THE local union of Christian Endeavorers of Hackensack Valley, N. Y., have sent in a petition against Sunday mail service to the postmaster of Hackensack, on the decidedly novel ground that such service is “in violation of the spirit of the Constitution of the United States.” The petition will, it is said, be sent to Washington to be passed upon by the post-office authorities.”
Inasmuch as the Constitution of the United States forbids, to the extent of its jurisdiction, any law “respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” it would be in order for these Christian Endeavorers to explain how a regulation which does not deny to any the free exercise of religion, can be “in violation of the spirit” of that document; and how, also, a regulation which linked this department of the government with a religious dogma, can be in keeping with the spirit of the Constitution.
In other words, since the Constitution discountenances any union of the government with religion, by forbidding Congress to make any law on the subject, ought a department of the government to keep Sunday? We think not.