The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1852-09-02

| Then no praise breathing monument raise OF
| his breast
In characters living his epitaph's traced
On the hearts of people his counsels have blest
But to be with their name and their greatness
etfaced. ~ ..--.
His memory, enshrined on their affairs, shall
burn
| Till Freedom shall cover meath Tyranny's
froWin-
| Till her Eagle from Liberty's eyly shall turn,
| And her stars and her stipes to the dust have
gone down.
LOUISVILLE, August 4th.
The Religious Test--The Course OF Par
ties Upon Ii.
From tie Ne.o hampshire Patriot.
The whole Federal press of the country is
now engaged in the attempt to falsify history
and 10 deceive portion OF the people, upon the
subject of the religious test in the Constitution
and the course Of parties in regard to it. Even
those OF this State, where the truth is so well
known, are lending their aid in this base game.
Among other equally false statements, some of
the Federal papers and speakers declare that
the test is a statuary provision which a majority
IN the Legislature can repeal at any time ; and
since the Democrats have long controlled the
Legislature, they are held responsible for the
opposed the abolition of the test, in the Consti-
tutional Convention. 1t is asserted by such pa
pers as the Neao York Tribune and Boston Attas
that it requires but majority vote to adopt a
mendments, and that the Democrats, having a
majority in the State are responsible for the re-
tention Of the test and numerous Federal pa
pers in this State, the ". II. Statesman among
the rest, have given countenance to this deliber-
rate falsehood. 1t is represented also that the
Democratic party generally have opposed the
abolition of the test, while the Federal party
have favored it end this monstrous lie is coun-
tenanced by the Federal press in this State
These are samples of the deliberate misrepre-
sentations which the EAAAraI .,rass and -laadnre-
circulating for the purpose of prejudiciEg
Catholic voters agaist General Pierce and to Sc
cure their votes for Scott. This is the game
and object Of the same papers and men WHO in
1640 raised such an outcry against Mr.. Van
Buren, because he wrote civil official letter to
the Pope.
Now We propose briefly to state the facts in
regard to this matter, again, and to present 8
little proof in con4ar1nation of our statements.
We do this for the information of our friends
which the Federal press and politicians here are
seeking to make in regard to it.
Our present Constitution was formed in 1892,
and has not since been altered The provision
in question was in it originally but it has ne
yer had any practical effect ; no man has been
excluded from Office by it. 1t provides that for
Governor, Councillors, and members of the Le-
gislature, must be ''of the Protestant reli-
gion - while all other Offices are open as well
to Catholics as Protestauts. Catholics may hold
| the Office Of the United States Senator, member
of Congress, chief justice, judge, sheriff, or
any other except Governor, Councillors, and
members of the Legislature.
No fact is better known to the people of this
State than that General Pierce has always fa-
vored the abolition of this test. When the ques-
ton of calling Convention for that purpose
| among others-has been before them, he has
never failed to advocate it, This question has
been acted upon six or eight times since he ar
rived at the age of manhood, and he has every
time favored the calling Of a Convention mainly
for the purpose ef'aslSspg the religious and
property tests. He spoke in favor of it, and
wrote in favor of it, and voted in favor of it
In 1914, (the last time it was acted upon preyi-
Gus to 1850 when a vote was obtained in it's ia
vor) he made urgent appeals to the people in
speeches at various Democratic meetings, to vote
for Convention This is matter of history ;
the newspapers printed at the time show it.
In 1850, Convention was called, and Gen.
Pierce was q member of it, and was elected
President by almost unanimous vote, only sac
votes being cast against him. In that body he
spoke and voted in favor Of abolishing this test.
An amendment for that purpose was agreed to
by the Convention. Many other amendments
were made, of a very important character, and
among them was one changing the basis of rep
resentation in such manner as to operate un-
favorably to the opponents OF the Democratic
party. This gave rise to long and exciting dis
cussions in the Convention, and engendered
much party feeling. While that subject was
under consideration, the matter was freely com
mented on by the opposition papers, and many
of them openly proclaimed, and federal members
made similar threats, that if the Convention
should agree to the proposition before 1t, they
would do all in their power to induce the people
to reject AMENDMENTS which the Convention
might propose. That proposition acas adopted
by the Convention, and the results was that all
the proposed amendments were rejected by the
people This fact shows who is responsible for
defeat of the amendment abolishing thereigious