The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-01-03

their solemn engogements H. their opponents charge,
and persSeution. lei me ask what sect has long bssn
without abuses. and s privileged 10 thFowthc hrst stone
How few have been without Servetns burnt at the
stake Roger Williams driven into exile
Bunysn Baxter imprisoned in dungeons Or II this be
because other secs have produced heroes and
rs and uIsts, scholars and statesmen we to forget
how Catholic Littleon and Butler wrote law, Sir
Thomas Moore administered il how some OF the Catho
lie Edwards and Henrys fought how Catholic Fence
Ions have preached how all ancestors, and, in
bent before he Catholic banner Of he cross or, in
truth, how the early Catholics OF Maryland conducted
themselves in toeration compared with the early Pur
tans OF part Of New Engandi
We are moi the apoogss OF the errors or abuses OF any
denomination We merely mean to say that none should
crimnate dsfranchse for what all practice under the
strained by law and public opinion. Differ may in
some respectsdifer do, and differ we must while in
dependent and free But exercise only ordinary candor
estans, that some OF their supposed defects have be-
longed to the ages when they fourshed most. Some,
too belonged to the race or country OF form Of govern
acted often suited well adapted to those cir
cumstances and hence their errors, when occurring,
were not 80 mschevous in their consequences as they
otherwise might have been, and long were usually
followed by improvements and reforms, which grew In
some degree out of improvements in and sciences,
a Sns W. whcS
more less all sects under its dominion, and produce
in due time examples oil humanity and reforms in society
every age. and advancing civilization wherever the Bible
spreads and breathes purer life into the dead bones Of
heathenism
This is hardly time too for odious comparisons be-
tween Catholics and other religious sects IN this model
republic Of ours, when Catholic countries lead the
van in reforms OF government in Europe Nor the
time TO revive determinations and buried animosies,
Preudces, and bygone ieudsto restore, for example.
the annual festival here OF burning the Pope in egy Or
Popish coffee houses, where [accordng to Macauay in
Engand] good Protesants believed Jesus planned
their cups another great fire, and cast silver bullets TO
shoot the king' when we are just fresh from public
meetings called BY all parties to euogze the Pope as
rope and when the seat OF his power both temporal and
spiritual has become the seat of liberal principles. and
this country without regard to sect or party is preparing
TO give rumpha PROFESSIONS and shower prnccy hospl
taes on the Catholic Father Mathew for his labors in
one Of the greatest reforms Of the age But il seems
rather 70 be an era o vndcate among US the equal rights
of all belonging to the great motherhood of Chrisiianity
to exert our sympathes for ALL and encourage concord
and peace with all. since revelation and hope
the guides and support Of all L seems rather 2
tails, may yet harmonic and enjoy like privileges
in peace. through the love and maternal spirit Of The Gospel
Of peace, which they all profess TO incucae We can
thus demonstrate that the very abundance of sects is
BY any one Of them, and can, as we should land can
this way WITH ana y
fathers TO all Christian denominations. This great prin
cple OF equal federation involves have before
equal protection by law to adj and constitutes OF the
chief stones Of our free institutions Well might our
fathers establish it. not only from their sorrowful
experience different course, both in suffering and in
ficting persecution but from the beauty and justice oil
the doctrine itself Of equal federation and equal protec.
iion and from the reciprocal advantages derived from
in revolution, and which then foreshadowed SO
srkngy in battle and public councilwhich has since
been repeated in every station in Catholic Car.
roll then signing the Declaration OF Independence, and
defending liberties in Congress Catholic Lafayette
bleeding for at and hundreds OF the same
faith since helping US to conquer at Chippewa and to
plant flag the batements of Mexico, and myriads
Of them to aid 10 less brilliant but not to be forgotten tr
umphssuch as telling our forests. building our railroads
and canals, and filling every department OF useful industry
You inquire my views as to certain rights OF Catholics
in New England generally, and have answered chiefly
as TO Massachusetts and New Hampshire
|, have done this, because OF the thirteen Staes
situated in New England made constitutions early and
which were likely to be tinged with some ancient pre-
JUDGES against Catholics, except those two States
Connecticut and Rhode Island continued To- act under
their old royal charters as constitutional and Name con.
stuted part OF MASSACHUSETTS,. and Vermont part OF
Whatever. then, may have been done by the last egisa
ture OF Massachusetts in refusing TO incorporate the Col
people large tina, they have by their constitution forbid
den such incorporation On the contrary by that the
doors open for equal protection every religious sect
for instruction. IN letters science and peis, with the
single apparent exception before explained, to public
ministers parish being allowed to be supported iaxes
Professionals, and their hearers please Nor is there
1.-THE much Of hostility has been represented TO those
OF the Catholic faith in the constitution Of New Hamp
shire, aud mueh less among her people, and what
in her general laws and general history II is con-
fessed she has provision beyond that in Massachu-
sets and copied from hers the subject OF the Protest
ant religion which is Questionable, but which is not
known in practice TO have been used TO countenance
the exclusion oil Catholics from the equal enjoyment OF
any right much less such now under considers
ton. They STILL in other parts OF her bill OF rights,
guaranteed in full liberty OF conscience and IN the equal
protection OF the laws They not declared from the
equal rights OF suffrage with all other sects. Nor has
their right 10 hold Office from the highest to the lowest
10 under the general government inhabitants OF the
State been ntefeed with And they may bold all
State Offices, judicial ministerial, and financial But
unlucky hour in 1884, in her second constitution.
there happened to be iniepoaied qualification for her
Legislative and chief executive officers, (ony two classes
that they should be OF the Protestant religion The
of this anomaly, and directly con,radced By
other parts Of the constitution, il s dcu to discover
after more than half century, and without any printed
journal or debates OF the constitution.
Why should counsellor be required TO be Protest.
ant, and not Secretary OF State judge OF the Su
prerne Court The only solution OF the riddle for insert
ing the provision at all-or, IL at ALL in restricted
form-is that handed down by tradition, viz: taunts
flung out by the enemies OF independence the French
those qualifications introduced TO disprove such
design Less probably thought OF lie errors In sound
theory as nobody was likely to suffer from itno Cath
Ollie church then existing in the State, and probably not
dozen scattered members Of that denomination But be-
ing wrong In theory though pugaory in practice, and
there being increase OF Catholics within the last
twenty years. many OF the opponents Of these provisions
have attempted their correction, and sbored with myref
BY pen, tongue, and vote TO get ilbera tests ex-
punged We did not help to introduce them in 1854, be-
ing most OF us then unborn help to retain them In
The loa nj