices and engage in political discussion;—the influence of governmental example, in giving a sanction to the violation of the Sabbath;-together with many other similar considerations, cannot have escaped the attention of your honorable body."

These extracts are closed by the insertion of the following circular, adopted by inhabitants of Nashville, Tennessee, and addressed to gentlemen in different parts of the State. The members of the committee, it is said, are of the first respectability, and belong to different denominations of Christians. It is believed that one of them was Mr. Grundy, the present United States' Attorney, who was one of the Committee on Postoffices and Postroads in the Senate when the author's petition was presented to the second session of the twenty-fifth Congress-which committee made no report.

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NASHVILLE, Dec. 29, 1828. "Gentlemen-As a committee appointed by a meeting lately held in this city, we ask your serious attention to the subject of the enclosed memorial. We feel a deep and solemn conviction that the dictates of a wise public policy, as well as a just sense of

religious duty, require that every discreet and temperate effort should be made to induce the Government of the United States to amend the laws regulating the Postoffice Department, so as to prevent the transportation and opening of mails, and the delivery of letters, newspapers, and packages, on the day which is almost universally acknowledged in our country as the Christian Sabbath.

"We, therefore, in compliance with the duty enjoined on us, earnestly solicit your prompt co-operation in procuring signatures to the enclosed memorial, from as many persons of virtuous character as you can; and that you forward your memorials, when signed, with as little delay as possible, by mail, to such member of Congress as you may deem proper.

"Very respectfully, your obedient servants,

CHARACTER AND OBJECTS OF THE MEMORIALISTS.

"It is well known, that the memorialists are among all denominations of Christians, among the most respectable merchants in our large cities, and the most eminent divines, civilians, and statesmen that our country can boast. Nor can we refrain from briefly stating here their object, and some of the reasons on which they found their appeal.

1. Their object is simple, and worthy of all commendation. They wish to rescue the Sabbath from its growing profanations; and for this purpose they ask Congress, not indeed to enforce its observance, but merely to abstain from abetting its violation by their laws, and to cause, or at least permit it, to be respected in the Postoffice Department, as it has ever been, in all the legisla

tive, judicial, and executive departments of our State and national governments.

2. It is obviously within the Constitutional power of Congress to grant this simple request. The Constitution does not require them to profane the Sabbath either in person or by proxy; and surely they are at liberty, if they choose, to cease from encouraging and even forcing a large number of our citizens to violate it by the transportation of mails, and the opening of Postoffices on that day. **

3. The Memorialists consider it altogether unnecessary to transport the mail, and deliver letters on the Sabbath. This practice was scarcely known during our early history, and the period of our greatest prosperity. * *

4. The present practice seems, even as a part of our financial system, to be of very doubtful expediency. It may indeed be doubted whether it does not incur a loss rather than insure a saving of time, labor, and money.

**

7. The Memorialists also think that Congress ought, in justice to individuals and the several States, to discontinue the Sabbath mails. A large number of our countrymen have made great personal efforts, and nearly every State has enacted laws, to preserve the Sabbath from profanation, and diffuse its blessings through the community; but the present policy directly interferes with these pious and patriotic measures, and the high example of Congress, seen and felt throughout the land, most powerfully tends to defeat every plan that may be devised by individuals or by States to rescue this holy day from general and perhaps perpetual prostration.

8. The present practice is fraught with fearful consequences to our political interests. ** If the same practice should be introduced into the other departments of government, in relation to the Sabbath, that exists in the Postoffice Department, the entire government of our nation like that of revolutionary France, would be thrown into the hands of avowed or virtual infidels, and might be wielded with fatal efficacy to sweep away the last bulwark of our civil and religious liberties. **

10. For reasons like these, a majority of our most intelligent, virtuous, and respectable citizens earnestly desire, that the mail

The

may be stopt, and Postoffices closed, on the Sabbath. wishes of such and so many citizens deserve a very respectful consideration. Congress may, however, refuse for the present to comply with their request; but we trust the day is fast coming when the Sabbath will be so generally respected, its importance so highly appreciated, and public opinion so strongly and universally in its favor, that a voice, issuing from every city, and village, and hamlet, from Maine to Florida, from the Atlantic to the western wilderness, will pour upon the ear of Congress such notes of remonstrance as must and will be heard and heeded.”—Note in the “First Annual Report of the Lowell Sabbath Union."

From the foregoing may be known the feelings and character of a great majority of those who were then opposed to Sunday mails. No candid, intelligent man will deny that they were among the most respectable and influential of our citizens. And there is no good reason to suppose that this class of men have experienced any change in their feelings, in respect to this evil.

MEMORIALS AND PETITIONS IN FAVOR OF SUNDAY MAILS.

Memorials from several sources were forwarded to Congress, remonstrating against a repeal of the law requiring Postmasters to labor on Sunday, and the enactment of a law prohibiting the carrying of the mail on that day.

One from inhabitants of Portsmouth, New Hampshire; one from citizens of the town of Newark, New Jersey, dated Jan. 8, 1830; one from residents of Philadelphia, Penn.; one from the General Assembly of the State of Indiana, dated Feb. 15, 1830, which does not well comport with their laws against Sabbath desecration; and one from inhabitants of the County of Salem, New Jersey, dated Jan. 20, 1830.

Also, January 22, 1831, one from the General Assembly of the State of Alabama. (See the laws of this State against labor on Sunday.) January 31, 1831, one from citizens of Kentucky; February 14, 1831, one from the General Assembly of the State of Illinois; (see also the Sabbath law of this State,) and one, February 24, 1831, from citizens of Windham County, Vermont.