The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-08-04


diers OF the brigrade which it was my goot
fortune TO command; and 10 them | woult
have the grateful thoughts OF my friends
turned to-day; TO the noble dead; to tht
men who with their life-blood sealed thei
devotion 10 the rights and honor of the re
public; to the gallant living who, having
fulfilled their mission amid the untriee
scenes Of an eventiul campaign on for
egn soil, are now unobtrusively and use
fully pursuing the avocations of civil Liz
at home.
your thoughts and purpose in thi.
matter are not circumscribed by the limit.
Of New Hampshire or New England
You embrace the 18th and 18th regiment.
no less warmly than the 9th. 1t will evel
be matter Of qualification to me that the
three regiments Of my brigade were com,
posed of men from the extreme south,
north, and west Of the Union, because il
illustrated in an hour Of trial and danger
that unity which is our strength. The
question never arose, during the varied
scenes OF that summer, on what side Of a
geographical line man was born or rear.
ed; he stood upon the field by your side
an American officer, or an American sol.
dier. with an American heart, and that was
enough for any of us to know. 1t was a
glorious brotherhood. The highest hope
of patriotism looks to the permanence and
all.pervading power OF that feeling. 1t is
the panoply under which whatever is dear
and precious in our institutions will repose
in security. Over it may the stars and
stripes float forever!"
The constitution of New Hampshire
contains provisions at war with the spirit
of the age, and discreditable 10 the intel.
ligence of the State; and her able and lib.
eral statesmen have long warred against
them. One Of them is the religious test
in theory excluding Catholics from office,
though partially it is dead letter. In
1850 convention was called to revise the
constitution, and General Pierce allowed
himself 10 be elected member from Con.
cord. This convention met at the New
Hampshire State-house on the sixth of No.
vember 1t consisted of two hundred and
ninety members, comprising fine repre-
sentative Of the intelligence, the political
and judicial service, and moral worth of
the Granite State. A-more respectable
assembly never assembled in its borders
General Pierce was elected its president,
and it afforded most gratifying proof
of the estimation in which he was held by
his native State. No man in it was more
competent to discharge this service, and
the prompt, impartial, and dignifed man.
ner in which he performed the duties Of
presiding officer won him new aurels.
Nor was this all. When some oil the OBJ.
noxious features of the constitution were
under discussion, he left the chair, mingled
in the debate, and gave his influence TO
have them expunged. Such, for instance,
was his course as to the proposition to
strike out the test requirement of the con.
which provides that some of the
principal Offices shall not be filled. except
by persons Of the Protestant religion.
General Pierce, in his speech on this oc.
casion. declared that undoubtedly this test
had been stigma on the State, at home
and abroad; that he had felt kneenly the
reproof. that il was unworthy of the intel.
igence and liberal spirit of his country.
men. Indeed, he said. such were his
views that with him il was no longer an
open question, and rejoiced that the oc.
,ason had arrived when the obnoxious
orm would be dispensed with. .The
great question Of religious toleraiion," he
said, was practically settled, and settled,
n manner never to be reversed, while
we retained our present form of govern.
nent, more than thirty years ago" The
Test. at least. had been a dead letter-a
blank-on the statute. book. These were
views that had been ever entertained by
General Pierce, and no man in the State
had taken more decided stand on this
question. Its abolition was triunphantly
carried in the convention. And when the
people of Concord assembled in town
meeting TO vote on the amendments to the
submitted by this convention.
Gen. Pierce attended and made another
eloquent speech in favor of the great prin.
cIple of religious freedom.
General Pierce, from this time, contin.
ued in the assiduous pursuit Of his pro-
|ession.
In January, 1859. the democracy of|
New Hampshire in convention presented
General Pierce as the democratic candi.
late for the presidency. This elected the
Tollowing letter of declination:
CONCORD. January 12, 1852.
Ny DEAR SIR: take The liberty to ad.
lress you, because no channel more sp.
,ropriate occurs TO me through which to
express my thanks to the convention over
which you presided on the 8th instant, and
o the masses there represented.
| am far from being insensble to the
'teady and generous confidence so often
manifested towards me by the people Of
his State; and although the object indi-
'atsd in the resolution, having particular
eierence 10 myself be not one of esire