Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-11-15
WHOLE NO. 2sg,
a-puh pAqVRvlLR THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1856 WHOLE NO. 80

Episcopalians constituted the predem-
inant sect; in others, Presbyterlans;
! in others, Congregationalists; IN 9TH
ers Quakers; and in others again,
there was close numerical rivalry a.
mong the contendiDg sects. 1t vas
impossible that there should not arise
perpetual strife and perpetual jeaE
ousy on the subject of ecclesiastical
ascendency, if the national govern
ment were left free to create religr
ious establishment. The only secu-
rity was in extirpating the power
But this alone would have been arr
imperfect security, if it had not been
followed up by a declaration of the
right of the free exercise Of religion;
and prohibition Gas we have seen) Of
all religious tests. Thus The ghOls
powey over the subject Of religion. as
left erelusirely to the State eores7!-
messts, to be acted upon according 10
their owm sense Of justice and lie
State constitutions; and the Catholic
and the Protestant, the Calyinist and
the Armenian, the Jew and the Inf
del, may sit down at the table Of the
national councils without any inquisi-
tor into their faith or mode of wor=
ship @
Well, then, if '4he whole power Of
the subject of religion is left erola-
arely to the State governments; we
ask, What right has New York or
Massachusetts,, or secret oath-bound
combination of all other States, to in-
terfere with any religious question in
Tennessee? What right have they TO
incite one portion Of our citizens to
enter into secret conspiracy to pro-
scribe another portion from Office, be-
cause they profess different religion?
Why may they not, with the same
propriety, conspire, and furnish mon
ey, and incendiary prints, if needed,
to disfranchise the STAKEHOLDER, OF the
landholder2 H it is lawful to con-
spire against the Catholic, it is also
lawful to conspire against the Baptist;
Methodist, or Episcopalian. One is
just as much. protected as the other.
There is not a man in Tennessee who
will say that any other State has a
right to interfere with our rights Of
property. Then / ask, Are not our
religious rights more sacred than, and
just as much protected as our rights
of property? No man wiH dare deny
it. Then, if the Constitution Of the
United States and Justice Story are
not unintelligible, our religious mat
ters belong Exclusively to ourselves;
and it's a direct and palpable inva-
sion of our rights for other States To
intermeddle with them. Then Ma
tional Know-Nothing Organization
puts its foot, or attempts to do SO, up
on the neck of our State. And in
this connection, we contend that the
organization Of a party in Tennessee,
to exclude our Catholic citizens from
office, would be a clear violation Of
our State constitution, which says
'that no human authority can in any
case whatever control or intcrJe with
the rights of Conscience" and atllat
no religious test shall ever be required
as qualification to any office or pub
lie trust under this State. y Mark
that language $40 human author
ity:" it excludes all but the Dirins'
authority. And especially mark
that word, INTERFERE. Ah, it.
is a shield to protect the con-
science from insult, reproach and
coercion, whether political or moral
as we'll as to protect the body from
the fires Of persecution. Then we
put the question to any candid man,
when a political party turns loose its
orators and printing presses to ex-
pose the Catholic to public scorn and
contemplate excite public prejudice
not only against his religion. but his
political rights-to block up his way
forever to Office, and doom him to-
civil subordination-Are all these no
INTERFERENCE with the rights Of con-
science?-that sacred domain in.
which, our Constitution intimates,
none but the foot Of God can tread
Would the Methodist, the Baptist
or Non. Churchman consider such o
crusade against him no INTERFERENCE
With bis rights of conscience! If
such a crusade we're waged against
Iyou, sir, as Methodist, and you
were told that itgas. nota political
Interference with your rights Of con-
science, in the face Of such mockery,
i've can imagine that your eyebails
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