The true Democrat., 1855-07-24
From the New Orleans Deltn, July 10th. A Peripatetic Orator.
The Catholic Test.


 .so,s he is statesman, and endeavorS to ,,rove the assertion by describing him as the pthor of certain Pacific railway which never
 'as horn A third finds niche for him in tho temple of eloquence, beside Demosthenes ond Cicero. though we imagine he has more Of T;oorowhacchio than of the original Cicero in his composition.
 Won cannot fail to recognize him. He is tall and robust-wears peculiar cloak, somewhat resembling toga, and stoops slightly, perhaps r,;th the "scholastic bend,' perhaps from the weight of public business which expresses him, He 5as a conical shaped forehead, surmounted bv hnsbv hair slightly grizzled, which is per mitted to descend in volumnlous rlnglets over his shoulders. to the great detrment of hls coat coIlar-has large full eyes, phlloSophically calm and somewhat ford complexion, the tinoe of which may be natural or the result ot "Dr. Rayburn's physicking," tor all we Know Rut it is in his beard his long, luxurlant, flow mo beard, that his strength consists. Sampson mioht have envied it; 1t would tasclnale Dellah herself, and turn her from the contemplation oi treachery. |. =. ;,, nnestiop is Albert Pike of Arkansas or Col. p;ke of Arkansas, or Mr. Pike of ArkansaO, aentleman who, if the newspa CTS, to which he eontrbutes can be believed, is possessed of the finest imagination the most accomplished in- teUect and the most convincing eloquence. He is an admirable Crichton, bearded phenome- non. a kind of patriotic Hamlet, merry Rabe- lais with a cross of the dreamy Swedenborg. He is the hope of his country Tn the coming vears-her young Ascanius - her pride, her GIorv and her iov. Hunter, Warrlor, Planter, Poef Patriot and Know Nothing, he is not one, but all mankind's epitOme.
 Well. this gentleman has lately spent much of his valuable time in saving the nation, for which the nation is duly grateful. He succeed ed in ataving off her dissolution for some months at least in the Philadelphia convention, and then went to New York to acquaint the people with the miracle. Subsequently, the "great med- cine man'' of the know nothing wigwams ex- tended his tour, and wherever his sacred foot prints were observed, the extatc newspapers went off into spasms of leaded mlnion-and nowerful eloquence-great poet-enthusiastic patrot-pride of Arkansas, glory of Arkansas and delight of ArkansaW-stared at us from "small caps' like the big eyes of frightened nigger wenches. His march was that of con- oueror, and any one might be excused for mis- taking him for Sir John Moore himself as he wrapped "hs martial cloak around him'' with all the feelings of nations redeemer, pro- phct and guide.
 We perceive by the Mobile correspondence of the Crescent Gin which we foncy the Arkan- sag hand is traceable,) that MT. Pike recently addressed great meeting of the American par, ty in that city, and in the course of his remarks pledged himself not to rest day or nj ght'' un til the Catholic test was removed from the pro- gramme of the order, and religious liberty fully guaranteed to all. This would be very conso- latorv but for d little inconsistency in the con- duct of the great orator, (even prophets have their falings) which occurs to us vividly at the present moment Did not Mr. Pike, as the re- presentative of Arkansas, vote for the adoption of that very test at the Philadelphia conven- ton? Did he rot accept the national platform, Gas it is caled) without single obection?- Did he not speak in praise of it in New York Park, and when he made this dec ration at Mobile was he not addressing meeting which endorsed the original platform, proscri ption clause and all? Can it be possible that his dis interested devotion to religious liberty was in- tended for the atmosphere of New Orleans, ra ther than of Mobile, and consequently was put in an envelope, sealed, postpaid, and sent to the Crescent for publication? Such things have been.
 The following is an extract from MT. Pike's speech in Mobile, and 1t Is as striking a speci- men of gross and deliberate quibbling as ever came under the attention of public jour- alist
 |" He would not conceal that he dislked that feature of the platform. From representa- tons of the issue discussed in council, one might have supposed that the body was but a conventical of Scotch Presbyterans, and not political convention of American freelnen. He was not willing to prescribe any church or to war on religion. The error had crept tn and there a0as no time to eradlcote at; many otler ques ti0ns ot Uast importance aOere pressing and Were satisfacorly seHIel aohie His alone remained Ob- alorious. But tt aoouM De settled atter owhile; i 2chen the council met again tue objectionable clause ao0lE Je cbaged, naod!fea or ezpu,7ged 80 daat no CqtLolic couM object. He did not approve this | one feature of the platform, but where else 1 could he find better? Was there one? He disliked the single clause of the platform, but he would stand upon it, and could not leave it ! to accommodate his friends in Louisiana The I loyal native Catholic is true American, and he was proud of their companionship"
 The above sounds very liberally and was well received by the audiance, but it wants one essential element, without which genuine elo- ouence cannot exist. It contains more than one assertion which has no foundation. save in the prolific imagination of the poetic speaker. It Is needless to say, therefore, what that es- sential is
 If Mir. Pike's sympathes are so warmly in favor of the Roman Catholics, why did he ac cept the Philadelphia platform? Why, we re- peat, did he vote in favor of the odious test which is an outrage to Republicansm and disgrace to the canting hypocrites who origina. ted it? Why was Saul, too, amongst the pro- phets? Does he not recognize certain section of the programme, which reads as follows.
 Resistance to the aggressive policy and cor rupt tendencies of the Roman Catholic church in our country by the advancement to all noli- tcal stations--executive, legislative, judicial or dipomatic-of those only who do not hold civil allegiance, directly or indirectly to any foreign power, whether civil or ecclesiastical, and who are Americans by birth, education and training, thus fulfilling the maxim, Americans only shall govern America"
 Oh, says MT. Pike, in reply to such queries as we have suggested, the error crept in and there aoas no time to eradicate it." No, sir, the