March 20, 1890
THERE is a point in that religious amendment to the Constitution that has not been made as much of as it ought to be. The title of the proposition is this:—
Joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, respecting establishments of religion and free public schools.
Now set that alongside of this clause of the Constitution as it is, and consider them together.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.
If the purpose of this proposed Amendment is not to annul that clause of the Constitution as it is, and so open the way for a national establishment of religion, then what can possibly be the purpose of it?
This being, logically, the purpose of the resolution as defined in the title, a further question is, Does the body of the resolution bear out the logic of the title? Let us see. Section 2 says:—
Each State in this Union shall establish and maintain a system of free public schools adequate for the education of all the children living therein, between the ages of six and sixteen years, inclusive, in the common branches of learning, in virtue and morality, and in knowledge of the fundamental and non-sectarian principles of Christianity.
And section 3 says:—
The United States shall guarantee to every State and to the people of every State, and of the United States, the support and maintenance of such a system of free public schools as is herein provided.
The analysis of these sections is this:—
A system shall be established which shall embody “the principles of Christianity.”
The United States shall guarantee the maintenance of such a system.
Therefore this resolution does propose that the United States Government shall maintain an establishment of Christianity.
Now Christianity is the expression and embodiment of a religion.
This resolution proposes to pledge the United States Government to the maintenance of an establishment of Christianity.
Therefore this resolution does propose to pledge the United States Government to the maintenance of an establishment of religion.
Again: Section 4 of the resolution says:—
Congress shall enforce this article by appropriate legislation when necessary.
As the preceding sections of the article provide for and guarantee an establishment of religion—of Christianity; and as this section provides that Congress shall enforce the article by appropriate legislation; therefore the resolution does provide that Congress shall make laws respecting an establishment of religion.
The analysis of the whole resolution, therefore, is this:—
It proposes that the United States Government shall establish a religion; and that Congress shall make laws respecting that establishment of religion.
But the Constitution as it is says, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”
Therefore, both in its title and its provisions the Blair resolution to amend the Constitution of the United States is distinctly a proposition to annul that clause of the Constitution as it is which forbids an establishment of religion.
That clause of the Constitution is, and was intended to be, the declaration of one of the fundamental and distinctive principles of our form of government.
The Blair resolution being a proposition [90] to annul that clause, is a proposition to destroy one of the distinctive features of our form of government and is therefore REVOLUTIONARY. And let all the people know it.
A. T. J.