Southern shield., 1855-08-25
Letter to President Pierce,

his being removed from office because he was a member of the American Party:
 WASHINGTON, July 3, 1855.
 SIR: On the 27th ultimo. I received from you note advising me that my appointment as Commissioner of the General Land Office was thereby 'revoked. y
 The organ of your administration, the Un- ron newspaper, announced to the world that the revocation CT removal was S0lelg on po- tttJcGl grounds" Justice requires that those ''politlcaj grounds should be fully under stood, and hence this communication.
 Prior to your election to the Presidency o the United States, His Excellency NTillarC Fillmore, on the resignation of my predeces- sor, influenced only as he assured me, by g desire to promote the best interests of that branch of the service, appointed me Commis. sioner of the General Land Office.
 Being Whig, 1 expected to be removed as soon after your inauguration as a suitable person could be selected to succeed me. anC so stated to the honorable Secretary. In this l was disappointed, and hence, so far as you are concerned, Whiggery was not considered sufficient cause for my removal. No process of reasoning, however, IS required to ascer- tain that cause; you were pleased to advise me of 1t, and to assure me that the duties of my office had been discharged with such ability, impartiality, and prOmpitude. that nothing 1 but the fact that l had attached myself tO the American or Know-Nothing party, could in- duCe you to take that action; that if taken il would be with deep regret, but you did not sec how you could do otherwise, with due rcgarc 1 to the interests of the great Democratic or Union party. To correct understanding ol your action, and the reasons for 1t, 1t becomes necessary 10 consider the origin, principles and objects of the American party, and wherein a connection with it could initiate against the interests of ''the great Democratic or Union party, so as to render such cOnneXiOn nor al political offence, in your estimation. First, then, aS to tbe origin of the Amerl- 1 com parry.
 True patriots of all parties, who earnestly desired the welfare of our country, and thC perpetuation of the Union, on the principles laid down by the sages and heroes of the Rev olution, had seen with apprehension and dis may, the pandering of both the great politica parties of the day, to foreign and papal intiu ence, ,-the corruption that had grown out O such pandering, and the tendency of that cor ruption to the dissolution of the Union, tC anarchy, blOOdshed, and final dospotism. They 1 determined to forget their old grounds of diff ! ference. and 10 unite heart and hand in efforts | to bring back our institutions to their pristine ] purity. You proGessed to think there were nC grounds for such apprehensions, that the uan ger was magniiicd, and that the whole schem, was plan of designing politicians, to ad vance their selfish and personal views. What are the facts?
 We have seen the minious of Rome. bound by the most solemn oaths to advance the spir ! itual and temporal power of the Papacy striving to break up and divide the schoo funds of several of the States, and of thi District, urging as a plea, principles whicl 1 would have sUbvortcd the very foundations O our institutions. We have seen them strive and in some instances successfully. to proven | the introduction of God Holy Word among the Protestant children of our Public Schools not satisfied to exclude it from the children o Romanists, but determined if possible, wholly to suppress this great chart of civil and reli gious liberty; at the same time plotting or fal 1 sifying history in certain schools, so that tho black and bloody deeds of that Hierarchy, il past times, might be unknown to the rising 1 generation, which, therefore, would more eas fly become their prey.
 1 We have seen ROmish ecclesiastics, claim l ing to hold the temporal possessions of tho l Church in trust of their master the Pope and when the freenen of our country resisted such pretensions, Cardinal Bodini with hand yet rocking with the blood of Ugo Bassi, anc ! his fellOw-patriOts. was sent hero as "th Pope's Nuncio to Brazil. by way of the Uni I ted States" to adjudge and decree question: I of property between those miniOns of his mas ter and our fellow citizens, promulgating hi l bulls, with threats ofanathema and excommu nicaton against those who dared refuse obe ] dience.
 After thus attempting to exercise civil ant ecclesiastical power in this country, this Nun ! ciO, it!s alleged ,lclaimed to be received as th I Pope's Ambassador, with all the rights, priv iIeges and immunities pertaining to that office His request having been properly refused, h again sat himself up as a ruler and judg among us, till he found that he had aroused the spirit that had caused our forefathers tc | seek a peaceful retreat in the then wilderness of this country, from the civil and ecclesias l tical tyranny of Europe. Then he fed in dis l guise, not to Brazil-that was a mere subter 1 fuge-but to the skirts of his master where he awaits a more favorable time, when, as il Bologna, he can take bloody vengeance ol those who resisted his tyranny.
 Further: when the statesman, the patriot and the sage, who shed his blood in defence 0 his country, and stood by her standard in ev cry emergency, who overstepping all othe considerations was found shoulder to shoulde : with his compatriots, in the memorable strug l gle of 1849, for the integrity and perpctuit. of the Union, which cost the lamented Ola. his life; when this pure patriot and distinguish ed statesman, in the Senate of the United States, expressed his views on the question o demanding from the Catholic Powers of Eu rope the right for our citizens to worship Coo in those countries as they pleased and afte I death, the decencies of Christian burial rights which the laws of God and humanit, accord to all the children of men-another o the Pope's minions, and one who claims, anC is generally admitted, to be his exponent an, 1 vicegerent in this country, took him to task fo this debate in United States Senate, and not withstanding his age, acknowledged patriot ism and ability attempted to ridicule and cate chise him like a school boy. He endeayored als, to break down the resstless force and power of the principles presented by this Senator founded, as they were, on everlasting trutl and justice, by tissue of sarcasm and soph istry, that could have proceeded from no minC except one trained in the school of Jesuitism 4 .4-..- 1rT