The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-04-14
WASHINGTON, April IL. ls46.

WASHINGTON, Apnl IL, 1916.
Information Of very important character arrived
here last night from the South, and it is thought tina
the late arrival from England has brought out
thing similar from our minister At London. The
Cabinet were with the President this morning be-
fore 10 O'Clock, and remained with him for some
time. What the nature Of the information Is, have
not yetlearned, but may to- morrow.
am aware, however, that mutinous spirit PIE.
walls among large body Of the army of occupation
before Matamoras, owing TO the intoerant and bigot
ed conduct of General Taylor, the officer IN com
mand, towards two-thirds Of his command. That
proportion Of the troops profess the Roman Catholic
religion, and yet forced, under the penalty otim
prisonmsnt and the loss Of several months pay being
stopped, to attend Presbyterian place OF worship
This partly, il not wholly, accounts tor the large
number OF assertions that have taken place In that
army since its location at Corpus Christi and before
Matamoras The following extract Of a letter FROM
portion Of the troops there, and which is published
in the New Orleans La Propagattw Catholiqus.
shows but too plainly the seeds OF the disafecuon
among them
1.-THE Catholics form the greatest part Of the army
occupations that is about twothird: AZ such we can.
assisting and taking part in tho lectures. sermons
prayers of ministers who hav not received their mission
consider hsm but as wolves in the clothing Of iamos OF
which our Divine Master has warned rs to beware
"But the crcumstances in which, % soldiers we are
placed we cannot violate the orders Of ocers who
compel indscrminately, without TO our con-
Whose words mainly directed
to insulting eliminating and abusing the Catholic
css Of the Constitution declares that every man Is free
to worship God in accordance to the dictates Of his
conscience and so, how ia it that soldiers are denied
"The edi6ce in which the Presbyterian exercises are
held serves also AZ theatre during the week. and 10
IN oNOh nd IN n
abusive declamations against aits under pain Of
imprisonment and the loss of three four months pay
eve have believed il to be our duty to make you 40
qusintod with this nolerable grievance and our desire
s.ance, in some newspaper that the public may see
what mockery 10 made Of our conscience"
Comment upon the foregoing extract from the
letter Ct those troops, u unnecessary; It shows
the unfortunate spirit OF persecution OF particu-
lar denomination OF christians, which is growing
up in our country, and which, II once tolerated by
the government IN those who hold subordinate sta
lions under il, IN connection with the private
abettors Of fanaticism, the hopes and prospects
Of the founders Of free institutions, for their
limited perpetuation, will prove in short time
from now, to have been but an idle dream. can
not credit the opinion for one moment, that either
the President, or Secretary Of War, has given the
least countenauce to this unparalleled folly OF Gen.
Taylor; tor, if they have not, his recall from the
army ought to be instantaneous and uuc0 ndnonal.
No apology that ne may Offer should ex Aerate hun
from the punishment that he justly d. serves, for
forcing tw0-thirds OF his troops against their con-
scentIous convictions, to attend place Of worship
for which they have no regard and that, too, in
front Of an enemy OF the same religious faith a.
themselves, with whom, perhaps, they may, the
very next moment he ordered out to fight Is II
reasonable, therefore, to expect that these men, save
under the infiction of scared conscience, caused
by the intolerance OF narrow-mlnded bigot with
epsulettes, should fight in defence OF flag whose
stripes used to infiict the most poignant wounds
upon them, and who in such a condition are called
to defend it, It is not in human nature to expectit
and am, therefore, surprised that desertlon to the
enemy, has not been greater than what we are In
formed of.
have dwelt at some length upon this subject for
the purpose of placing the matter before the public,
and to show them the dangerous condition IN which
we are placed on the Mexican frontier by the folly
of one Of our officers. The government must
attend to this in time. or else disastrous conse-
quences may follow from continuance OF It Tor
The President has been most unfortunate during
the first year OF his administration, In selecting
subordinates, who have, by their Intolerance and
without whose support, he never could have reach
ed his present station. He has only one remedy
left to change this feeling that can SEQ and learn
sion, and that is dismiss. forthwith, from Office.
every man who makes religion test or dlsquah-
cation for Office, in any of the departments OF 60.
vernment. Nor ought he to permit any one to hold
Office for one hour, who 10 connected with religious
periodicals, VIGOROUSLY established to abuse and
talsfy the religious opinions OF any other class OF
citizens. Our government IL happily sustained by
all denominations, and it should neither counte-
nance nor support those in office, whose conduct is
calculated to bring it into dsfavor with any class,
at least, of Its own supporters. -
The Senate, notwithstanding the constant appeals
of the press and the country, to decide upon the
Oregon question at once, vet hold on from day to
day, in idle and useless debate, upon what their
minds have for months past been made up
upon. II the people can stand this trifiing
with their patience, time and money much
longer, they are certainly possessed Of . greater
amount Of the first named virtue than ever
Job was. Ia all conscience, there has been talk
enough the Oregon question, and thiak rather
too much for some Of that body. Had this subject
been disposed Of month ago. we would not have
had the scenes in the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives, last week, to record Tor, however de-
sirabe It may be, at all times to ferret out the ma
levolenCe Of public men, ignorance OF the case OF
Mr.. Webster would have been bliss to all parties.
II the Senate be mad enough to hold on 10 the sub
ject for week longer, they may find themselves
entangled in other matters with which the coun-
try has no desire to be acquainted so that, under
all circumstances it is better for them to come to
vote during this week upon the Oregon resolutions.
and put an end to all the disgracefu squa6oles ana
heart-burnings, which Its REPRESENTATION mas gwen
rise to. AhiAi''
WASHINGTON, April IL, 1916.