The true Democrat., 1855-09-11


 ington, the 18th day of March, in the IL. s.1 year of our Lord 1855, and of the in-
 dependence of the United States se-
 venty-nnth.
 FRANKLIN PIERCE. BY THE PRESIDENT
 w. l.. MARCY, Secretary of State.
 From the Vicksburg Sentinel. Gen. Washington on Know Moth
 ingism.
 However much madness may rule the hour, we feel sure that the American people are not yet deluded enough to treat with indifference the opinions of the Father of his Country- Let our party designations and dissensions be what they may, HIS voice will be listened to with respect by all. With this assurance, we take pleasure in laying before our readers the following letter, which may be found in the l2th volume of the writings of Washington edited by Sparks, pages POI and POP.
 To the Members of the New Church ill
 Baltimore.
 January, 1793 "GENTlEMEN-It has ever been my pride to merit the appreciation of my fellow citizens. by a faithful and honest discharge of the duties annexed to those stations, in which they have been pleased to place me; and the dearest re- wards ot my services have been those testimo- nleS of esteem and confidence, with which they have hOnOred me- But to the manifest inter- position of an overruling Providence and to the patriotic eXertions of united America. are to hc ascrlbed those events, which have given us a respectable rank among the nations of the earth
 We have abundant reason to rejoice, that in this land, the light of truth and reason has tri- umphed over the power of bgotry and super, stltion, and that every person may here wor- ship God according the dictates of his own heart In this enlightened age, and in this land of equal liberty, IT Is OUR BOAST that a mars religious tenets will not forfeit the pro- lection of the laws, NOR DEPRIVE HIM OF THE RIGHT or ATTAINING AND HOLDING THE HIGH- EST OFFICES THAT ARE KNOWN IN THE UNITED STATES.
 Your prayers for my present and future fci- city are received with gratitude; and sincere ly wish, gentlemen, that you may in your soci- al and individual capacities taste those blessings which gracious God best0ws upon the right eous. GEORGE WASHINGTON." We also commend to the attention of oul readers and especially of our Baptist friends whose known love of religious toleration, we are confident, is not to be affected by the course of such men as Clinton and Burns the follow ing passage from Washington's letter to the general committee repres enting the United Baptist churches in Virginia" /" dated May, 1789 to be found in Sparks's edition of the writings of Washington. volume l2, page 155:
 |" If could have entertained the slightest apprehension, thatthc constitution framed in the convention, where had the honor to preside, might possibly endanger the rel sious rights of any ecclesiastical society, certainly I would never have placed my signature to it; and. if l could now conceve that the general government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty ot conscience insecure, l beg you will be persuaded, that no one would be more zeal ous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrJrs of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution. For you doubtless remember, that have often expres- sed my seutim 'nts, that every man conducting himself as a good citizen, and being accounta ble to God alone for lis religious opinions, ought to be protected in worshippinG the Deity according to the dictates of his own conscience While 1 recolect with satisfaction, that the religious society of which you are members have been throughout America, uniformly and almost unanimously the firm friends to civil liberty, and the perseverng promoters of our glorious revolution, l cannot hesitate to believe, that they will be faithful supporters of free, yet efficient general government"
 Again in his letter to the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal church, dated May, 1789 Sparks writings of Washington, volume l2, page l53,) Gen. Washington said
 {" It shall still be my endeavor to manifest, by overt acts, the purity of my inclinations for promoting the happiness of mankind. as well as the sincerity of my desires to contribute whatever may be in my power towards the preservation of the civil and religious liberties ot the American peop!e.'
 In his letter to the bishops, clergy and laity of the Protestant Episcopal church, dated August 18th, 1789, (5park's writings of Wash ington, volume 12, pages 1923, Gen. Wash, ington used this language:
 'On this occasion, it would i'll become me to conceal the joy have felt in perceivng the fratenal aflecton which appears to increase every day among the friends of genuine reli- zion. It affords edifying prospects, indeed, to see Christians of different denominations dwell together in more charity and conduct them selves in respect to each other with more Christian like spirit, than ever they have done in any former age or in any former na- tion."
 Writing to the Hebrew Congregation of Sa- vannah, (volume 12, page l86) Gen. Washing ton said:
 "May the same wonder working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from theil Egyptian oppressors, and planted them in the promised and whose proyldential agency has lately been consl icuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation, still continue to water them with the dews of Hea- ven, and to make the inhabitants of every de- nomination participate in the temporal and spi- ritual blessings of that people, whose God is Jehovah.
 Again, in his letter to " The clergy of Phila- delphia,' dated March, 1797, (volume 12, page 245,) Washington used the following lan- guage:
 " Believing, as I do, that religion and mor- ality are the essential pillars of civil society, view, with unspeakable pleasure, that harmony and brotherly love, which characterizes the clergy of different denominations, as we'll ir this, as in other parts of the United States; ex. hbting to the world new and interesting spectacle, at once the pride of our country and the surest basis of universal harmony"
 The following passage occurs in his letter tc the Quakers, dated, October 17S9 (volume 12 page 169)
 Government being, among other purposes instituted to protect the persons and consciences of men from oppression, it certainly is the du. ty of rulers, not only to abstain from it them selves, but according to their stations to prevent it in others. The liberty enjoyed by the peo. pie of these States, of worshipping Almighty God agreeably to their conscences, is not only among the choicest of their blessings but alst of their rights"
 The italics are Washington,s