Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1852-11-03
OcroBrn %. 1889

Water district. had spirited pole raising at
Hainesville, on Tuesday last. A number Of
Wings with clever sprinkle Of Democrats
were present all Of whom participated in the
ceremonies, and succeeded in raising a hand
some pole, with beautiful flag. decorated
with the stars and stripes of our country,
with the glorious motto Of Sect, Graham &
Liberty. inscribed in bold letters upou its
ample folds, The flag was the work Of shirt. |
ed and patriotic Wing ladies Of the neighbor.
hood, Of whose taste and skin every one will
be delighted and convinced, that beholds it
gracefully and proudly extended to the breeze.
After this work was finished, Owen Tudor
Hedges. Esqr.. was loudly called for, who
arose and responded to the demand in very
handsome and appropriate speech Of near an
hours duration. He said that public speeches
was something that he was not accustomed
to, but that on an occasion like this, it would
be dull mind indeed, that could not con-
ceive. and sluggish tongue that would re-
fuse to utter something in the help of our
country's best cause. He spoke of the great
and glorious services Of Gen. Scott, Of the
blood be shed in the war of IL, for his coun-
Try, the Union and the constitution, that be
boosted Of, aud needed no paper professions
Of fidelity to this land Of the free and home
of the brave" that his devotion and loyalty
to his country and countrymen, were writton
in crimson letters Of his own warm hearts
blood lie spoke of bis revolutionary an
cestry, Of their sacrifices for liberty, that they
had fought, bled, and died in their country's
best cause. and that their illustrious descend
ant Gen. Winfield Scott was true to their
memory to his rich Inheritance, and that ike
them, he never quailed before the proud and
unconqucrable, Briton the prosecutor and
enemy of our country. He referred to the
able and satisfactory manner in which be had
discharged every trust conidcd to him
through his long, arduous, and brilliant life,
Of his capacity for civil Office in evidence Of
which, he cited his conduct in the never to be
forgotten times Of South Carolina nulIifca-
tion. to the historical fact that he was offered
the post of Secretary of War. in Mr.. Madi-
sons cabinet, at the youthful age Of % years,
and that he attained the highest military dis.
tinction and grade. that our country can be-
stow at the age Of y years--a fact without
precedent in any age or country. All Of
these were incontestable proofs Of his brilli-
ant talents, and capacity for the most exalted
Office In speaking of tie significant motto
upon the flag Scott Graham and Liberty"
he said that it meant liberty Of speech and
liberty of conscience, that Scott was the ad-
vocate of religious as we'll as political free.
dom, that Pierce had proven himself an en-
envy to the Catholics--that the State in
which be lives in the only State in the Union
where Catholics are denied their political
rights--that New Hampshire, where Pierce
was born and where he lives is the only State
in the Union where Catholics are not allow
ed to hold Office, that it was q democratic
State and always had been, that consequent
ly if Pierce was elected the pmitans Of bis
State and all tho New England States would
compel him to prescribe, to turn out Of Office,
regardless of virture and intelligence, all
Catholics now in, and to refuse to appoint any
who might apply--and thus would be accom-
plished one of the grand purposes Of the
Pierce Democracy" to pc rsecute and tram
pie into the dust the patriotic and Union Low
ing Catholics Of the country. He spoke OF
the injustice and cruelty of such proceedings
in defiance of the distinguished services the
Catholics had always rendered the country,
from the Revolutionary war, down to the
close Of the late contest with Mexico, in all
ofwhich they have fought side by side with
the Protestant, not as Catholics but as Amer
icans--in them times it was not asked who
were Catholics and who were not, they were
called upon in the name of their country, and
their country's freedom; and there is not an
instance upon the records Of this country in
which they failed to comply, and to fight. even
unto death, for independence. Then why
should their religion be made an obstasle to
their appointment to Office now, when it af-
forded them no screen from the bullets aud
bayonets ofthe British and Mexicans in times
that tried mems souls?
Yes, MIR Editor, and the orator need not
have gone all the way to New Hampshire for
evidence to form the hostility of the Democ-
racy to Catholics and their religion. Our
own county of Berkeley affords sufficient evil
dence of that fact. 1t is not forgotten that nm
intelligent and worthy Catholic run as an in
dependent candidate for responsible Office
In this county, at our last spring election. and
was discarded BY the Democrats, merely be-
cause be was a foreigner, an Irishman, and
catholic, down with the foreigner. down with
the Irish, they have no right to office in this
country, and yet the ancestors of these very