The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-10-26


70 he Editor Of hs Union,
DsAR SIR My attention has just been called ari-
Gle extracted from the "New York Express headed 'is-
tory Perverted
In this article the Express man INDUCES 10 most
manly and disingenuous criticism OF portion of speech
by in August last in jackson, Mississippi lie
seems exceedingly annoyed at my saying what all men
(e1ce natural knownohings) know 10 be true vlz that
the Magma Charta of English liberty exorted by
Catholic barons and bishops from the tyrant John.
His silly attempt in this eritiqus confuse throw
doubt upon Of the important well Of the
best authenticated facts in English history explains the
motive which prompted him to makeit.
AL over this Union--except in the State of Louisiana
the know-nohng party is attempting practically destroy
the political status of every Catholic II denounces them
the slaves of foreign prince owing him allegiance
peror To- incompatible WITH tina. due this govern
ment and therefore, unfit repositories of political trust
power And in many places and through many chan
it has not hesitaed denounee them monarchsts
in heart and anii-repubcan in principle This organza-
on led by political parsons and parson poleiaas is
in the constant habit of asserting that all the ignorance,
superstition, tyranny and oppression of the people has
grown of is directly treceable to, the Catholic
Church and by way of making good their assertions gem
orally declare that all history teaches.
Hence you observe how FESTIVE the New York Express
become seeing the records OF the past read TO its dis
comure and how uneasy it is lest the people should be
udeceved" by calmly examining facts they and not
as they SAID 10 be- To break the force of statement
which it declares $50 well calculated deceive" that pa
per attempted my reading rather to sup
ply its deficiencies.
But before notice his attack let state my position
With the question of theology have nothing to do. II is
for know which OF all the various denominations
have the truth their side. So far civil rights and
political privileges concerned do not care which Is
right or which is wrong Having my own opinion am
quite that Others should enjoy theirs Interfering
with no one in this particular do not intend TO be inter
fered with And it is solely because will not sit still and
tamely bend my neck the yoke that such unprncpled
criticisms made.
accused by the Express OF pervertipg history
Let us see how the matter stands was making ad-
dress the public in which, among other things was
stating and rctng various charges brought by the know
nothings against Catholics. One of them this: that
the knownohng organs were constantly assertingsome
in fact, and others in eecttha the Catholics and the
Catholic Church had always been in the past the side
of tyranny and against liberty denied this charge, and
sustain myself made of one tout of many we-es-
tablshed fache quarrel of King John with his barons
In my presentation of this point statedwhat will
dare deny who has any reputation lose any regard
for truh-tha Catholic bishops and Cltholic 5yoas did
the great charter Of English liberty from the unwing
hands Of usurpny tyrant.
The Express complains that did not ego and FIN
ish the story And because did not the Express"
how he finished it, give his words;
Now then let us look at those "new and striking
points" General Miles is history-En2ish history
and the world to understand that the great charter
of England (alagna Chara) wrung from King John
by the Runny mede all Of whom, he says
Roman Catholics In order that there may be mistake
about it, quote from the Union the Generals own
words
"Who was King John A nsurper and tylant
"Afer John had done everything when rapacious ~
could devise for the oppression and humiliation of bis
subjects his barons met in combination against his oppres
sion And had they right thus conspire against
| the rascal It'd Uaion
Sand this Meeting lit not know-nolhng meet
ingmark that fact Catholic Catholic bishop--the
Bishop OF Canerbury-drew up BIZ q Rights the great
Magma Chartd Of English liberty, which unanimously
approved by the barons Of England This looks to us
very like od-fshoned plain, democratic meet
"Ths Bill of Rights this Magma Chara, matured and
drawn up by Stephen Langon, Englishman of great
probity patriotism, and ability, and the Roman Catholic
Bishop OF Canterbury King John at FIRST refused TO sign
But when his Majesty met his barons at Runns ede short
time afterwards their arguments were so pointed and their
logic and their rights convncngy set FORTH that he
could not well decline their just demands and their hum
bic applications
Bravey said, Gen Miles all true, that the barons
PEELED King John sign the charter but why don't you
20 on aud finish the story2 why not have the munncss
speak the whole truth? why not tell your readers in
the Union and the people that listened TO you at Jackson
that that very carter,bat Bill Of Rights securing The
people from the oppression OF Kingswas onnaed AN
NuLLED, say by the Pope of Rome-lnnocent the
Third And, what is when the burgherS and barons
applied King Philip OF France for aid to enable them to
recover their lost liberty, this Pope threatened that
monarch with excommnnication--nay actually excowmu-
ncated Louis the son. shortly afterwards. And when
Louis took up arms the side of the barons and
burghers the Pope exercised all the authority he could
command the side of the tyrant and usurper, John
The john mind, Mr.. General Miles calls the first
great know-nothing martyr!' True at earlier pc
Rod, bull of accommodation issued against the
King but that because John sought to resist Papa
dctation in the affairs of his kingdom, not because of
any refusal TO grant Magma Charta. The Pope, then
now was not the side of anything that savored of pop
uar liberty.
Yet in the teeth of truths like tbesc-inconroverble
and ontradicted-vouched for by Hume and Smole,
by Goldsmith and Macaulaya Journal that sets up for
government organ asks to witness in history what
Popery has done for human freedom An elevated esti-
mate indeed it have of the intelligence of peo
pie ii it thinks they be deluded and humbugged by
such shallow sophsries and such glarng msrepresena
tons as these AS for General Miles, he being Papist
but little OF impartiay fairness is to be looked for
from him in of this kind lie is special peadcr,
and is expected to tell just much may suit his pur
pose and no But his pleadngs here such
likely deceive the gnorantonly those who Go not
know how to read and judge for themselves
Here according the Express we have the "whole
story or with shamelessness that beggas all descrp
ton it engaged in deliberately dishonest attempt TO
Apergert history
To say nothing Of the evident attempt made 10 leave the
impression the minds of its readers that the act Of In
III voluntary assumption Of power and that
was acquiesced in by the English people, the Express
knows fin well that whilst pretending to give the whole
etorvg IL Intentionally withheld the most mportapt