The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-07-21
The Test in New.Hampshire.

A correspondent of the american
Celt, an influential Democratic paper
issued at Buffalo, and devoted to the
interest of the Irish Catholics, writes
from Washington, under date of June
%, an able letter upon the ew-Hamp-
shire Anti-Catholic provision. AS an in.
dex Of the temper of our foreign res
idents, we give it entire:
On the eve of every Presidential
election, politicians and party men be.
come extremely enraptured with Cath
olics and lrishmen-so much so, indeed,
that if the fingers of the most incor-
rigiblc foreigner" of that ilk, living
in the ncighborhood of the Five Points,
should pain him little, all their sym
pathy, which had been bottled up for
three years and six months previous,
becomes at once in a state of fcrmen-
tation, and bursts its brittle prison with
a loud noise, similar in sound to that
expressed by the exclamation, " Who
wiH you rOtc fort" This is the gist of
their love for IRISH citizens, after all
the barney which they are able to
conjure up and cast upon them on those
occasions In the coming contest we
shall witness much Of such humbug,
and with some success, too, on the part
of the practical Nirc-pullcrs. / am
glad to see, by your last number, that
you have denounced the practice Of
making our religious opinions party
tests, when there is not sufficient cause
for it. In this l agree with you pre-
cisely. But, Sir, how stands the case
between the State of New-llampshire
and the Catholic population of the L.
nitcd States Precisely as does Eng
land to ireland on the subject
Of religion. New Hampshire has
religious test act on her statute
books, excluding you and me and every
other Catholic from the exercise of our
rights as American citizens and Eng
land, with all her moral depravity and
prosecuting propensity has none worse
against us.
. But You will ask, what has FRANK
LIN PIERCE to do with that-ior it is
to that point | am coming. ! answer.
personally, perhaps, not much, but so
ciany and politically as the re rcsenta
tive Of Il prosecuting and mtolerant
State, a great deal. frankly acquit
Mr.. PIERCE of all censare on the
ground Of sanctioning, or sustaining
the law complained Of, and give him
all credit fos iberality on the subject
in question. But that is not the true
issue. 1t is one between the State OF
New-IIampshire and four millions o
American citizens whom she degradeS
or attempts to degrade, below Ill other
classes because OF their religion. Why
do | say that the issue lies between thai
State and the Catholic body of this coun
try? Because that State in January last
in her sovereign capacity, i'll Conven
ton, put Mr. PIERCE forward asher rep
rescntative and choice for the Chic
Magistracy of the Union, and in doing
so,appealed all facts to those whom SHE
regards as unworthy of holding Office
within her limits, even the most menial
to endorse by their votes such sover
eign recommendation. The Baltimore
Convention have responded to her call
and it will be seen whether the Catho-
lie body of the country will honor hel
also, and add, by their act,a degree o
establishment to this standing insul
of New.IIampshire, for which l an
not prepared to give them credit.
A." You have known my political par
tialities long since, and this difficulty
would ot-have occurred. had a differ
ent man been selected in the place o
Mr.. PIERCE by the Baltimore Conven
ton ; but | have determined, as a cit
izen of these United States, not to sus
tain either by my vote or influence AN,
whether Wing or Democrat
put forward by that State for. publi'
favors,so long as she holds an mtamou
penal code on her statute books. TIT
alternative between nonaction and pos
tive opposition to Mr.. PlERcE's claim
for elections not of our choosing; bu
circumstances, not anticipated so 500
by the sovereign lights of that State
have forced it reluctantly upon us.
" If you think that there is differ
ence between the moral depravity Q
Lord JOHN RUssELL's attempt to de
grade the Catholics of Ireland by hi
late penal code, and that of a simila
penal code engrafted upon the Consti
tuition of sovereign State of this III
ion, | do not. The act is the sam
the object acted upon is identical
and the end in ,iew in both cases
the political and religious degradatio
of the Catholic.
CATHOLICUS."