Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1852-08-14
The Test in New HampshIre

A correspondent of the American Gen g..
'hhueh'lal Democratic paper issued at Buffalo.
ana oeVoted to the interests of the Irish Catho,
lies, writes from Washington, under date Of
June 25' an able letter upon the New Haup.
shire Anti-Catholic provision. As an inde, of
the temper Of our foreign residents, We give it
entire:
Or the eve Of every Presidential e)ec,ion
politicians and party men Become extremely
enraptured with Catholics and IrisLmen-sn
much SO, indeed, that if the fingers of the most
lncorrlylbIe "forei gner" of that ilk, living in tbs
neighborhood Of the Five Points, should pain
hin u little, all their sympathy, which had been
bottled up for three years and SIX months pre-
Vious, becomes at once in q state of fermenta-
ton, and bursts its brittle prison with a loud
nno@e, similar in sound to that expressed by
IN " '"iamatlon, "Uho uiH you rots for -
ms IS th' gist of their love for Irish citizens,
ai'ef all the Barney which they are able to cor
Jure up and cast 1fon them on those occasions.
In the coming contes we shall witness much
of such humtng. and WIZ. some success, toe,
on the part Of the practical VIII. pullers. an,
glad to see, by your last number, r.st you have
denounced the practice Of making our religious
opinions party tests, when there is not sufficient
cause for it. In this | agree with YOU precisely
But, sir, how stands the case between the Stale
Of New Hampshire and the Catholic popu!a.
ton Of the United States! Precisely as does
England to Ireland on the subject Of relipion.
New Hampshire has a religious test act on her
statute-book, excluding you and me and every
other Catholic from the exercise of our rights
as American citizens; and England, with all
her moral depravltyan prosecuting propensity,
has none worse against us.
But you will ask, what has Franklin Pierce
to do with that ?--for it is to that point | am
coming. | answer, personally, perhaps, no.
much; but socially and politically, as the rep
resentatlEe Of a prosecuting and intolerant
State a great deal. frankly acquit Mr.. Pierce
of all censu.e on the ground of sanctioning, or
sustaining. the law complained of, and give him
credit for L~berality on the subject in ques-
ton, But this is not the true issue. 1t is one
between the State of New Hampshire and four
millions OF American citizens whom she de-
or attempts to degrade, below all other
because OF their religion. Why do |
that the issue lies between that State aud
the Catholic body Of this country! Because
that State, in January last, in her sovereign ca
oaclly, in Convention, put Mr.. Pierce forward
as her representative and choice for the Chief
Maglstracy Of the Union, and in doing so, ap-
pealed all facts to those whom she deCrldes as
unworthy Of holding office within her limits,
even the most mental to endorse by their votes,
such sovereign recommendation. The Ralti-
more Convention have responded to her call,
it will be seen whether the Catholic body
If the country will honor her also, and add, by
heir act, a degree of reimbursement to this
insult Of New Hampshire, for which
am not prepared to give them credit.
You have known my political partialities
ong since, and that this difficulty YOU'D not
occurred, had a different man been select
d in the place of Mr.. Pierce by the Baltimore
convention; but | have determined, as a citi-
en- otthese United States, not to sustain, either
my vote or influence, any man-whether
mig or Democrat-put forward by that State
Or pubic favor, SO long as she holds that infa-
3ous penal code on her statute books. The
between nou-action and positive op-
osition to Mr.. Pierce's claims for election, is
OF OF our chosine; but circumstances, not an
SO soon by the sovereign lights Of that
tate, have forced it reluctantly upon Us.
Iii you think that there is a difference be-
|een the moral deprayity of Lord John Rus
attempt to degrade the Catholics Of Ire
ND by his late penal code, and that of a SINH
r pena! code engrafted upon the Constitution
il sovereign State OF this Union, | do not
he act Is the same--the object acted upon is
%Isi'Ical and the end in view in both cases is
ne political and religious degradation of the
CATHoLICUs."