land not only with the followers which he
originally brought over to this country, but
he brought with him a great many other
gentlemen of education, wealth and high
standing who settled in this State. And I
think it would be but a poor commentary
upon that example of religious freedom es-
tablished by the first settlers of Maryland,
for us to exclude from any civil office under
our Government, any one who believes in
the existence of God, and a future state of
rewards and punishments, whom the people
may deem worthy to be trusted with civil
authority.
Mr. STIRLING. It is not in order now for
me to offer an amendment which I have
drawn up, as an amendment to the pending
amendment, for it contains some matter
which is not germain to the pending ques-
tion. I wish, however, to give notice that
at the proper time I aball move to strike out
all of this article alter the word " That,"
and insert the following as a substitute
" No other test or qualification ought to
be required on admission to any office of profit
or trust, than such oath of allegiance and
fidelity to this State and to the United
States as may be prescribed by this Consti-
tution, and such oath of office and qualifi-
cation as may be prescribed by this Consti-
tution, or by the laws of the State, and a
declaration of belief in the Christian religion,
or in the existence of God, and a future state
of rewards and punishments."
Upon the latter clause of this I desire to
gay a few wolds. There is but one class of
persons whom I wish to embrace In the pro-
visions of this article beyond those who be-
lieve in the Christian religion, and that is
the Isaelitish or Jewish population of this
State. No other consideration but my de-
sire to allow them the privileges which are
intended to be extended by this provision
would induce me to vote for any change
whatever in this portion of this article. But
for that I would prefer to let the article
stand as it stood in the old Constitution,
and require a declaration of belief in the
Christian religion from everybody, but I
recognize the fact that there is a large class
of the population of this State who hold the
Jewish belief, which to a certain extent is cog-
nate with the Christian religion. They hold
to a great part of that same Scriptures which
the Christians believe. They bold that the
game law which was miraculously given on
Mount Sinai was given to them as well as
to us. The, recognize the existence of God
in the same sense that we do; not the god
of the Romans, not the god of the Indians,
not the god of the Mahommedans, not the
god of Chinese idolaters, but the God that
is revealed in the Holy Evangely, and in
the Scriptures of the Old Testament, And
that is the only God that I mean by my de-
claration of belief, I believe that any' oath |
in regard to religion, with any distinction
between sects and denominations, ought
forever to be prohibited. And I believe
that the requirement from any individual
of any declaration of belief in any kind of
religion ought forever to be prohibited.
Now there is no such thing as the right
to bold office, No man has a right to bold
office. The prescription of qualifications of
office, are within the power of the people of
this State; and they have a right to pro-
vide in their organic law just such qualifi-
cations as they choose to provide, and no
man can say that his rights are in the
slightest degree infringed upon, no matter
what qualifications of office may be pre-
scribed The fact is, not that this is merely
a Protestant community, a Presbyterian
community, or any other kind of community
so far as religions sects are concerned ;
but that this is a country of Christian peo-
ple, as a general rule, cannot be denied.
Our population is not a Jewish population,
a Mahommedan population, or an indication
population, but a Christian population.
And there is a propriety in saying that in a
community so thoroughly united in its re-
ligions belief, from its earliest settlement—
its people coming from England, Germany,
France, Spain, or any other country, run-
ning back to the Christian stock, the only
exception being those who belong to the
Jewish persuasion, and which form but a
small portion of all our population, and is
really cognate to the Christian religion in
belief—there is a propriety in a Christian
people saying that they do not want a Ma-
hommedan, or a Chinese idolater to occupy
any office of profit or trust under their Gov-
ernment; that he cannot rule in such a
manner as to accommodate himself to the
proper interests and feelings of the people
of this State. It is not a question of right
bat a question of expediency, and of expe-
diency alone. The Court of Appeals of this
State has summarily decided that the Chris-
tian religion is a part of the government of
this State; lot in any particular form, but
in its general principles. And while I wish,
for the purpose of admitting this large class
of persona to which I have alluded, to put
out of the Constitution this word "Jew"
to which they have some serious objection
in this connection, I do not wish to leave
out the words " Christian religion,'' because
I want to assert this general principle, that
this is a Christian community, which while
it recognizes no natural right in any indi-
vidual to hold office, yet from motives of
kindness and expediency, are willing to ex-.
tend the blessings of toleration as far as they
can practically be exercised even in regard
to office, to this class of population, not as a
right but as a privilege. I desire while still
asserting that we are a Christian community,
to admit this class of our popula- |
