True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-02-15

CatholIc Carroll, AID Pf0testant Ge0rge
| Wythe. There the names stand together
among the signatures and I sOiU redeem
their mutual pledges NTH my FJs,' my
fortune and my sacred hon,r,' so far as
in me Hes-so help me, almighty God"
The oath Of the honorable gentleman
from Pennsylvania is no less solemn.
Mr.. Chandler Do l understand the
gentleman from Alabama as ranking me
with the opposers of the Know Nothing
party?
Mr.. Smith. Certainly. I heard the
gentleman's speech.
Mr.. Chandler would scorn to oppose
a party of which no gentleman in this
House has admitted himself member.
Mr.. Smith. This remark of the gentle
man from Pennsylvania is not more full Of
JeSuitism than his whole speech. The
only retaliation I have to make to that
venerable gentleman is, to condemn him
to read his own speech, so fresh from his
lips, and then for him to say again that he
"would scorn to oppose the Know Moth
ings," and to inquire of himself, against
whom did I level these vituperative phra-
, ses? 49,.
But the gentleman's interruption shall
not have its desired effect; it shall not d.
vert me from reading his oath. Here it is:
J "With my hand upon my heart, and
} my eyes on Heaven, / call this House and
(speak with reverence l call my God to
} witness the truth of all the assertions,
made from my own convictions and know.
ledge, and my entire confidence in the
credibilty of all the testimony which ]
: have adduced from others"
| Now, sir, it is not very common for 9
$ member of Congress to swear to his speech
: but admit the right to do so. Genera
. Jackson swore, "By the Eternal" Cicero
swore, "Prodii immortales." Mr.. Wise
5 swore, $50 help me Almighty God" Mr.
Chandler swears; "With my hand upon my
heart, and my eye on Heaven, I call Goo
: to witness" ....
Now, sir, which'of these oaths is the
most solemn? Hannibal, at his fathers
e knee, swearing eternal enmity to the Ro
: man people, uttered not the oath more sol
: emnly than did the honorable gentleman
e from Pennsylvania 1 do not censure th'
9 gentleman for swearing. He has the un
: doubted right; but 1 deny that he has i
8 exclusively. I deny that it is proper TO
o him to swear, and improper for the Know
Nothings to swear. | have already givel
: you the Jesuit's oath. It's hard to clas
:. the Roman Catholic mode of attestatiol
d and asseveration under the head of oaths
l They more particularly belong to the hea'
: of damns, curses, anathemas. Then, sir
: away with this objection. The Nativ
: American is the keeper of his own con
= science. He will never surrender it to
j. Priest-he will never apply for absolutiol
d of perjury. He knows his duty. He vii
not falter.
ARROGANCE OF THE ROMAN CATHoLI
CHURCH:
b Inow approach, Mr.. Chairman, the mos
e delicate and important subject that ha
|. eyer engrossed the attention of the Amel
/ lean people. 1t is my duty to proclaim t
J my countrymen the dangerous tendency Q
6 the Roman Catholic religion. From il
/ first days to the present, it has, on all o,
d casions, without the slightest exception
IS been averse to liberty, and to free instit,
'r tons. 1t recognizes the doctrine of tn
4 infallibility Of the Pope. Its greatest WI
Y. ners say, infallibility in the Pope is synol
g. ymous with sovereignty in monarch
it "The true principle is" says De Maistr,
is "that sovereignty comes from God" TIL
\
Is is the origin Of the idea and phrase, "tf
l. King can do no wrong" This same WI
ID ter (who is Roman CatholiC) says: "Thel
ut must always be one to whom it never ca
ID be said, you have erred" "No," says b
d. further, off there be anything certain
lg reason as well as to faith, it is that the un
is versal church is monarchy. The vel
idea that universally supposes this form
at government--so all Catholic writer's, &o
" thy of the name, agree unanimously, th
r. the rule of the church is monarchical."-
~, (De Maistre, Pope, p. 2, S.) "MonarcE
n? cal government, once established, infal
N, bility becomes . necessary consequence
,e- supremacy" (Ibid A. "Ho who wou
10 have right to say to the Pope that
Of was wrong, wonld also, on the same grOun