The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1852-07-10

clause upon the afgments 3. Gen. Pierce and
Judge Woodbury., by largGinajority, struck Out
Of lie Constitution.
From the Daily Paui., Nov. IA, 1880
Committe. Of the IPhoh.
On motion 9lHk Parker, Of Nashua, the Con
venlon resolv; i into lls Committee Of the
Whole on the of the Committee on Prop.
er,y Qualifications d Religious Tests, Dir. Saw
yer, Of Nashua, III N GhNr.
Religions 7e,ts-1'he A resolutions, striking
out all religious tests, was hsen up.
Judge Woodbury. made the following remarks :
Mr Chairman: being opposed to the test that
eome Of our principal Offices shall not be hled
except by persons Of the Protestant religion,
ask leave to offer few reasbus for il. ! do it
quite "a much to yindicae our fathers in part for
Inserting 1t as myself for resisting it. Coustitu
ticns, /; Is conceded, ought TO be durable instrl
mcnts, being the great fundamental laws passed
by the people a. lasting at times as ours has
without shadow ofa change for half a century +;
YET a'n wiling, when prGYIslon like tll, be
comes hostile to the tolerant spirit Of the age
and n more enlightened public opinion, tosx.
punge It at once from our sys'tm oi government
do this, too the more rradidily at the present
moment, in order to present s4.pther illustration
| 90 the world how easily laws and even con-titu
tionE where Objectionable can be changed and
ire changed in this free country, without resort
10 violence and to measure, reasonable to pub
lie liberty sud the safety as we'll a. the best in.
tcrests Of our blessed Onion. Tor is It that op.
pose rclig'on-but support il. ! ain neither de
rtc nur innUvating rastly
On little examination, II will lie fouud thn;
hi, test crept into the constitution originally VI.
der u temporary impulse, and without having any
influence on the affairs Of the state practically Ms
they then stood. This is the yinicaiion Of OR
fathers
Tradition snys-aud probably lad it in early
lite from the venerable paren, Of the member
from Eppi,g-[ Mr. Plumer that parent the
Ncs'or II the politicians Of ;bAt generation and
-Olr survivor Of the invention ot 1891 that the
provision was inserted in 1884 to rcpc taunts
which had been flung out by some arer the
Frcush al lance that there Vas to b. an alliance
sso with the French religion. and the establish.
mrut tf it here. The provision f.l then slill born
--o few Catholic. existed N : state. Bu, in
Ii19i the improp'icty OF rct,iuiig It on priuei
pie became su clear that after one or two incf
fec'1a efforts, the convention voted TO erase it,
and majority II the people roucurrcd vi h them
Yet not being quite two.thrl- the provision re
manned, though against tie will of decided ma
joriiy
How does the question Stand I'm Ter Rcpull
can uriuc pes uf governments by them, cun-ti
tutous AMI laws are made more to protect rights
than To conquer them. They are made for pro
tecting liberty equality, conscience property and
hir rather thu to give most Of these, or To csta
! blIsh any particular set q religious orinious.--
This j. not that religion ia a MINOR concern, and
not in some view the greatest iIr 10 iumtrtal
beng hut rather that religion > 4 concern be-
tween God and man and seldom TO be- ihiCrfred
with by yuverumcpts. Such Intolerance oi in
t riirenCe has caused oceans OF blood to flow, and
millions to perish at the stake and vas one u
the greatest causes which expelled uur fathers to
\ wilderness and the mercy OF savage foes. The
/ Republican government afterwards established
here should, If true to American principle shield
all in their religious tcncts, while conducting
pcaCpiu.lv and protect all IN their pursuits and
wor,hp however different while acting n good
citizens, or it becomes suicidal, and like dcspo,.
i-m, rer.ecu,rs differences of opinion, and INTRO.
dute- the grusscst irregularities
| How doe, the question stand on the principles
OF our bill Of rirht,i
! Il l. forced to admit tha, each sect should en-
/ iny, and II does now enjoy here, the privilege To-
hold property Ii To- hold that, why not Ia pro.
trct il by laws which each helps TO makri. 1t
comedies tn each set the rishi to sue ior injuries
g. character hr iniuIiC. to children and wife aud
to worship God IN freedom. Why not then. let
them aid m lrgl,lalng to protect all these luu
! hold out the hu>k but withdraw the kernel You
allow fire arms, but neither cunpovdtr or lead
to load them and make them effective. In tie
bill of rights YOU pledge Al.o to all sects equal.
ty, but afterwards by this test you make all but
Proos'auts unequal. You promise entire free
dom of conscience to all, ana treat It in the ith
article Ns so high n privilege as not to he IN any
way unnlennlle, ant yet Nor leave Others than
procstantS dctrucrlfss as To II by DISTINGUISHING
them from filling offices to secure it by leslsa
ton
II is contrary to the Declaration Of lndcpen
d,nc and of the very tr-t article IN Vcut lill oI
rights. declaring all men equal You do not thus
give ia all men equal privileges. 1t is also in
tie teeth uf the same bi,l lf uglts To say one
set shall not hc subordinate 10 another and still
di,hUuchlsr one, ~ let onr bold uttice forbidden
to others Its likewise contrary to all sound cx
petence and 7, a,un to say, nN We do. that Cathn
lc, may Vote but not be voted for: and that
my be well competent inr one duty and not the
- her So r'ls Inconsistent to sny.u We 40, TIM,
they may be jurors or judges ye, not legislator.
III agree, ~ we do IN the constitution of the
UElon, that Catholics may le II, ard safe Tor
members Ot Congress Senators, cabinet Uthcets--
yea, rrrsidcnts--nnd Vet drnounro them Nr unfit
land unsafe ut home Ia rrpreson. one hundred ana
flly polls n oue Of cur small townships. II is IN
,rulh much like the guevenance which led 10 our
northumberland TihhoW representation. All
other than Protestant sects are vntually deprived
of ieprc-enta,iOn, ns they ARE made Ineligible II
the legislature Their opinions and wishes ARE
unhcard there from themselves They are branded
they are driven idth ns with the mark of Cam
tot scrvltudc aud lgnominy
What sect do Sidney ~ Locke. OF Jefferson, OF
Madison think 1T to be trusted with legislative
pQUcr' How Is thi. too. In our nrighbrng ~.
publicsi Do they thus osttaci,e patti On the
contrary. they had ihc experience o. The rcyo'u.
tinn tn aid thcm--hy the Catholic Carrnls nnh
lahN eta being moral and brave Ns tho mo-,
Pauiucal nnd many Others " that creed have
fought side hv side with ua since nj Chippewa
and Brdgcwa,cr and under The walls Of Mexico
ard .hnsn that their creed il M, deserving pros
cfipuon IN short, vi,hcu, going further into the
Iut .tiun now, 1t seems to my mind not only TN
just tn other sects but not reputable 10 us a. a
people, or to the age in which We live to rc,ar
thi, test longer
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