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


ing both the religious and property qusli6satj
tests, witch he stigmatized as disgraeeful to {
State he was atteDtively listened to by mac
than four hundred persons. heard Gen. p. spe
He nlsO took the floor at the end Of the Eve Is
town meeting in this place. last March, and earnest
called upon the people TO vote for tho abolition
these tests Ever since he entered public life, b
no uniformly and consistently denounced and vote
against these tests-even before Richelieu Robinst
knew OF their existence. He has never failed
advocate their abolition, whenever the question
calling convention has been before the peopl
which has occurred four or ivo times since he car
into public life In 1874 the last time before ISs
when the question of holding a convention came III
70 my personal knowledge he advised that the d.
mocratic tickets, for the whole State, be printed
| favor OF calling convention.
2.-RObins)n asserts in the Tribune" He (Gen
p had nothing to do with bringing forward tn
| subject The resolution aboshing the test wa
drawn up BY Mr.. Parker, Of Nashua, wing, an
was brought forward by Mr.. Parker, Nov. IL
when it was discussed in convention SO far iron
this statement being true the following appears t
have been the fact from the reported proceedings
Nov. IL, 1850 -
Mr. Weeks (democrat) Of Canaan from the Commit
tee on Property Qualifications and Religious Tests re
ported the following resolution
Resolvtd-That It is expedient, in revising the con
quire religious test.
1t does not appear, by the record, that Mr. Parker
had anything to do with either bringing for
ward or favoripg tho resolution. But it does ap.
pear, from the record, that Mr. Parker, at the ad-
Journed session, April 10, 1851, both spoke and
voted against submitting to the people the amend
ments abolishing the religious test and property
qualifications With him voted the following lead
ing whig members :-Sawyer, of Dover, whig can
Keene, the previous whig candidate for Governor;
Kclly. Of Exeter, then and now United States PEN
sion agent; Marston, Of Exeter Sawyer. Spalding,
and Abbot. of Nashua; Stevens, Of Charlesto wn
Enrn ,npIvf vuhs .1.Aa r.
gross; Walker, of Claremont late delegate to the
National Wing Convention, and member of the
Wing State Committee; Britton, Of Oxford; Kim
ball, OF Lebanon; Sawyer, Of Piermont, and nu-
morous other prominent wing politicians. So far
General Pierce is concerned the record shows, ha.
Judge woodbury. having, as early rs November ii,
moved to strike out the word 8 Protestant from
the 9th section Of the Bill of Rights, and tempo
IaTily withdrawn the motion, some other business
Mr. Pierce, of Concord. proposed to Judge Woodbury.
TO renew his motion to strike out the word Protestant
in the 9Th article, which he did, and the word
stricken out
This was the first action upon the subject of the
religious test, either in the convention, or in the
committee Of the whole.
B. Robinson's representation that General Pierce
did not advocate "Catholic emancipation until
/" after it had been carried in the convention is
false and unfounded "One great falsehood of this
campaign, Ito use the language Of this libeler as
written for the Iribune) is saying that Franklin
Pierce advocated Catholic emancipation when it
was before the late New Hampshire convention
Early in the session, (Nov, 1l,) Judge Woodbury.
introduced motion to strike out the word "Pro-
testant' from the sixth section of the Bill Of Rights
as quoted above, which was supported by General
Pierce. The debates were principally had in COM
mittee of the whole; and the votes were subse-
quently taken in convention resolution, report
ed By the committee religious tests asgven below.
Perhaps Robinson means to bubble, by saying
that advocating "Catholic emancipation in COM
mittee Of the WHOLE, was not literally bringing the
subject there " before the convention"
4: Robinson represents, that some Of the old
"whig QederaD towns" Exeter, for instance.)
voted unanimously against the constitution of 1792
account Of the retention Of the Protestant test,
while democratic towns voted for it on that account
Nothing could be further from the truth. It
is notorious that the federal towns opposed
the present constitution on account Of its being
too tolerant, too liberal. They stickled hard to
have the property qualification for senators and
councillors fixed as high as $500, instead Of f2O0.
They in favor Of compelling the people of the
State Cnstead Of allowing towns and parishes to do
SOY to support particular religious denomination
the Orthodox Congregationalists. This denomina-
ton was largely in tho ascendant up to 1919, and
was virtually made prescribed religion, by most
of the towns annually voting to support its clergy.
in 1919. the federation act was passed. 1t was
teLuousy supported by old Gen Pierce and the
5tmocra,ic party, and as universally opposed by the
act allowed all religious denominations equal privi
leges, and did away with the practice of towns
voting to support the '.orthodox'' ministers, SO
called. since that time, other religious denomi-
ratiops bave rapidly decreased in New Hampshire.
5. Robinson says, in the HERALD report -
II has been pretended that it requires two third
alter the constitution. therefore the democratic
party and Pierce not respon ble for not altering it,
Bot according TO the constitution every seventh year
people must vote whether they will have il altered
not and for that bare majority is sufficient. Every
seventh year therefore since 1892 the Pierces had the
to chapgcit for they had tho locooco party in the
hollow Of their hand They had the power to admit
Catholics and Jews but this two penny State of New
Hampshire. controlled by Pierce and the democrats,
would not do it.
One would infer from the above, that, according
to the New Hampshire constitution, the people may
vote, by "a bare majority" to amend it once
in seven years. Such is not the fact It cannot be
amended, at any time, without two. third vote.
The people can, by majority vote, order. every
seventh year, convention to be held for the pur-
pose of submitting amendments to them But these
amendments must subsequently receive q two third
vote of the people to be in force In representing
Robinson has unintentionally furnished
the proof that be misrepresens, when he quotes sec
tons SO and 100 of the present New Hampshire
constitution, in his Speech as published in the Ir
June, August 7. Section 80 provides that, once in
seven years. "when, in the opinion Of the majority
of the qualified voters in the State, there is neces
sity for revision of the constitution, it shall be the
duty of the General Court to call convention for
that purpose" Here is the concluding sentence:-
The delegates to be chosen in the manner, and
the representatives to the General Court
provided that no alterations shall be made in this con-
tituton before the shall be laid before the towns
unncorpoatcd places and approved by twothrds Of
the qualified voters present and voting the subject
The above fully shows the falsty of the repre-
sentation, that "a bare majority is sufficient to
alter the constitution once in seven years. 1t also
shows the folsity of Robinson's assertion, that
every seventh year since 1892 the Perces had the
power change it, for they had the loco foco party
in their hand" This is repetition of one ofHorace
Greeleys favorite lies respecting this subject which
has already been several times publicly refuted. The
first State administration under the present consti
tuition was in the bands Of the federalists--now
wings. Josiah Bartlett, of Kingston, was elected
Governor that year by the federal party. The ultra
federal (whig) administration Of John Taylor Gil.
man, Of Exeter, commenced in 1874. and continued
during the next ten years, until 1909 In that year
the democrats succeeded in eloctng their Governor
for the first time under the ''revsed conttution"-
John Langdou, of Portsmouth. the apostle of demo-
cratic republicanism in New Hampshire, as Thomas
Je derscn was in the Union at large. In 1859, the
federal parent Of modern whiggery again tri-
umphed, elccting jeremiah Smith Of Exeter. John
=