Seth Low Quotes
From you we have learned what we, at least, value, to separate Church and State; and from you we gather inspiration at all times in our devotion to learning, to religious liberty, and to individual and National freedom.
Low, Seth. "Address of Hon. Seth Low." The Peace Conference at the Hague, and Its Bearings on International Law and Policy, by Frederick W. Holls, The Macmillan Company, 1900, p. 556.
The Senate was presented with James Madison’s Language for the First Amendment. These three alternatives were proposed and rejected. The rejected versions turn out to have been very important. Some have argued that the First Amendment does not prohibit Congress making laws regarding religion as long as it doesn’t favor one religion over another—for example pay for clerics of all religions. However, that was the third proposal and it was rejected in favor of the high wall of separation proposed by Madison.
The motion to go on record against the Blue Law the closing of the World’s Fair on Sunday was supported by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and a few other leaders but it was too controversial to carry.
Note the absolutism of the word unbounded.
Adventists, like Jews and other groups believe that Sunday was the first Biblical day, and Saturday, the 7th and the Sabbath. Senator Blair had introduced a bill to make Sunday, the National Sabbath and require that all respect it. It was fought by the Adventists and others.
Ironically, without the word “wicked” most people would regard the first sentence as a good description of elements of a modern democracy. It illustrates that for the Islamic fundamentalist democracy substitutes the rule of man for the rule of God, freedom of speech allows heresy and blasphemy to to uttered and communicated, and religion which is supposed to inform and direct politics. So what is good for the lover of democracy is the very thing that is bad for Islam. This is not a uniquely Islamic viewpoint. It has been and is held by fundamentalist Christians and Jews as well who would return to Biblical law punishing blasphemy and heresy with death and have religion drive all politics.
Seth Low was an American educator and political figure who served as the 23rd Mayor of Brooklyn, President of Columbia University, diplomatic representative of the United States, and was the 92nd Mayor of New York City. He was a leading municipal reformer fighting for efficiency during the Progressive Era.
