The Daily Nashville true Whig. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1851-1855, 1855-09-15

OF candidate to be unsound and dangerous, to an
extent which would induce dstrust in the ordinary
transactions of lfe it is not only his right; but his
duty to withhold his confidence and his vote. No
provision of the constitution forbids it. and duty to
the country requires it. 1t would be wrong in the
Government to make this test, because it is an
ercise of discretion which the people have not
intrusted to them but have reserved to themselves
Thus that which would be wrong in the Government
is the right and the duty of the citizen. How far
this may apply to Romanists is a matter for the
exercise of individual judgment, and for that alone
| would not feel that native American Romanists,
trained in the principles of civil liberty, of
enee for the constitution and laws, and devotion to
the Union, would come within its scope. For the
rest, to shew that the view Of the American party
is sustained by a of large intelligence, and of
undoubted pety, subjoin the letter of mir. Wesley
-remarking only, that the attempt to restrict his
opinions to the particular state of affairs existing at
the time when bis letter written, is simply futile
since il is perfectly obvious that they of enduring
applicability, at least until Romansts shall abandon
those precepts of their religion, to which Mr.. Wes
ley REFERS
LETTER OF JOHN WESLEY.
SIR-Sometime ago pamphlet sent me,
entitled IAN Appeal from the Protestant Associa-
ton, to the People of Great Britain" A day or
two since kind of answer to this put into my
hand, which pronounces its style contemplate, its
reasoning futile and its object malicious. On the
L "
natural; the reasoning, in general strong and con-
elusive; the object design, kind and benevolent.
And in pursuance of the same kind and benevolent
design namely, to preserve our happy constitution,
l shall endeavor to confirm the substance of that
tract, by few plain arguments.
With persecution have nothing to do per-
secute no man for his religious principles. Let
there be as boundless freedom in religion any
man can conceive. But this does not touch the
point will set religion, true or false, utterly out
of the question. Suppose the Bible, if you please
to be fable, and the Koran to be the word of God
consider not whether the Romish religion is true
or false build nothing on one or the other SUPPOSE
ton. Therefore, away with all your commonplace
defamation about intolerance and persecution for
religion Suppose every word of Pope Plus creed
to be true! Suppose the Council of Trent to have
been intalible; yet Insist upon it that no govern
ment not Roman Catholic ought to tolerate men of
the Roman Catholic persuasion
81 prove this By plain argument { let him an
swer it that can THAT no Roman Catholic does or
can give security for his allegiance or peaceable
behavior, prove it thus: 1t is Roman Catholic
MAXIM established not by private men, but by pub
lie council, that No faith is to be kept with here
tics" This has been openly avowed by the Council
Of Constance; but it has never been openly dis
claimed. Whether private persons avow or dlsaVow
ii, il is fixed maxim of the Church of Rome. But
as long as 1t is So nothing can be more plain, than
that the members Of that Church give no rea
sonabe security to any government for their alleg
ance and peaceable behavior. Therefore they ought
not to be tolerated by any government Protestant
Mohammedan or Pagan. You say, may, but they
take an oath of allegiance" True, five hundred
oaths but the maxim, mo faith is to be kept with
heretics" sweeps them all away as a spiders web
So that still no Governors that are not Roman Ca
tholics have any security of their allegiance.
Again those who acknowledge the spiritual
power fthe Pope can give no security of their al
legance tonny government; but all Roman Cath
olics acknowledge this; therefore they can give no
security for their allegiance. The power of gran.
ting pardons for all sins, past, present, and to come
is, and has been for many centuries, one branch
OF his spiritual power. But those who acknowledge
him to have this spiritual power can give no secus
ry for their allegiance since they believe the Pope
can pardon rebellion, high treason and all other
SINS whatsoever. The power of dispensing with
any promise, oath or VOW is another branch of the
spiritual power of the Pope; all who acknowledge
his spiritual power must acknowledge this But who1
ever acknowledges the dispensing power of the
Pope, give no security for his allegiance to any
government 0aths and promises are none; they
are as light as air-a dispensation makes them null
and void Nay, not only the Pope but even
priest has power to pardon sns This is essential
doctrine of the Church of Rome. But they. that
acknowledge this cannot possibly give any security
for their allegiance to any government. Oaths
are no security at ALL for the priest can parl
don both perjury and high treason. Setting their
religion aside, it is plain that upon principles ofrea
son, no government ought to tolerate men who can
not give any security to that government for thier
allegiance and peaceful behaviour. But this. no
ROmanist can do, not only while he holds that 'no
faith is to be kept with heretics but long he
acknowledges either priestly absolution, or the
spiritual power of the Pope.
off any one peases to answer this, and set his
name, shall probable reply. But the productions
Of do falra
notice Of
81 am sir your humble servant,
"JoHN WESLEY.
''City Road, January IL, $780,"
The whole force of the second provision is spent
in the prohibition to Congress. 1t forbids Congress
to "make any law respecting an establishment of
religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof"
1t does not forbid individuals to make such estab-
lishments. On the contrary we have many Of them.
1t relates to the legislation of Congress- not to the
vote Of the citizen-and the foreign zeal which would
distort these provisions of the constitution
divest the citizen of the uncontrolled exercise of
his elective franchise, is, as it seems to me, alike
alien from the constitution and the painest dictates
of reason.
The twelfth article of the Philadelphia platform
has been the subject of much commentary. state,
without discussing them, my own opinions on the
subjects of which it treats.
l recognize the impracticabilty, from whatever
cause, Oh reconclihS the cohncJing Opinions WHICH
exist the subject OF slavery, and the danger of
agitating that question in the National Legislature.
/ am content that the American party SHALL in good
faith hold themselves bound to abide by, and main
tain the existing laws on the subject, and with their
declaration that Congress has power to interfere
with slavery 10 the States where il exists, to
fuse the admission of any State because its const
tuition does does not recognize slavery a part
OF its social system. hold that the territories Of
the United States, are the property, not OF Con-
gress but of the whole people of the United States
until such territory becomes State. do not be-
leve that Congress has the power to abolish slavery
in the District of Columbia, apart from the contract
with Maryland, or considerations of public faith,
but as Congress has no constitutional power to vio
late solemn contract, or TO commit breach of the
national faith, think they equally precluded by
these considerations.
These are my opinions on the questions presented
to me. / desire to add brief remark on another
! subject.