Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-09-13
BALTIMORE, September 10. 1855.

! tt. X. Reynolds, esqrs;
| GENTLEAEN: In reply to your letter of this
| morning, have To say that whenever any uf my
| ieow-citlZens have done me honor TO ask an ex-
| preston ot my opinion public question,
| nave given il frankly, plainly, without reseIya-
| ton, and directly 10 tile purpose as it was in
| my power 10 do.
| My engagements at this time do not admit Of
my writing very long letter; but with great re-
| spect shall meet your request by making my an
swer ''prompt" and ''plan" You seek 10 know
| whether am DESTROYS for Nomination by the
American party as their candidate Tor Congress in
the third Congressional district.
| Ii, by this question, you mean 10 ask me whe-
! Their approve the doctrines Of the Pnilade phia
| platform, unhesltaingy answer 40. My politi-
cal lie has been devoted to tile principles Ut Re
publlcanism proclaimed aud maintained b the
| declaration OF Independence and the Constit.-
tfun OF the United States. ] have always been
| Democrat Of the Jefferson school, believe the
doctrines taught by that great sire VI the Reyolu-
| non are inestltnabe 10 the world aud politically
| shah worship al that shrine as long as live.
| With my views / could not, without being guilty
OF treason 10 mankind, subscribe 10 a doctrine
which pruscrIbes man ON account OF his religion.
| | claim the privilege OF worsnppng GUd accord
my 10 the dictates VI my own conscience, and no
mdn can rIghiiully PUNISH me or place me at dis
advantage Tor SO dong. Iyrdnts may chain the
body, nuI mans immortal mind Is under the do
mIuon 81 God alone. The rght wnIch | claim
equally the rlghl OF all men
| Inc Platform IN terms asserts for the Roman
| Catholic Cnurcil aggressive policy and corrupt
| ing tendencies, anu these grounds proclainns
resistance" TO Catholics. Many Of my most
| esteemed friends Roman Catholics. 1 have
| piIy ed with tAem IN chIldhoUd-haye shared i'm
IAeT Joys and sorrows, and associated with them
through manhood Many Ut them are now csti-
mible citizens whom nave always loved and
nunored-seyerdl have for years pat administered
/ rnp Ia 1ITft 4
solemly ii | made the declaration under oath,
tnIt my knowledge extends, the men 10
whom refer have discharged their duty 10 God
and their country with tidenty and honor. How
| then could | embrace a political creed which
works out the social or political prescription OF
these citzensi No gentlemen
Much as desire 70 represent the District in
| Cungress-and ! do most earnestly desire thst
| honor cannot have il nj such a price | would
not accept the most exalted place on earth-the
| Exccutce Chair Of this Unron--it la doing SO,
were compelled to rcpudiatc those PROVISIONS Of
the Federal Constitution which declare Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment oi
religion prohi ting Tie tree exercise thereof,
aud 'no religious test should ever be required as
= qualification 10 any office OF public trust under
| the United States" Even II these clauses were
not in the Constitution / should b. ot tie same
| opinion.
| | thoroughly convinced that a union &C
| politics and religion ads been the curse Of every
\ country where such union las prevailed. Ii il al
/ tits moment the basis Of European deSputtsin, and
| ! would as suon think u assUCatng God and tie
/ devil as religion aud politics.
| Gentlemen brIure CLOSE lHt~ letter. i may MOI
\ be on ut place 10 refer ID subICci Which from
brIug tutsuudrrs GOD, may hHvc gwen 10 b.
! idea that ! entertained opinions favorable t0 the
\ do triucs 81 the Philadelphia patior J. / have
\ heUu told that some persons believe that because
/ ron against M V,n,ani II lhe Iast Cougrrsston.
/ ~ ectIOu, aud wrote letter disagtrgIuE with
/ the views Of The German Convention that there.
lore, feel less attached u the DtmOCr tic party.
or Won 4 be less likely 10 nj, oCatc Dsmocra,ir
| prnc pies. Not 20. My letter 10 the Germans was
/ Thoroughly Democratic and ! ran against Mr.
Nau>aEts not because my estimate ~ Democratic
principles any degree changed, bui because
ms nomination was uOt ~ accordance Vuh the
usagc~ 81 the Democratic parry.
S,Iig members Of The U0s hoBdfCd comprising
the Baltimore Cry Convention WHICH called the
PRIMARY meetings ID torn the convention Ihai
Nominated HIM, Iy,d out ~ The Dlstrit-lv,d H.
thr touun Congressional di>tric--,tnd hid 30
right 20 vote "a o. act lor The Inud UnwuI "
- endurse this ur,pulary; tcehng Il ere ~ ~
10 Congress. AID there bci1g hiK in the irId.
iCli - liberty Ga test which ~ lwp DvmUCrst.
should represent tile District Judcr these cir.
cumstaucrS catered the iirlS aud fought the bal.
tle-Jou. 1t il a. we'll ~ cord-aud o. man can
irnihluy say that during the war tor one 40.
ment compromised the sacred principles oi D..
mycracy Two year. have passed away md
with Tie tuiie AID OF rrhroHou, / noNv say that.
under stmIlrr circumstances ! won Ggh tie
battle over again.
The movement was plain, honorable, above
10 ~. sud thoroughly understood There Was
nothing 80 u ~ hiye cause Tor bell v,ug ~ the
smallest dlnnnuton " ny alta .hmem 90 Drpu.
cratic princlp'es-prncsrle 10 Whrn J have
ardrntly devoted tie best efforts 81 my Ute, much
less for surprising that could endorse = Platform
essentially az vdtinucr wuh The lnIuuctiOus of
ihe Constitution, when over aud over asein J
have sworn ~ support.
! have thus, Gentlemen, answered plainly the
lciler you have done me the honor 10 address me,
and entertain The belief thai al honestly expressed
difference 81 opinion Will nut lessen me ia your
esteem
am. vety respectfully,
Your freud AID fellow. cit zen,
w. Z. PRESTON, /
REMOVAL or JtpCEs -The Legislature of