Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-08-29

ted In its powers. acknowledging State sover-
eigntv. intended for the benefit and welfare Of
all, based upon principles Of equality and
justice created for tho people. and governed
by the people upon broad and enduring prin-
ciples of human rights. During the manv
years of important and stirring political events
that have since succeeded those days, the two
parties thus arrayed in the beginning on op-
posite sides were often engaged in disputes
arising ont Of multitude Of questions and
issues, all of which could be resolved into the
original ground of contention between them.
The Federal Party being party Of expedieu-
cy, and relying upon State craft and political
management, and sfin distrusting, the people
have, under various names and with as varie
GUS pretexts and contrivances, sought by indi-
rect and crooked ways to obsaih those ends
and aims from which they were driven By the
letter and spirit Of the Constitution Ii was
supposed that the time had gone by when tire
people should ever be in danger of any open
attempt to subvert tie Constitution and its ac-
knowledged principles by any organized polis-
ical action ayowcdly directed 10 such purpose.
Implication and forced Interpretation Of its
letter, were the only means by which the peo-
pie were sought to be abused, and their gov
ernment turned against themselves for the
advancement and profit of adroit political adj
vcnturers. That supposition error,
for now we are again reminded by the action
of new and dangerous combination, that the
price of liberty is eternal vigilance
Fellow Citizens. we have again to confront
the same issues that were made in 1890, and
to fight for the same principles that convulsed
this Country then, and in vindicating which
Jefferson triumphed. and Madison earned the
love and gratitude of thankful people. The
Insignificant and minor subjects of difference
that have for some time past divided the pub
lie men Of the country, are all obliterated by
the magnitude of the question now before
you.. Your opponents, under deluding and
tempting cry demanding that . americans
shall rule America" have at last. with forced
and compulsive candor. acknowledged that
they wish to establish two principles.
/. That none but those born in this coun-
try, shall enjoy the rights of citizenship.
IL. That there shall be established q reli-
gious test for office. ~
To reach these ends the Constitution of the
United States must be changed or its proyi-
sions avaded and the spirit of our Democratic
Republican forms of government thus alto
gether subyerted. The Declaration of Inde-
pendence itself charged upon the King Of
Great Britain, as one of the most serious
grievances under which we had suffered, that
" he had endeayored to prevent the population
of these States, for that purpose obstructing
the laws for the naturalization of foreigners.
refusing to pass others to encourage their mi
grafton hither. and raising the conditions of
new appropriations of land" The complaint
thus made, was part of the first public pro-
test of united people against arbitrary au-
thority, and in favor Of Human Rights. The
reasons that then prompted this, have been
ever since acknowledged as an element of our
institutions that has secured to US the conf
dence of mankind, and been the FIRST great
cause of our marvellous success as people.
When the defects of the Confederation were
apparent, and the necessities of the public
called for a more stable and perfect form of
Union, the Constitution adopted among
its most conspicuous provisions was the au-
thority delegated to Congress to establish an
uniform rule of Naturalization, and in the
very last clause of the very last section of that
instrument the following words we're inserted,
q No RELIGIOUS TEST SHALL EVER BE REQUIRED
AS A QUALIFICATION TO ANY OFFICE OR PUBLIC
TRUST UNDER THE UNITED STATES" Thus
sealing. as it were, the Bond of our Union
with the sacred and rational principle of tho
Liberty of Conscience and the right of Pri-
yate Judgment.
W hen the Constitution was submitted to
the States for their adoption, it is to be re-
mcmbered that New Hampshire, New York,
Pennsylvania and Virginia, all ratified it with
solemn declaration of rights, which they set
forth as explanations consistent with it. and
which could not be abridged or violated, and
which they proposed should be adopted as
amendments thereto. Rhode Island and North
Carolina, in a spirit of sturdy resistance to
absolutism and of manly devotion to the cause
of Liberty, for their own sakes, fos the sake
of their posterity, and for the sake Of the hu-
man race, re-asserted the doctrines and dog
mas of the Bill of Rights.>and for a while de-
clined to ratify the Constitution until these
sacred and inyiolable principles of natural
right were acknowledged and adopted as q
part of its text, and in all of these proposed
amendments we're Incorporated solemn dec
laration In favor Of civil and religious liberty.
At the FIRST session of the first Congress the
amendments to the Constitution were adopted
and subsequently ratified by the States, and
the first article of those amendments set the
question at rest forever by declaring that
- CONGRESS- SHALL MAKE 40 LAW RESPECTING
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF RFLIGIoS on PRoHiBI-
TING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF 1t Is
worthy of observation, that when in Conven-
tion it was proposed by Mr.. sPinckney to add
to The Sixth Article the clause prohibiting a
religious test that Mr.. Sherman thought 1t
unnecessary, the prevailing liberality being
sufficient security against such test, after
which Mr.. Gouyerneur, Morris and General
Pinckney approved the motion. and 1t was
carried unani mously. These enlightened men
were too well aware of the disastrous conse
ouences attendant upon any interference By
the State with the religious opinions OF its cit
izens. The bloody record of fanatical persc-
cutions was spread out before them. and in it