Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-10-02
Henry Ward BesOhsr on FrsmSnt's Re.
lision and the New York Express.

hsion and the New York Express
Ls Fremont OafIOlie : TIE qussaoa Sealed
AT a Republican meeting at the Tsberuacls
in New Yoik. on Fuesdsy evening. the 10Th Of
September, ulL Henry Ward Beecher deliv-
cred speech to the. audience. lie adVerted
to John c. FremOnl's Catholicism in the fol-
lowing concise language:
Now, then. as to his Catholicism, I will
state to begin with. that Il be is Catholic. be
has as good a right TO be a Catholic as you
have TO be Protestant. say that as a Pro-
tsstant minister. This country tOlerates the
religious opinions Of men. Woe is the day
when any body Of men are put down because Of
their religion. cheers. II Mr.. Fremont
were Jesuit or Priest, under their official
relations to foreign dynasty, It would m axe
some difference. But be we're eommuni-
cant Of Roman Catholic Church, it is nObO.
dy's business. II Is the American doctrine >.
and has been from the beginning. and hope IL
may be to the end, that man is responsible for
his religious belief TO no government, party,
or body Of men. but to his God alone, Teheersl
In The exercise Of that right J. c. Fremont
was reared by Protestant mother, and at the
age Of sixteen years was confirmed BY Bishop
Bowen Of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
and his children have been baptized in the
same church. and he is at this day as much Of
I a Protestant Ep,seopalian as any Bishop Of
that Church. l don't believe there can be
seen in any history such persecution as has
been urged against John G. Fremont because
OF his supposed Catholicism. On Monday
last the Rev. D. Dewitt, the Rev. Dr. Robin
son, the Rev. DR.. Adams, aud the Rev. Mr..
Field, visited COL Fremont After other con-
versatiOn, they asked him The had been ed
ucated Protestant EpiscOpaliau. He said be
had. They then inquired if he had ever re-
nOunced these doctrines, and he said he had
never had reason to renounce them, Then
they asked caro- you, or have sou ever been,
Roman CathocT" He said, 81 am not, nor
have ever BEEN" (Cheers.l Gentlemen,
these men will give this fact in next Thurs
days Evangelist. What then? 1t will be
published on Thursday morning, and on
Thursday night the Express will have para
graph headed "MOre Proof" GrOans for the
Erpressl wonder that man who will
publish such lies dare sleep alone Loud
laughter don't mean to say that the edi-
tors Of the Express are not gentlemen, but l
do say that the Erpress is like the Mississippi
for length, like the Missouri for dirt, and every
drop from the head Of the CULTS lie, Re-
.newed laughter"
The foregoing is, ii our opinion, sufficient
to dsabuse any persons mind upon the sub.
ject Of Fremont's religious opinions. provided
he holds himself open to conviction. We sub
Join the following from the New York EUaage-
list Of Sept. 18th, which wasg given not for par
ty, but for truth" II corroborates the fore
going and knocks the last prop from that cob
house, reared by the falsiiers Of the character
of this truly excellent man, and TO which
bareheaded falsehOod they cling with such per-
tinacity But comment is unnecessary. Read
the article for yourselves. Here it is:
"It is not our business to enter into the
strife of politics. That is not our vocation,
and we have religiously abstained from such
contests. Nor shall we depart from this line
Of strict propriety But we are sometimes ap.
ptaled 10 for information as 10 matters of fact,
by readers who imagine that we may have
special means of knowing the truth. In such
a case we are willing to tell what VIC know
not for the sake Of party, but Of truth. This
We may do without sacrificing our neutral and
indie ependent character. If we can help to cor
lect an error, or to disabuse the public mind
Of false impression, we are doing a service
to right-minded men of all parties. We do
not urge our readers to vote ore wsy or the
other, but we do wish them to vote intelligent.
ly.
1t is well known lkat one of the candidates
for the Presidency has been charged with be-
ling Roman Catholic. To this story we never
gave the slightest Importance, considering it as
one fthose bald falsehoods which were fabr-
Gated for party purpose, and which would
drop into oblivion and he despised as soon as it
had served its object. But as the originators
Of the story cling to it with great pertinacity.
thinking it very effective weapon to excite o.
t dunn and prejudice, some good men have
thought it worth while to the matter at once
and forever at rest, Clergymen of this city
have been applied to by members of their chur-
ches, and by letters from abroad, to make per-
sonal inquiry, since the public would have en-.
tire confidence in their statement, knowing that
/. they were not likely TO be deceived themselves
and that they could have no motive to misstate
= tka fact.