Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-10-01
II Fremont Catholic l-rhe question
"a IN Stf settled.

From The N. J.. Endngeiist, Sept. IS. 6gl5 tts4
Nor FOR PARTY, BUT FOR TRUTH.--It is not
our business to into the strife OF politics.
That IL not our vocation, and we have religi
ou-iy abstaiiled from such contests. Nor shall
we depart from this line OF strict propriety. But
we are sometimes appealed to for Information
~ TO matters OF fact by readers who imagine
that we MAY have special means of knowing
The truth. In such case we are willing to tell
what We know-not for the sake OF party, but
Ut truth = This We may do without sacrificing
our neutral and independent character. II we
can help to correct an error or to disabnSe the
public mind OF Il false impression, We are do ng
Al service to right-mnded men OF all parties. We
10 not urge our readers to vote one way or the
other, but we do wish them to vote intelIigently.
II is well known that one OF the candidates
for the Presidency has been charged with beng
Roman Catholic. To this story we never gave
the slightest Importance, considering it as one
OF those: bald talsehoods which were fabricated
for party purpose, and which would drop into
oblivion and be dcspised as soon as it had SER
we'd its object. But as the orginators OF the
story cling to it with great pertinacity, thinking
it very effective weapon to excite odium and
prejudice, some good men have thought it worth
while TO set the matter at once and forever at
rest. Cergymen of this city have been applied
to by members of their churches, and by letters
from abroad, to make personal inquiry, since
the public would have entire confidence in their
statement, knowing that they were not likely to
be deceived themselves, and that they could
have no motive to misstate the fact. s-.
Thus Appealed to, a number Of clerXymen,
though very reluctant to do anything which
could bring their names before the public in
connection with any political question, called
"n Colonel Fremont for the purpose of a frank
;,,
sio:, and belief This they eid-not for their
own personal satisfaction, Tor hot one OF them
had "a doubt about the matter-but simply that
they might be able to satisfy others by an assur-
ance from his own lips. Among those who went
we're the Rev. Dr.. de Wette of the Dutch Re
torued Church; Professors Henry B. Smith and
r. D. Hitchcock OF the Union Theological Semin-
airy; the Rev. David B. Coe, Secretary of the
Home Missionary Society; and one OF the editors
OF this paper They were re. eivcd with great
cordially, and Colonel Fremont responded very
frankly and cheeriully to their inquiries .s.s ~
When it was remarked that sone of our good
people were disturbed about his religion, he re.
piled, smiling, that he was glad that his oppon-
rnts we're wiling to admit, at least, that he mad
some religions leeling-lhat he was not wholly
Indifferent to Christianity. One of the ministers
inquired If the account Of his early religious
education and ofhs joining the Episcopal Church,
as given i'll Biseow's> "Lite eft Fremont, was
correct. He replied that 1t was; aud added,
in a few words, that he had been born and elu-
Gated in the Episcopal Church that he had been
confirmed as u member OF that Church, and had
nerer had shadow ola thought Of leaving it.
a.. When ailusOu was made 10 the persistent
assertions that he was Catholic, he replied that
he could not imagine how such story took its
rise, for that in fact, he had hardly been inside
of Il. Catholic church more than halt dozen
times in his lite, and then upon occasions OF
public interest or curiosity.
y All this was said very quietly, and with no
apparent desire to obtrude his religion, or to
make capital out of it, but to state the simple
fact OF his religious education and belief. No
one could listen TO this frank, VT modest state
n,ent, without feeling hatit was perfectly ingen-
ious; and that, with no bigotry toward others,
he was sincerely and attectedly attached to the
religion in which he had been educated by Il
piuus mother.
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