The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1855-06-30
CLINTON, la. SATURDAY MORNING, JUNE 30, 1855.


& Ggt filifiana 9motrat.
" THE CATHOLIC TEST. sao
The action Of the Philadelphia K. N.
National Convention ON this important ar
ticle Of their creed has already produced
its effect in Louisiana, as we anticipated it
would. The boldest advocates and fercest
partisans Of the new organization in this
State have turned upon its prescriptions Of
Catholicism, and now assail it with bit
terness and ranc0r which rarely ever char
acterized the Democratic and conservative
press of the South. The N. O. Bee, one Of
the first and az it is the ablest Of the inau-
entail journals which espoused the cause of
the new creed in the South, in arecent ISSUE
records its opposition to Know Nothingism
as it stands since the adoption Of the Cath
olic test Of the Philadelphia Convention:
Rather than march under the banner Of o
party which violates the Constitution and every
democratic principle, by proclaiming religious
intolerance and pointing out the creed Of a
large number Of citizens for the animadversion
and hate Of other sects our people would pre-
fer to withdraw from political struggles alto
gcther and remain utter strangers to public
life Moreover, several Of them VIC are persua-
ded are determined to gire praetierl valw to
their protestation BY sustaining the democratic
cDmdsdatc. alby XII
The editor of the Bee does not stand
alone in his indignant denmciation Of this
high-handed measure to disfranchize and os-
tracise our patriotic Catholic Creole and
naturalized population. Itexpresses the al
most unanimous sentiments of every native
born man, woman and child in the State,
whether Catholic or Protestant, and the
hint conveyed that the Creole vote would
be polled for the Democratic ticket is snot at
all matter Of surprise, when we consider
their intelligence, patriotism, love of liber-
ty and hatred for oppression, whether So
cial, political or sectarian and religious.
AS further evidence of the indignation
and dissatisfaction prevalent in Louisiana
in consequence of the Catholic proscrip-
ton clause being engrafted on the platform
of the order, the American Exponent the
organ of the faction in New Orleans, uses
the following bold and manly language:
No enlightened, no southern state, can &c.
cept the anti-C Constitutional doctrines therein
contained-nor will we, under any circum.
stances, fight under its banner. We ore not
a Catholic--we were raised professionally
may this right arm withcr, before we endeavor
to strike one blow at constitutional right
guaranteed to Catholic as well as oursclf--
1t will not do to tell us that no attempt il
made to render this test Us against Catholics
alone. Why did the convention refuse oul
delegates q seat?-bccause our ritual is found
ed on q liberal--a constitutional basis-and
because we had accredited some Catholic gen
tlemen of American birth--gentlemcn who have
met on o common platform--thc Constitution
and repudiate every and any instrument tha
would be set up against it as a superior Fn
There is an honest and manliness about
this paragraph that promises much good to
the cause of federation and return to rca-
son of the mistaken people who have assis.
ted in rearing up in our midst this worse
than Lern@an hydra, with its many deyour.
ing heads sapping and feeding upon the
most sacred principles of religion and equal
rights. We repeat that the Exponent and
Bee have acted up to what the good of our
COuuuy uCHdHuo IIun CVCIy lHulVluuul III
thess days Of danger; when folly and alb
surdity shine out so conspicu0usly in the
political armament. But why did they moi
60 further? Why have they spared those
delegates from Louisiana who were admit
ted and took their seats iu the Philadelphia
Convention, as representatives from this
State, when they must have known that the
people who sent them were averse to the
sentiments contained in the platform the,
adopted? Why do they nothold up to pub
lie reprobation those individuals who tool
their seats with body Of men who refused
to receive in fellowship q number Of TIN
first citizens of Louisiana, because they rep
resented in their persons the religions faitl
that their sires for ages had taught them t.
venerate and adore? Why, we ask, wer'
those delegates spared by our indiguan
contemporaries? Did not the fact Of thei
holding their seats in the Convention unit
it adjourned give an applied sanction t
the action of that body in excluding thei
colleagues from their seats? In all the pro
ceedings Of the Convention that have COM
to light we looked in vain for letter from
Messrs. Bunch and Hardy agains this out