"Ministers of the gospel are by their pro-
fession dedicated to the service of God, and
should not therefore be contaminated by
being mixed up with politics."
And that is the reason, I suppose, which
will be assigned here. It is a great pity,
after putting such a restriction in their Con-
stitution, such a ban upon ministers of the
gospel, they were not prevented from inter-
fering in other wrongs very much to the in-
jury of the" country, and as I believe, to the
destruction of the souls intrusted to their
care; and instead of teaching their duty,
teaching them treason and rebellion,
I have heard it suggested, and it may be
very true, that one reason for putting this
particular provision in the Constitutions of
slave States, was in consequence of what is
known as the code of honor, the practice of
duelling. There it is not only held honora-
ble, but it is held to be the duty of every
man, who calls himself one of the chivalry,
or a gentleman, to give and accept chal-
lenges for words spoken in debate. And minis-
ters of the gospel, like women, are considered
exempt from this duty. And because the
duty was not imposed upon them to give and
accept challenges, they were not to be hon-
ored by a participation in debates, which
was a high honor, and to be allowed only to
gentlemen who were ready to fight duels, if
anything was said in debate that crossed
their fancies.
Now, I pay that you might as well say that
every Sunday school superintendent, every
class leader, and every other person who has
the care or the teaching of religion in any
way, shall be excluded from a seat in the
Legislature because it may interfere with his
religions influence and character.
Mr. BARRON. Does not a preacher hold an
office, a religious office?
Mr. DANIEL. Yes, sir.
Mr. BARRON. This section says that no per-
son holding office of profit or of profit and
trust shall be eligible to the office of senator
or delegate. Now, these men get what they
do get for their own profit, for the profit of
their own bodies. The preachers are kind
enough to promise us good things in the
next world if we will give them good
things in this. Now, I do not object to that
at all.''
Mr DANIEL. The reason that because a
minister receives his mere salary, and a very
poor pittance it Is compared with what is re-
ceived by other men not his equal in intellect
and capacity, because he merely receives his sal-
ary, therefore: he is an office-holder—the same
reason would apply to the lawyer and the
doctor, whose offices are offices of profit and
trust just as much as the office of minister.
But the office of minister is not one created
by the State. |
Mr. BARRON. He holds a higher commis-
sion.
Mr. DANIEL. It is a question between him-
self and his God, whether he will preach or
not. It is called a profession, and is classed
with the profession of law and of medicine.
The remark of the gentleman is not therefore
applicable to this subject.
As the State of Maryland has taken the
first great step to place herself along aide the
free States of this Union, I certainly think it
will be well for us to copy another thing
which they have deemed proper and right,
and which is sanctioned by the Constitution
of the United States. I think we should
strike out of our Constitution a provision
which is one of the traces of the barbarism
which exists in the Southern States; and
which, by being in the Constitutions of the
slave States, and not in those of the free
States, I believe is connected with slavery in
some way or other. And as we have wiped
out slavery in this State, I think we should
leave no representative of its ghost to haunt
us hereafter.
Mr. CHAMBERS moved that the Convention
adjourn, but withdrew the motion, at the re-
quest of
Mr. BARRON, who moved that when the
Convention adjourn to-day, it be to meet on
Monday next at 12 M.
On this question Mr. MULLIKIN called for
the yeas and nays, which were ordered.
The question being then taken, by yeas and
nays, it resulted—yeas 17, nays 43—as fol-
lows :
Yeas—Messrs. Audoun, Barron, Belt, Bond,
Briscoe, Brooks, Chambers, Clarke, Dent,
Edelen, Johnson, Lansdale, Miller, Morgan,
Ridgely, Smith, of Dorchester, Thomas—17.
Nays—Messrs. Goldsborough, President;
Abbutt, Annan, Baker, Brown, Cunningham,
Cushing, Daniel, Davis; of Washington,
Dellinger, Earle, Ecker, Galloway, Hatch,
Hebb, Hoffman, Hollyday, Hopkins, Hopper,
Keefer, Larsh, McComas, Mullikin, Murray,
Noble, Nyman, Parker, Pugh, Purnell, Rus-
sell, Schley, Schlosser, Scott, Smith, of Oar-
roll; Sneary, Stirling, Stockbridge, Swope,
Sykes, Todd, Wickard, Wilmer, Wooden
—43.
Mr. PETER. As my portion of the State
does not seem to be very quiet, and as I have
an unprotected family there, I ask to be ex-
cused from attendance here until Monday or
Tuesday next.
Leave of absence was accordingly granted.
Mr. SANDS. I have some very important
business to attend to, and I ask to be excused
until Monday next. This is the first time I
have asked such afavor of the Convention.
Leave of absence was accordingly granted.
Oil motion of Mr. CUSHING,
The Convention then adjourned. |
