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THE
MEMORIAL
Society of People
OF NEW-LEBANON, IN THE county of columbia, AND
WATERVLIET, IN THE COUNTY OF ALBANY.,
*
{}OMMONI.Y CALLIED
SHAKERS,
To the respectable Legislature of the State of
JNew-York.
WE, the members of a religious society, associated upon.
the principles of duty to God, and peace and gºod will to man;
feeling ourselves greatly oppressed and aggrieved by the opera-
tion of the present militia laws of this state, respectfully submit
to the consideration of the Legislature, our sentiments on this
important subject, which so nearly affects our religious liberty,
and rights of conscience.
We consider the duty of conscience a matter of special
concern between a man and his Maker; and in all free govern-
ments, it is acknowledged as a self-evident truth, that the lib-
erty of conscience is an unalienable right; consequently, no
human authority has a right to claim any jurisdiction over the
cgnscience, either to control or interfere with its sacred re-
2 *
quirements, in any manner, or under any pretence whatever.
And it is well known, that compulsion in matters of conscience
is entirely contrary to those liberal principles, laid down by
those venerable patriots of freedom, who formed and establish-
ed the fundamental laws of our state and nation.
According to these well known and generally acknowledg-
ed principles of liberty, we are persuaded that nothing more
can be required, than a full proof of sincerity, to entitle any in-
dividual, or society of people, to the free enjoyment of any
principle of conscience, which, in its nature, can do no moral
injury to others.
We therefore come forward, with a confident reliance up-
on the liberal sentiments of this respectable body, to urge our
conscientious objections to bearing arms, and to plead for an
exemption from those acts which virtually operate against the
free exercise and enjoyment of our rights.
The conscience is formed according to the different con-
ceptions of the human mind, and the different degrees of light
planted in the soul; and we believe it to be the indispensable
duty of man strictly to obey the light of his own conscience,
how much soever this light may lead him to differ from general
opinion or practice. It is a well known truth, that, in all ages,
the greatest portion of virtue has been found among a chosen
few ; and hence, agreeable to the measure of divine light re-
vealed to us, we do, in many important things, make a sacri-
fice of that which is unost agreeable to our natural inclinations,
for conscience’ sake; and we believe that there are many, a-
mong the children of men, to whom some of these things have
never yet been revealed; such therefore, may be justified where
we cannot. |
3.
Until the appearance of Jesus Christ upon earth, we have
no account that the lawfulness of war was ever called in ques,
tion. But when Christ came, he taught, both by precept and
example, to love our enemies, to render good for evil, and to
do to others as we would that they should do to us. He de-
clared that his kingdom was not of this world; but was a king-
dom of peace; and therefore his immediate servants would not
fight. Ever since that period, there have been many who have
considered these precepts binding upon them, as the most posi-
tive injunctions. Agreeable to these principles, thousands have
chosen rather to sacrifice all things, even life itself, than to bear
arms, and shed human blood. And such as have maintained
this character, have been acknowledged, even by their enemies,
as the most honest and upright in their conduct of any class of
men whatever. These facts are too well known to be disputed,
being confirmed by the history of all ages since the Christian
era. Our faith is sincerely and firmly established upon these
principles; and, since it is supported by so ancient and respec-
table authority, is it not entitled to respect from the govern-
ment of this enlightened state, although it may not accord
with the opinions of the individuals who compose this govern-
ment P
According to the predictions of scripture, mankind are
looking for a day of universal peace, when nations shall learn
war no more. We believe this work is begun in this our day,
and that Christ has called us into this kingdom, wherein dwel-
leth righteousness, peace and good will to man; aud he has im-
pressed upon us that feeling in regard to our fellow creatures,
that we can by no means injure them; even if we are smitten,
we may not smite again; much less learn the arts of war, or
shed human blood under any pretext whatever; indeed we
should lose our own lives rather than take the lives of others.,
&
4.
We believe that Christ is come to save life, and not to de.
stroy it; and that he has called us, in a special manner, to fol.
low his example, and to stand as living witnesses that the king-
dom of peace has come nigh unto man; therefore we count all
things of this life, yea, even life itself as dross in comparison
to a justified conscience. We believe it to be our indispensa-
ble duty to improve our time and talents, while in this world,
in such a manner that we may leave it in peace; therefore our
labor is to do good, in our day and generation, to all men, as
far as we are able, by faithfulness and frugality in the works of
our hands; by relieving the necessitous; by setting examples
of virtue, humanity, and charity; by works of public conven-
ience and utility, and by promoting good order in society.
We sincerely respect the government and those benign in-
stitutions, established in this land, for the security of civil and
religious liberty. The good and wholesome laws, established
for the punishment of evil doers, are no terror to us; for those
1aws we have never violated; and we do give special heed to
the voice of the rulers of our land, by peaceable obedience to
all wholesome laws, and by cheerfully rendering every support
to government that we are able to do, short of infringing upon
our duty to God by the violation of our consciences. But this
we cannot do; because we consider that no human authority
can palliate nor take away the guilt caused by a breach of this
divine law planted in the soul.
d
We desire to follow peace with all men; and herein do we
exercise ourselves to have always a conscience void of offence
towards God and man. Agreeable to this faith, we have con-
scientiously sacrificed all our natural inclinations which stand
in competition with our duty to God, and have devoted our-
selves and all that we possess, to minister in the Temple ºf
&
Peace, which we are confident that Christ is establishing in this
our day, and from whence we fully believe the blessed influ-
ence of peace will, in due time, extend to all uations. There-
fore, since we have consecrated ourselves and all our property
to religious and charitable purposes, upon the principles of
peace, we consider it the highest degree of sacrilege to devote
either to the cause of war.
