The true Democrat., 1856-03-25

mount mission was to save the Union, which was imperled by agitation. Relying upon these promises, contding in these assurances, many good men everywhere-many in my dis trict-went into this organization. I went t,0ice (and but twce) into their councils. I saao SAM" It took two visits to see him all over Imade them; saw enouqh and deter mined to never look on his face again?
 In dealing frankly with you, it is due that I should make this acknowledgement. would not have the vote of an anti Know Nothing in my district without his knowledge that I had been in their councils; nor would 1 have the vote of Know Nothing without his knowing that 1 am not of his order. may prove want ing in ability to serve; I shall never prove wanting in candor toUards you. It has been the habit of my life to defend my course against all odds when 1 believe it is right, and to ac- knowledge my errors when 1 believe 1 have done wrong. 1 freely admit to you, that l ought never to have gone into secret politi- cal society of any kind whatever; that they are wrong in principle, against the very genius of our institutions, dangerous in practice, and should be avoided by all men, of all parties. l objected then, and object nOa0, to the whole ma chinery of its organization; objected then, and object now, to an inadisc,1minate prescription of natmal;zed citizens from office; 1 objected then, and object noao, to anything that even looks hke making religious test. A Protestant by birth, Protestant by education, by prej'.dice, by req son, by faith; Protestant in all, q regret to say except tue practice was Catholic organization formed, to brand me as unworthy ofpublic trust because of my religious opinions, would call upon every honest Catholic in the land to aid me in king down. As 1 would "have Alem do unto me, l aoiH do unto Mem.''
 The Catholic and Protestant have fought side by side on these batle-tields where our liberties were won: and when "pestilence has stalked at noon-day" through cities, leaving track of desolaton and death, we have seen the Catholic and Protestant ministry again la boring side by side to stay its awful ravages Ito administer balm to the sick, consolation to the dying, and decent interment to the dead! If we knee not at the same altars, under the same forms, we worship the same God; we are appointed to the same accountability for sin, and to the same Heaven as reward for piety! Why should not we leave controverted points of theology to the ministry of the churches? Why should not we haynaan go on-as we should go on-in brotherly love and confidence? As have opposed the dragging of politics up in- to the pulpit, l oppose drawing religion doa0n into politics. All thinking men agree that the only real danger to our institutions arises from making the subject of slavery sectional ques- tion. May not respectfully ask the Protestant ministry of the south to pause and reflect, that, they bring the dolngs of churches into political discussion, they might injure Protestantsm? May not the Catholic turn upon you with the fact, that of three thousand preachers who de. nounced the judgments of God upon our de- ! Ntoxll ka blll there was not upon the paper the name of single Catholic minister? May he not show that none of his clergymen are in the halls of Congress, while we have taoe5aty odd preachers? May he not show that he has never refused to take the |" holy communion " with a slave holder--that his church in the north are not stirring the waters of sectional strife that they never do, and never have, interfered with the delicate question of slavery? and by showing these things, drawing up these con trasts, may they not commend their church to the south, and weaken yours? These are questions for you to consider. It is but just to large and respectable Protestant denomn- ation--I allude to the regular old Baptists-to say that they have never, anywhere, at any time, under any circumstances, either north or south, lnterfered ill political affairs
 Why should Potestants agitate this question? Why should they endeavor to build up poll ttcal party upon subjec on which they can have no politicay action2 You are forbidden to act by the constitution of the United States The constitution says, that Congress shall naake no lal0 respecting the establishment of religion, or | Iprohlbtt'ag Me tree exercise Mereof" Take this case: Suppose a President having sworn in Know Nothing councils that he will appoint no Roman Catholic to office, is elected. He takes an oatb to support tue constitution of tue Unitel States That constitution says, that "1lO reh- glOus test shaW ever be required as publication to any oGtce or public trust under tue United States" Suppose then, man is presented for office; does he not have to enquire, under his first oath, if the man is a Catholic? If he is, then he must refitse him on Nat account. If he does so refuse him, he violates Ms last oath, because he then swore he would make "no religious test" Is comment necessary?
 But have been asked if I would vote for man who owes temporal allegiance to foreign power? 1 answer, no. 1 would not vote for any man of any religion, for any office, who is bound by such an allegiance.
 As to a spiritual allegiance, my understanding is that we all owe that allegiance to a Power whose Throne is outside of the United States to GoD in heaven.
 i But in all these views, perhaps, no Catholic or Protestant disagrees with me, and I will not elaborate them further.
 l stated to you that the great reason for my having ever gone into a council was, 1 was as- sured that the preservation of the Union was the rock on which they built their church ''-- that men who joined in the north, as well as the south, made "a burnt offering" of their prejudices, and joined vih hands locltea ID hands an c hving chain around tue constitution 70 q common brotaerhooa, and in e common defense. 1 was told, too that could withdraw if 1 was not pleased
 l 1 ask every Know Nothing who reads this, if such was not his understanding of the objects of the American order? Then I ask them to lay aside their partalties and prejudces, and, thnkingly as patriots, to look back at its hs- tory.
 It met in convention at Philadelphia in June last-it laid down platform--t put forth the celebrated twelfth section. Here it is:
 "Resolved, That the American party, having risen upon the ruins, and in spite of the op- position of the whig and democratic parties, cannot be held in any manner responsible for the obnoxious acts and violated pledges of either; that the systematic agitation of the sla- very question by those parties has elvated sec tlonal hostility into positive element of poli- tical power, and brought our institutions into peril; it has, therefore, become the imperative duty of the American people to interpose for the purpose of giving peace to the country and perpetuity to the Union; that, as experience has shown it impossible to reconcile opinions so extreme as those that separate she dispu- tants and as there can be no dshonor in sub- mitting to the laws, the national council has deemed it the best guaranty of common justice and future peace to abide by and maintain the existing laws upon the suject of slavery as final and conclusive settlement of that subject in spirit and substance.
 "And regarding it the highest duty to avow their opinions upon a subject so important in distinct and unequivocal terms, it is hereby declared as the sense of the national council, that Congress possesses no power under the constitution, to legisate upon the subject of sa- very in the States where it does or may exist, or