Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1856-10-16
Henry Ward Beecher ON
Frem0nt's Religion and
the New York Express.

Frcmont's Religion and
the New York Express.
Alta Republican meeting at the Taber.
nacle in New York on Tuesday evening
HENRY WARD REEcHER made speech
which we have space for only two extracts
as follows: @
Now. then, as to his Catholicism, l will
state to begin with, that if he is Catho-
lic,- -heshas as good right to be Catholic as
you have to be Protestant. / say that
as Protestant 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. If Mr.. Fremont were Jesuit
or Priest, under the official relations to a
foreign dynasty, it would make some differ
ence. But if he were commitment of a
Roman Catholic Church, it is nobody s
business. 1t is the American doctrine,
and has been from the beginning, and hope
it may be to the end, that man is respon-
sible for his religious belief to no govern
ment, party, or body of men, but to his
God alone, [cheers. In the exercise of
that right, j. C. Fremont was reared by
Protestant mother, and at the age of six
teen years was confirmed by Bishop Bow
en- of the Protestant Episcopal Church,
and his children have been baptized in the
same church, and he is at this day as much
of Protestant Episcopalian as any Bish-
op of that Church. / don't believe there
can be seen in any history such persecu-
ton as has been urged upon John c. Ere
mont because of his supposed Catholicism.
On Monday last the Rev. D. Dewitt the
Rev. DR.. Robinson, the Rev. DR.. Adams,
and the Rev. Mr.. Field, visited Col. Ere
mont. After other conversation, they ask
ed him if he had been educated Protes-
tant Episeopalian- Hesaid he bad. They
then inquired if he had ever renounced
these doctrines, and he said he had never
had reason to renounce them. Then they
asked, Are you, or have you ever been, a
Roman Catholic!" He said, Il am not,
nor have l ever been" Cheers. Gentle
men, these men will give this fact in next
Tuesdays Evangelist. What then7 1t
will be published on Tuesday morning,
and on Thursday night the Express will
have a paragraph headed "More Proof"
[Groans for the Express. l wonder that
a man who will publish such lies dare sleep
alone. Loud laughter.l l don't mean to
say that the editors of the Express are not
gentlemen, but l do say that the Express
is like the Mississippi for length, like the
Missouri for dirt, and every drop from the
head of the gulf is lie. Renewed laugh
ter
The objection against Fremont that he
has no political experience, was well turn
ed by Mr.. BEEcHER, as follows:
l am for Fremont. Loud cheers 1t
may be news to you, but such is the fact
Laughter.l First l am for him because
have an opportunity of voting for man
whose hand I can shake and call him a
man. Loud cheers. l like him too,
though it was urged as an objection,) be-
,ause he has never had any experience in
ooli,lcs. Laughter. Alter seeing the
conduct of Messrs. Van Buren, Polk, Ty-
er, Fillmore and Pierce, who had had ex-
perience in politics, think no higher COM
pliment can be paid to man than to say
Of him that he has never had any exper-
ienee in politics. [Cheers. When other
men were intrigueing in politics, John c.
Fremont was in the mountains exploring a
and with a character pure and
unsullied. l shall vote for him because of
his executive powers, for l believe that
God has given him the capacity to lead.
Cheers. What our politicians gain by
experience, John G. Fremont had when he
was made. [Cheers.l He has honesty,
is discriminating among men, has natural
capacity to control and command, and no
man has these qualities higher.