Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1852-08-21
NUMBER "a.

first part of that article on every ground, and
especialy as the deliberate expression of opin-
ion of wise and patriotic men of past gene
ration, (his father, &c,) upon the question as
TO what will give the best and gratest securi-
Ity to Government" He believed that what
vas so forcibly expressed in the Constitution
Iof '92 aOo,Gld be soIensnly rea6frnaed as the de-
tiberGtiVe, unanimous judgement of this Con-
uention"
Now, here is the only speech he made on
the test, and if that is not indorsing the Anti
Catholic clauses, framed by his father, do
not know what language means.
| Nov II, The Patriot again had an article,
warning the Convention not to make any a.
mendments but such as are clearly indicated
by the people.
PIERCE AGAINST REFORM.
In Convention, Nov. l2, the Committee on
Religious and Property Tests, reported in IA
vor of their repeal. The sixth article, as a.
bove, was taken up. Franklin Pierce said:
ut ssds has e0rnest desire to retain not only,
ALL the principles JtE, as far as practicable
the language of this section" He spoke in
favor of retaining the word Evangelical"
which is generally applied to the church which
he attends in Concord He spoke several
times during the day, but not one single argu-
ment did he produce or hint at in favor of
Catholic emancipation.
The same day, Franklin Pierce spoke upon
the Judiciary. Indeed he seemed anxious to
spread HIMSELF upon almost every subiect
but upon his fathers Anti Catholic policy
THF DECISIVE DISCUSSION.
The great and decisive discussion on the
Anti Catholic Test came off on Nov13. 1
might remark here, that the fulso me nonsense
going the rounds of the Loco-Foco papers that
Mr.. Pierce descended from the Presidents
chair, DC, is nothing but nonsense of very rid
iculous stri pc. The discussion took place in
Committee of the whole and the President
was not in the chair at all The Chair on
this day Nov. 13) was occupied by Mr.. Saw
yer, of Nashua The first resolution was to
strike out all religious, test and Judge Woodbu-
ry made long speech upon it. He contended
tn at, in the Bill of Rights, all were made e.
quail, and yet all but Protestents are made un-
equal: "You hold out the husk, but withhold
the kernel; you allow firearms, but neither
gunpowder nor lead to lead them"
He contended that tall other than Protse-
tant sects are virtually deprived Of representa-
ton as they are made Ineligible to the Legis-
lature. Their opinions and wishes are un-
heard there from themselves. They are bran
ded, they are DIR ireh forth as aOith tie n1a4k Of
CAIN for serVitude and ignomainy!" He con-
tinued, "Indeed this test de6ars man from
what we allow to the degraded african, IS
he is eligible here to hold Office as we'll to vote
While the present test continues" said he sit
is with an i'll grace we can call other countries
bigoted, who like England, have emancipated
the Catholics"
Mr.. Parker, of Nashua, followed, and con-
tended that there was no opposition to stri-
king out the test.
Mr. Robinson, of Salisbury followed n IA
vor of abolishing the test and it passed in COM
mittee of the whole without opposition, aud
aOittom one single remark from Frank
lin Pierce IN its favor.
What then shall we say Of the speech, now
going the rounds of the papers, artribu-
ted to Franklin Pierce, which, we are told, he
left the chair. (which he did not occupy,) to
make? am sorry that am compelled to ex-
pose here one of the meanest tricks ever re-
sorted to, to defraud and deceive the people.
A CUNNING DODGE.
As soon as it was known that Franklin
Pierce was nominated a: Baltimore, the liberal
minded mon of all sects, and particularly the
could be proved that Franklin Pierce had
advocated or favored the repeal of the
Catholic disability, they would not vote for
him. When Mr.. Dallas spoke in Philadelphia
the very next weekday evening after the
nomination of Mr.. Pierce, he could not have
seen any public charge made against Mr..
Pierce, for neglect of duty in this respect.
But as the inspired Proverbist informs US, "The
t-nd d, L
Ted that Franklin Pierce had advocated the
repeal of the Anti Catholic test On searching
The records. no speech could be found, but i
was decided on, that something in the shape
of speech should be, er post facto put into
nis mouth. Some dodge must be resorted to.
and the leaders seemed to say any dodge,
nowever despicable will be good enough for
he Catholics, who wont know the difference.
The telegraph soon informed us that The
Union would, the next morning,
contain the speech of Franklin Pierce on this
subject, which he condescended 70 make, and
even descended from the chair to deliver.
Though the speech was first published in
The Washington Union and copied into The
Ohio Statesman of June l6, yet the dodge, L
believe, was concocted in Concord, and |
cannot help thinking, by the assistance of
Frauklin Pierce himself Accordingly The
Concord Patriot, of June IL, 1852. contains
he speech which was to gull and deceive ev-
Fry liberal-minded naturalized citizen, and so
ar the forgery has succeeded admirably.
On referring to the official report of the pro-
'eedngs in The Concord Patriot, found that
Franklin Pierce had not spoken at all upon
he subject; but on looking further found
hat after the Religious test had been abolished
Oithout opposition, and laid aside as compile
ed, and the Property test coming up, Frank
in Pierce made a speech in favor of striking
'ut the property test, and in that speech the
'nly reference he made to the religious test,
vas that it had been "dead letter" And
hough it had been ''stgma" upon the State,
le referred to other parts of the Constitution
o excuse their fathers biootrY. Indeed hA