The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1856-09-05

do not pretend TO know the technical
i'H ming of being in ''good SANDING but my
.;anlp apprehension OF plain English, tells me-
~, i means that ne recognizes and performs
-, dpjes and feels bis obligations as an adher-
u. know nothing. / am informed that he is
.G in full communion. On the 29th of July,
~, three weeks ago, he accepted new nomi-
r,,on from secret order.
Now. gentlemen, are you aware-can those
,nonq YOU who honestly support Mr.. Fillmore,
!, oware-what this communion and these O.
sr,,tons are? They are now before me attest
- credibIy and never questioned. / shall not
.-,r them but call your attention to what is
ms, material, their binding the conscience TO
-.ligioas prescription and denial of political
.:-Sfs 70 those whom the Constitution gives
,bsm. They purpott TO be taken in the pre-
s,or4 of Almighty God tthe God of the Catho-
II IS we'll as of the Proiestani) and they bind
- recipient to secresy the most implicit. even
s,anst The requisitinns ofthe law. They bind
Tim under the penalty Of ex-communcation
,o ecclesiastical phrase very inappropriate for
tbeol from the Order, the Forfeiture Of all in
tsr,oarse with lis members, and being denoun-
eeI as uiIfu traitor to GOD and his country
And dwith this penalty, the more imposing be
r,ose il has a secret terror, he swears-Nr
fillmore swore, and being in good standing
he still sWears-
J. Fiat he viii never vote or give his inAu-
4ccp for any man for any office, unless he be a
native born citizen.
2. That he will never vote or give his influ-
sBcp for any man for any office who is Roman
Catholic.
~ T.. .,,Io Il
any otlic ial Station, remove ALL Foreigners
Aliens, or Roman Catholics from office or place
/. That in all political matters hr will com
ply With the will of the majority of this order.
). That in all political matters, and for all
uaical offices, be- will support members Of this
orayr in preference 10 all other persons.
"Ail this br. Fillmore voluntarily and sin
caply promised, s'with a full understanding Of
is solpauizalons and penalties" and thus pro-
risiag and thus hound to prescribe some and to
hror others, and 10 yirId bis private Judgment
NJ to irresponsible control, ne asks to be elect
ID President Of the nifrd States.
Now lrt US see TO what practical results all
his inevitably ieayiS. 1t must not be supposed
that J or any sane man inmagine that this mis-
chisvouS nonsense Of oaths and ceremonies is
EselY 10 lead TO religious or Sectarian persecu-
'an in its dark and revolving forms. It would
r. lyss dangerous if ii did, for II would BE- easier
resisted II would be, in the language of your
invitation, less ''insidiaus'' But it is petty,
,4ga,iaus, little persecution. It is the perss-
cuij9n which insults the religious faith of men
and i-rita'ps their temper. II makes a large
class Of citjzrns fancy themselves martyrs, and
tirassrs and degrades them. It is a trap 10
cla;cirnce If it be lormality not 10 be regard
H. Il IS unlawful, unconstitutional, tyranni-
cal, III is reality. ] do not wonder that part
d5r obligation is to deny and diSelaim mem
b-s5ip, when TO admit II IS to admit such NOR
a. degradation as this.
Bg, further, on this organization rests the
ersa.-, stigma of all, of having introduced sec
t:.la religion into politics, and you can easily
-- hoH that operates, and what distressing
casequvnceS, If it is to be a continuing rlr
a-s, Of sgitalon. must attend it. Heretofore,
aiaa community at least, and prpsnme &ith
E1a, when candidate for puiiic favor has pr
s.'d bins # TO party o thu people, the on
a.y has 5-en--Is be honest IS'hr Capahlt2
DaS De- represent aud will he BE- true 10 politi-
ii. principle! But now. under this new de-
mana,ion the scrutiny iS--Does h4 belong to
t, Church or tbatl Does be worship God in
t1hrn or that Is be Protestant. and arr
a0 connected with him Protestanls? In what
at OF the world did hp happen 10 be born -
n Dsas h. belong to the Order2 Does b. attend
i isl Cuncs, and has hr taken and kept lis
VI 'ahs3 Has the Order endorsed him! Is he
Mr.. Fillmore Isl 10 'tgood standing 2" This
sihr new scrutny to which American Free
aen must submit-tbis is the test that men,
EALING themselves \ msrcans, imPose.
"A but the mode Of conducting the contest now
Finding, shows to what point this sort Of en-
NJ 1ary reaches, and beg leave to refer TO it dis
'ac.g as an illustration OF my meaning. No
z9arr were the respective nominations for the
fr,tsncY made than the scrutiny into rri-
.'as opinions began at the insigation of Mr..
tHrorr'S friends, and in strict harmony wih
'.- '.-trciplue Of his party: and Mr.. Fremont,
III 'a- Republican candidate, was charged with
i '-as by ilnly, "dncaiiGn and practice, Ro-
nan Catholic, and the proof was adducrd, for
&+ &+sanetity Of domestic life was rudtly invaded
-lali the Ceremony of his marriage had been
se5rIlag 10 the forms of that Church Now
II }. 5p assumed that this all was so that Mr..
ianoa, Ike Lafayette and Charles Carroll
@osign-d the Declaration of Independence,
D1"'~i CaTfoli "Ho HPlPFd 10 frame Tue
la@'aiIon Of the Union, and William Castor,
q North Carolina, and the present Chief JOS
eoi the United States that, like them, he
.R Roman Catholic-thal it either was the
Al .'a Of his fathers or that he conscirntiousIy a
0feI II, what inference could there b. drawn
1S prejudice and what right under the Con-
S'o.on Of the land had any one TO question
ca' II he did profess the faith which the
|'Siiaion Of The secret order proscribes, he
c5A bave turned to ihe higher law Of the
t'1Siiotrn oi the nation, and told his accusers
u N' very words that 'no religious test could
WEI BE- required as a qualification to ang office