The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-08-13

and Misqnoted by Robinson The ''WhereaJonts
of Emn,et, "my Friend, SSlas Herring" an
especially Simeon Draper, earnestly sought after.
In the HERALD Of August I, I find reported
speech made by Mr.. w Il. Robinson, at Scot
meeting in the Sixth ward of your city, on the pre
vious evening. This individual makes oertai,
statements, relative to the position of oldsGenera
Benjamin Pierce, and his son General Frank i,
Pierce, on the clauaes Of the New Hampshire con
stitution excluding from certain Offices those who
are not of the Protestant religion" and backs up
his assertions in the following words:
"Ihave made several assertions, aud I will denos;,
one hundred dollars aud leave the decson to Robert
Emmett to say whether have msrepresented any thing
think my friend Sias Herring saw he will rib ono
hundred dollars on what say. not rich but re-
peat will risk ono hundred dollars every leading as
seition have made. want to make sh ort work Of
this and If they prove have made any misrcpre.
sentation, they can have my monsy,"&c.
Now, with the HERALDs permission, propose to
examine some of the statements of this Mr. Robin
son, and show their falsity. He says that he has
been to this town (Concord) and examined the old
journals and records, on which he bases his false as.
sertions Referring to the religious test he is re-
ported to have said -
This constitution made in l7aa just sixty Years
ago and old Pierce voted to have that obnoxious clause
put into It, have looked over the old document not
And again, in the report of his remarks, W rtten
out for the Tribune, Robinson makes the sa me as
serton more distinctly. as follows:-
made to strike cut the sixth article (as sands in
the Bill of Rights providing for the support main
(Grceey. Stark Whipple Hutchins, &C.. among the
yeas) The nays were 49, and Benjamin Pierce, Frank
lps father and Charles o'Conors respected and
fdtd In antecedent voted against religious liberty
bave the document" now before nue., as we'll
as copy Of the constitution of I783 which was in
force previous to the adoption Of the present one in
1882. The following is the extract from the Jour
nal of the 1912 conventions, to which Robinson re-
fers, but which he has CARRIED and msrepresented,
by suppressing material portion, marked in
italcs:-
The sixth article read and largely debated and
some alterations proposed but vote obtained favor
of the alterations motion made to erase the sixth
article, in order to substitute another stead On which
motion the yeas and nays were called and are as fol.
lows Here the yeas and nays recorded, Pierce
voting in the negative-yeas IA nays ss]
Robinson says that this sixth article provided
for the support and maintenance Of the Protestant
teachers" So it did; for there were no Others
within the limits Of the State at that time--Q792)
Gashot nor Jew Here is an article
towns, parishes, &C., to make adequate provision
at their own expense, for the support and mainte-
nance of public Protestant teachers of piety, rel
Provided, notwithstanding, That the several towns
parishes bodies corporate religious societies shall at
all times have the exclusive right Of cectng their
pull teachers and OF contracting with them for their
support and maintenance and person any par
ticular religious sect denomination shall
PEELED to towards the support teacher teach
ers of another persuasion sect denomination. And
every denomination Of Christians demeaning themselves
quietly and good subjects of the State shall equal
under the protection law and no subordnation
Of any sect or denomination to another shall ever be
established by law and nothing herein contained shall
be understood 10 affect former contracts made for
the support of the ministry but all such contracts shall
remain and be in the same state if this constitution
had not been made
Such are the words Of the sixth section of the
old constitution, which retained in that now
existing. | have copied from volume entitled
shire,'' published by John Melcher, at Portsmouth,
1882 and authorized by the State authorities. The
above extract contains all that Is said in the sixth
section about the protestant religion" 1t will
be seen, from the record of the convention of 1892
above given, that proposition was made to strike
out the whole of this sixth section, in order to sub
stitute another in its stead" Old General Pierce
voted against it-tbus voting in favor of toier aipg
denomination of Christians demcaning themselves
quietly" &c. Had he voted to strike the section
out, Rieheleu Robinson might rs justly, as he now
does falsely, have charged him with voting "aganst
religious liberty" AS the record stands, has not
Robinson grossly falsed the TRUTH and libelled the
glorious old Bunker Hill veteran, than whom more
tolerant and liberal minded man never lived. No
man was ever more free from the charges of reli-
gious bigotry than old Gen. Pierce. What says Mr.
Emmett! What does "my friend Silas Herring
think about it! Is not Robins0n's assertion gross
misrepresentation? Will they not hand over 800
to your correspondent! If they doubt the correct
ness of my quotations, let them to this town
and examine the official records, now before me,
which Robinson has garbled and perverted; or will
derost at the HERALD Office the certificate Of the
Secretary of State under his broad seal, attesting
the correctness ofmy quotations, if they will appear
with their money,
Again. Robinson says in his speech, Gas it appears
the o q old Gen. Per'ss in the
September 10, the fourth day Of the convention, a
motion made to strike out from section IA, under
of government (as sands) prescribing quail
fcstons for members Of the House Of Representatives
the words shall be of the Protestant religion Upon
this the yeas and were taken Yeas for religious
liberty 33. and among them jeremiah Smith, Aaron
Greeley William Plumer Caleb Stack. &c Nays for the
penal laws and antpopery. 81 and among them benjamin
Pierce FraDklns father and Charles OConors favorte
aptecedent.
The record shows that such vote was taken on
the day named and the vote is recorded to have re-
suited, 'yeas 33, nays 81" record of the yeas
only arc entered upon the journal; and, instead Of
81 names, SO are entered, all in the affirmative.
Four names are erased with knife, seven are
written second time, and two erased, and
nterneations made. No names are given in the
negative, and Pierces name does not appear so en-
entered Robnson's statement that ssfor the Penal
Laws and Anti Popery There werel 81 [votesl, and
among them Benjamin Pierce, Franklin's father,
and Charles O'Conors favorite antecedent, is de-
libcrately false and gross and utter perversion
both the record and the fact Old General Pierce
never gave such vote as charged, and can and
Will prIng the Secretafy OF STATE, OF tne TccOru IL
self or one hundred witnesses to attest the truth Of
what 7 now say. Will Mr.. Emmett "pony up his
SlO0l Will "my friend Sias Herring" send along
his 800 Z Let there be no backing out, gentle
men. havetwice convicted your friend Robinson,
not only of 'misrepresontpg, but of downright ly
ing He admits that he has mot much reputation"
1t is for you to say whether be has enough to war
rant the payment of 1900, justly my due.
Richelieu-l mean Robinson-is again reported in
the HERALD to have said
There no antipopery clause in the original con-
stituiop--nonc until old Ben. Pierce put IL in &c.
In the Tribune, he states this directly, as fol-
Jews
l. Tint so far from all his [Franklin Pierce'sl ante
ccdents being right his father Benjamin Pierce voted
put the anti Catholic clause into the constitution and
voted for the Alien and seditien laws OF old John Adams
Here are three distinct falehoods, stated under
one head, to wit IL. ''That there anti
popery clause in the original constitution" 2. That
'sOld Ben. Pierce put it in" 3 That he ''voted
for the Alien and Sediton laws of old John Adams.