It is well known that in all ages of the world, dedicated
property has been regarded as sacred; and at the present day,
in this state, a certain portion of the dedicated property of
other societies is not even taxed, although many of them hold
property to a much larger amount than ours; yet we freely ad-
mit our property to be equitably assessed to support the poor,
and all other necessary charges of a just and wholesome gov-
ernment; and we believe that it yields a greater amount in tax-
es than it would do, if parcelled out among the members ac-
cording to the ordinary state of society. And when it is con-
sidered that, in ancient days, and even under heathen mon-
archs, the ministers and all the servants of the Jewish temple,
(which was but a type of the temple of peace) were exempted
from all custom or tribute, we cannot believe that the govern-
ment of a free state, in this enlightened age, will think it un-
reasonable that we should be exempted from military services,
and from all fines and taxes in lieu thereof, since this is all we
ask,
That we have honestly devoted ourselves and our proper-
ty to labor in that kingdom which is not of this world, and to
minister in the things of peace, and have no motives of world-
ly gain, or of screening ourselves from any expense which we
conceive may be beneficial to mankind, must appear from the
following considerations:
&
ist. We abstain from all the politics of the world, and
from all posts of honor, trust and profit; and also from all
commercial and other speculations, from which wars generally
originate.
2d. From the nature and tendency of our institutions, we
are enabled to save the towns to which we belong from the
burden of supporting the poor of our denomination; and in ad-
dition to this, we pay our equal proportion of the poor rates.
3d. Our public donations, since the establishment of our
society in this state, have amounted to more than four thousand
dollars.
4th. Our labor and expenses on the public highways, over
and above our legal assessments, have amounted to five thou.
sand dollars.
5th. We have never been chargeable to any other people,
In any mission or any other emergency whatever.
Lastly, All that we gain by honest industry, more than for
our own support, and for the support of gospel labors, we be-
stow to charitable uses, agreeable to our covenant.
Since, therefore, we have devoted ourselves and all that
we possess, for the sole purpose of doing good, can it be just
or constitutional to require any thing of us as a penalty for re-
fusing to violate our consciences * We consider it unjust for
us to bear the imputation of crime, which is necessarily attach-
ed to fines and imprisonments to which we are exposed; nor
can we consider a tax, as an equivalent, in any other light than
as muster-fines in disguise—a price to be paid for the liberty
y
of conscience, to which we have a natural and constitutional
right. As we cannot, in conscience, bear the arms of war, to
be compelled to pay military fines, or to have our consecrated
property exposed to distraint, is to us a grievance and an op-
pression; and can we view such an oppression of conscience
in any other light than as persecution ?
God, in his all-wise providence, has put it into the hearts
of the patriotic framers of our state and national constitutions
to secure to the people of America those civil and religious
rights of man which are the fundamental principles of the A-
merican government. The Declaration of Independence has
asserted these truths to be self-evident: That liberty and the
pursuit of happiness are unalienable rights; and that govern-
ments derive their just powers from the consent of the govern-
ed. The constitution of the United States declares, that
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” The con-
stitution of this state declares, “That the free exercise and
enjoyment of religious profession and worship, without dis-
crimination or preference, shall for ever hereafter be allowed
withi-- this state to all mankind.”
Is it possible to find words more expressive of free and
perfect liberty of conscienee P Liberty and the pursuit of hap-
piness are unalienable rights; any thing, then, of a coercive
nature, under whatever name, practised against conscience,
must be a pointed violation of these rights. Fines, taxes, or
imprisonments, imposed upon conscience, can be nothing less
than an abridgment of these rights; then where is liberty and
the pursuit of happiness? can they be any thing more than an
empty name P *
8
It reflects honor upon the states of Massachusetts and
few-Hampshire, that they have for many years, recognized the
rights of conscience established by the constitution, and exon.
erated our brethren in those states, from all military requisi-
tions, and from any equivalent whatever; and upon the state
of Kentucky, which has recently done the same. And we con-
fidently trust, that the enlightened state of New-York, so em-
inent for its liberality of principle, and so distinguished in its
regard for the liberties of its citizens, will not hesitate to re-
cognize a right which constitutes the very first principle of lib-
erty, and from whence all other rights originate. And we hope
that, upon due consideration of the subject, as it respects our
society, the respectable Legislature will exempt us from those
requisitions so contrary to all our views of religious liberty,
and so grievous and oppressive to our consciences,
Signed by order, and in behalf of the society.
RICHARD SPIER,
MORRELL BAKER,
PETER DODGE, Trustees.
CALVIN GREEN, ſ *
º SETH Y. WELLS, J
HWatervliet, February 18, 1816,
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Churchill & Ahbey, Printers, 99 “ute-street, Jilbany.
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