The Olden Time Series, Vol. 3: New-England Sunday | Page 8

see by an account taken from the "Salem Gazette."
NEW-YORK, JULY 14.
_VIOLATION OF THE SABBATH._
A few weeks since, a meeting of the citizens was called, to devise some efficient means to suppress the violation of the Sabbath. A committee was appointed to report a plan for that purpose. I wish to inquire what that committee have done, and when another meeting is to be called to receive their report.--The evil still remains, and is certainly accumulating under the most aggravated forms.--Our churches are nearly deserted on the Sabbath, while every place of amusement and pleasurable retreat is thronged. Good authority states the numbers that frequent Brooklyn every Sabbath, at from ten to twenty thousand, and a proportionable number may be computed to visit every other island and place of resort in the vicinity. We have forty-five churches, and a population of one hundred and twenty thousand; admitting one thousand to attend each church, it follows that seventy-five thousand violate that command of the Apostle which requires Christians "not to forsake the assembling of themselves together." Let the citizens organize societies to suppress the violation of the Sabbath and all other vice and immorality.
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"Sabbath-breakers" had multiplied to such an extent in 1815 that conventions were held in many of the counties in Massachusetts to see what could be done in reference to the evil. We have a report of the Essex convention at Topsfield, Oct. 4, 1815. The Committee say, among other things,--
Although most men, even if they have no regard for the Divine Being or the welfare of society, when they know that Sabbath-breaking is offensive to the great body of the community, will, from regard to themselves, refrain from it, yet there are some abandoned individuals, who are so lost to all proper regard even for themselves, as well as their Maker, and their fellow-men, that in violation of laws, human and Divine, and in direct opposition to the wishes of the community, they still continue to travel and labour upon the Sabbath.
Such persons ought surely to be prosecuted, and made to feel that they cannot violate the laws of the Commonwealth, and profane the Sabbath with impunity.
If their conduct is suffered to continue, others will be emboldened to follow their example; the evil will again increase, and eventually become as great as before.
But if they find that they cannot profane the Sabbath without being subjected to the trouble, shame and expense of a penal prosecution, this enormous evil, which has so long been undermining the best interests of the community, and drawing down upon us Divine judgments, will be prevented. For past experience has fully demonstrated, that wherever the laws are prudently, and at the same time promptly and faithfully executed, the evil will cease.
And among the Resolves passed by the Convention we find these,--
III. Resolved, that we earnestly recommend to Tythingmen, Civil Officers and the friends of the Sabbath in every town, to prosecute, or cause to be prosecuted, without distinction and without delay, all, who are travelling without sufficient reason, or in any way wilfully violating the laws respecting the Lord's Day.
V. Resolved, that we recommend to all the friends of order, to circulate as extensively as possible, such tracts and pamphlets as are calculated to promote the due observance of the Lord's Day.
Voted, that the Clerk be requested to send a copy of the doings of the Convention, to the Editors of the public papers in Boston, Salem, Newburyport and Haverhill, and that they be requested to publish the same in their respective papers.
A full account of this convention can be found in the "Salem Gazette," Oct. 31, 1815. It does not appear that there was any disturbance of public worship to complain of, only many people neglected to attend the meetings, or walked or rode for pleasure on the Lord's Day.
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In the same month and year the "Worcester ?gis" gave expression to opinions on the question of "Sabbath-breaking" which we think accord more with modern ideas than do those of the Essex convention. The views of the "?gis" probably represented the average liberal sentiment of that day.
_WORCESTER, OCT. 25._
_BREACH OF THE SABBATH._
At the late session of the S.J. Court at Northampton it was decided that a justice of the peace could not issue a warrant for a breach of the Sunday laws against an offender that is not an inhabitant of the county where the offence is committed, but that he must be prosecuted only before a grand jury; and that justices of the peace could not issue warrants, nor sheriffs serve them, on the Lord's day, for any breaches of those laws. Damages were awarded against a justice, a tythingman, and a sheriff, upon the latter principle.
Upon this decision we congratulate the public. It has taken