Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1856-10-02
From the New YORK Evangelist, Sept Is
Is Fremont a Catholic? c?-The Ques-
ton Settled.
NOT FOR PARTY BUT. FOR TRUTH.

1t is not Our business to enter ihsu ire
strife Of politics. That is not our vyCa-
ton and we have reiigiouSly ahsiainru fg9;n
sucn contests. Nor sho:l we depart lrom
this line Of slIict propriety. But We are
sometimes appealed 10 for Information as 10
matters of fact, by readers who imagine
thai We may have special means of knowing
the truth. In such case we are willing to
tell what we know-not Tor the sake OF
party, but for truth. This we may DO with
out sacrificing our neutral and independent
character. If we can help TO correct an
error, or dsabuse the public mind of a false
impression, we are doing service to tight
minded men Of all parties. We do not urge
our leaders to vote one way or the other,
but we do W ish them to vote intelligently.
1t is well known that one of the candida
tes for the Presidency has been charged
with being Roman Catholic. To this
story We never gave the slightest impor-
tance, considering it as one of those bold
falsehoods which were fabricated for party
purpose, and which would drop into oblivion
and be despised as soon as it had served its
object. But as the originators of the story
cling to it with great pertinacity, thinking it
a 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. Clergyman 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 confid ence in their state
ment, knowing that they W ere not kelly TO
be deceived themselves, and that they could
have no motive to misstate the fact.
Thus appealed to, a number of clergy
men, though very reluctant TO do ANYTHING
which could bring thci" names before tn
public in CONNECTION with aay p"ii.icsi
question, called upon Col Fremvn' nr tn.
purpose ~ Il ,ranh roDvc ;sation i'll re.a I. 10
his religious - e,~ol al bchli e. TaI,
they niit--i..l VI tttir -" II Personal salts
.artiun-.r. &. on mrn Lad Il Goub
au"u; Il, nat;er--bu imply that trey
III mt be- BIZ IL satisfy .ness by all a -sn-
Iance rom /. ...n Fps. among lhose who
" IA. were hav Dr.. ID, Witt, OF tie Duf.h
Rer,rm-G Ia. >h; Professors Henry =
Siaitu .nJ X ID Hitchcock. Of the Union
Ihto.o-ico Seminary; R-v. David d toe,
Secretary o: t;e Home III ,siohary Society,
and one o the EdI.crs . t,.- paper. They
Col. Fremon; :ts;s .Ir.. Vt: ironkiy ond
cheeriuliy 10 ne inquiries.
When it was remarked tha, st mc . ,.f
good people were d!sluroel about .:is T.. i
gion, he replied, sn ing, irat hc vas 80
that his opponents were wiling &. edG. ,. ai
least, that he bad sonaa frl.gl5na :e..,....--i
that he was not wnci.y in, ',:,ren. - ca j.
tianity. OGe of the NJ 49,
the account oi a., "a. , -igIv. ii .... Il
aud OF his joining t..e E i-copal I'm 81. r.
given IN Big lows Lie OF Fremnr. ~
correct! He repii'': ha, it was; I -.:-s
in 4 few v,rd- -r. b.. lad ter!. be-. .....
educated n Ia Ea.-oopai Chucc;.: lie: -.r
had be II cn.I. ibru a. mel,i15f u lat
Church, .nu had never had Il piiudoW q! .
thought ol leaving it.
Wacu al.Gsi Oh was made 10 ;hr Da.sia-
tent assertions that lie wss a Catholic, !re .
replied that he could no; imagine how such .
a story took it's rise, for th.:, in fact, lie had
not hardly been inside of Catholic Church |
more than half dozen times in his life, and
then upon occasions Of public interest or
All this was said very quietly and with
no apparent desire to obtruds his religion,
or to make CAPITA out Of it, but to state the
simple fact of his religious education and
behief. No one could listen to this frank,
yet modest statement, without feeling that
it was perfectly ingenious; and that, with
no bigotry towards others, he was sincerely
and unaffectedly attached TO the religion in
which he had been educated by pious
mother.