Gazette Of The United States

EXTRACT.

(From the Cumberland Gazette.)

Some little time since I fell in company with a number of gentlemen, who, when I joined them, were closely engaged in canvassing the federal Constitution, and more particularly that part of it which has reference to the qualifications of Senators and Representatives. A young man, who appeared to take the lead, and conversed with much ease on the subject, gave it as his opinion, that there ought to have been a clause making a belief in the Christian Religion an essential qualification for a Senator or Representative—for this is a christian country, and none should have any hand in administering the general government but Christians. But would you exclude Jews, replied an elderly man?—Yes, certainly, continued the young man; or they are no Christians. And I, answered the old man, might upon the ground of your argument, ay that Christians, where there happened to be a majority of Jews, should in their turn have no hand in the administration of government, and merely because they were not Jews. This would be making a man's sect or denomination an essential mark of legislative abilities; which to me appears improper. But why, said the young man, should a Jew, whose religion is so different from christianity, wish to meddle with the government of Christians ? —For two reasons, replied the old man—First, though it is true that Judaism and Christianity are in some respects very different, yet in those respects wherein civil government can with propriety expect to be benefited by any religion, they are pretty much the same. And secondly, civil government can extend to nothing but the life, liberty and property of its citizens; and as to these things, Jews are equally interested as Christians in a good administration of the government they live under. And, continued the old man, I cannot but look upon the liberality of the federal government, in this particular, the noblest feature in it. It hereby resembles the Deity, and declares to the world, that of every nation he that fears God and worketh righteousness, shall be protected by it, and equally partake of its benefits—whether they be Jews, Christians, Mahometans, Chinese, Indians, or Hindoos.