The true Democrat., 1855-09-18
SEPTEMBER IS, 1855

paramount to all other questlons-for 1t IS the only question which portends either present or prospective ruin to our beloved Union, and that party thoroughly nationalized and safe upon this question should secure the support of all southern men and lovers of the Union.
 There is, in my judgment, but one party of this character in the country-and indeed but one has existed for years-for have long since been satisfied that the old whig party at the north was thoroughly abolitionized. 4 All good men should be willing to sacrifice, for the present, if necessary, their peculiar pre- affections upon questions of policy, which only affect us for the time, and save the Union as it is by maintaining the settlement of these dis cordant questions, as they are, removed from our national legislature. When all agitation ceases upon the subject, from the force of free and open discussion before the people, stream of public policy will flow, salutary and invigo- rating swelling to mountain height the alrea- dy magnificent wave of national prosperity
 If this American party had shown perfect union upon the slavery question and possessed all the ability to preserve ournation from inju- ", the very pretenson t. which gave it an i'm portance in the estimation of good mon every where; still some of its obnoxious features should have been removed, torender it a suita- b!e association for an independent, truthful and bold freeman who is willing for his words, opi- niOnS and acts to be scrutlnlzed in the full blaze of open day.
 In despotic governments where it is treason to speak or write against the oppressive acts of tyrants-treason to think and feel and act as a treeman-secrct societies. to resist oppression and elevate the masses to that station of cQua- lity and liberty assigned by their Creator for them to occupy, may be excused or even com mended, 50 long they do not depart from their legitimate object, the Jacobins in La belle France becoming gmore tyrann!cal, cruel and oppressive than the tyrants for whose over throw they were organized; but in our happy country, no such necessity exists. No merce- nary soldiers elevate men to power here and sustain them, intimidating the governed. On the contrary, men and parties obtain and hold power, and statitions of honor and trust, by con- vincing the judgment of the true sovereigns that they are competent, and that per policy will rebound to the welfare of the country.
 The national council modified this feature of know nottingham at it's late Philadelphia meet ing; but we still hear of rituals, pass worls, signs, and all the et ceteyo of a secret political society, for which there is, in my judgment, no necessity or propriety, and may lead to evil con- sequences.
 The Catholic test is yet feature of the new political church-stll plank in the so.caed 1" "American'' platform, in connection with the ayoWal of their belief in the existence of the Great Ruler of the Universe.
 Did they fear suspicion that they were Atheists? or that they would ultimately, as the Jacobins did, dethronc Omnipotence and wor- ship at the shrine of reason? "Unrestricted religious hberty,'' and total separation of re. lgion and politics, the only safety to repubH- cauinsti;ution>. Resist as much aS you please, the political influence and interference of the King, the Czar, the Sultan or the Pope, but in the name of religious Liberty, republicanisn, and of our Saviour, (who visited no temporal vengeance upon bis enemes,) do not dislrau- chise or disquaIfy from holding office any wor- shipper of the living God, although he hum- ply kneels and receives holy miuistratious at altars erected by Cathuiic hands.
 Give Us religion until all men are guided in their lives and conduct by well arranged sys- tenn of theology founded upon the Bibie--and politics until all men are politicians; but, for the sake of humanity, let them be eternally separated The history of the poiitco-rcl- Eous crusades of the oriental worId are fearful monumeuts of the ruiuous folly m! do4,or,t- be consequences Of such combinations. Pre- cedents are dangerous, and when the religious test Is fully established, human foresight is un- able to conjecture the result
 Episropalians and Methodsts should rcmem- bcr that when the mother is fully prescribed, the daughters may become obnoxious to poli- tical asplrants and if perchance the daughters possess the power, they may become more in- tolerant aud proscriptive than their illustrious parent.
 The slavery agitation has received large portion of its dalg gerous fury by clerical poll ticians from their pulpits editorial chairs, con. ferences and assemblies, and from its bitterness and dangers, we may vaguely conjecture the effect of polltico religious parties in our coun- try.
 have taken my position against the Ameri- can party politically, after careful and anxious enqWrys for the true position, without any prejudice to the order; for although when first heard of this secfect party, I believed it was reorganization of the old whig party - rising like Phoenix from the mouldoring ashes of its predecessor; but this impression was re- moved for time by the lositiye declaration of old and formerly faithful members of the democratic party, who claimel to know its ori- gn objects and aims
 am not, then, friend Macon, as you perhaps have supposed, from my delay in answering your letter, a know nothing.
 1st. Because they failed to defeat Seward and other uncompromising abolitionists to high positions in the Congress of the United States as their advocates promised.
 2d The party failed to nat 'onalize itself at the Philadelphia convention.
 Their platform "pretemits'' the expression ot an opinion upon a most vital question to southern interests and rights; and notwithstand- ing this concession to the peculiar views of their northern brethren, still the council dissolved. leaving part of the south with the delegates from one or two northern States to arrange a platform for themselves as best suited tteir tastes and inclinations.
 Truly, they paid dearly in pretermitting'' for the little northern fragments of aid they ob- tained in their council.
 This magic degree for the conversion of ia, natlcs into reasonable men just towards the south--about which we heard So much last Wlnter-seems to have lost it's charm. This is not what was promised to southern men, and especially southern democrats, as a compensa- ton for the sacrifice they had to make in con- meeting themselves with secret political so- cety of doubtful tendency.
 Sd. The Catholic test remains as one of the fundamental principles of the order, against which, as an American citizen, 1 enter my so- lemn protest.
 tuii. He ocCIet OiSdulZdtiOu IS preserved, which is unnecessary in republic--may be used to deceive and delude by demogogues, and may lead to innumerable dangerous consequent ces, especially as it is sustained by extra judi cial oaths which seem to be under the entire control of the national counci--subject to be changed, modified or set aside at the supreme pleasure of that grand body.
 5th. The majority is a most odious feature oi party tyranny and must lead to disruption of the party, or an abandonment of individual independence and freedom of elective franchise without which national independence is but ar empty name.
 6th I cannot be know nothing and mem- Der of the democratic party, and 1 cannot en- list with any party to war against the party to whose principles have been devotedly attach ed, without the least disposition at any time ola,,,1sa cr..a ..Lc.l