Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-07-30
Another Democratic "Truth ~

From the Baltimore Repub and Argus of this mornngl
GRAuAM's TEsT.-Some exception, we believe,
is taken to a quotation from the North Carolina
constitution of the religious test therein con-
tanned. 1t should read
"No person who shall deny the being of God,
or the truth Of the Christian religion or the Divine
authority of either the Old or New Testament,
or who shall hold religious principles incompat-
ibe with the freedom and safety of the State,
shall be capable Of holding any Office or place of
trust or profit in the civil department within this
State"
Now, by this article, the Israelites and all
classes of unbelievers in the State are disfran-
chised; and by the same mode of application Of
the responsibility in such matters which oppo-
sition papers employ about New Hampshire to
Gen. Pierce, is not Mr.. Graham, the Wing can
didate for Vice President, responsible for this
religious test of North Carolina That test,
however, may be acceptable to such reasoners,
because the greatest number are Christians but
we cannot see the propriety of any Christian
favoring poltico religious test at all, in land
of civil and religious freedom The amount of
this is, politically, that as long as General Pierce
is held accountable for the odious religious test
of New Hampshire, which he tried to have
abolished, it is but right to hold Mr.. Graham
accountable for the religious test of North Caro-
lima, which he did not try to abolish. As the
Louisville Democrat says: "A religious test is
a wrong per sc, aud no better OF worse for apply
ing to ten or ten thousand
In the old constitution Of North Carolina the
article above quoted did exist, but the convention
of 1886 erpunged Il. Mr.. Graham was not a
member of that convention, but uas in faoor OF
the annitiIation Of this restriction. There were not
more than 500 Roman Catholics in the State at
the time Of this repeal. The exclusion of that
noble and honorcd Wing son of North Carolina,
WILLIAM CASTOR, who was a member of that
church, attracted attention to the subject and
the Wings achieved the reform, though we take
pleasure in stating that all parties cheerfuly ac-
quiesced in it.
New Hampshire has by an express vote con-
tnued the clause prescribing not merely a few
Israelites and unbelicvers in Christianity, but
large number Of Roman Catholics also wide
difference.
The following are the New Hampshire rcstric-
tons:
Article Ia, under the head of q form of govern
ment," provides that 'every member of the
House Of Representatives SHALL" among other
things, share an estate within the district which
he may be chosen to represent Of the value of
Gl00, one-half of which to be a freehold whereof
he is seized in his own right" and "be of the
PROTESTANT RELIGION and shall cease to repre-
sent such town, parish, or place, Immediately on
his ceasing to be qualified as aforesaid"
Article 20, under Same head contains the fol-
lowing in regard to the qualification of senator's
"No person shall be capable of being elected
senator who is not Of the Protestant RELIGION,
and seized Of freehold estate, in his own right, of
the value of G200."
The constitution further provides article 40,
" that no person shall be eligible to the office of
governor unless he shall at the same time have
an estate Of the value of $500, half Of which
shall consist Of freehold in his own right within
this State and unless he shall be Of the Pro
TEsTAST RELIGION"
Article 81. Qualifications for councillors shall
bc the same as for senator's