Demoine courier., 1856-10-09
From the N. Y. Evangelist, Sept. 49,
Es Coz. Fremont IA Charlottesville
Question Settled. .

eEstsSsEpts SCttkCI.
NOT. FOR PARTY, BUT FOR TRUTH.-
Ii is not our business 10 enter into the
strife of politics. That is not our 70
cation, aud we have ~lelIgiously abstained
from such contests. Nor shall we de.
part from this like OF strict propriety.-
But we are sometimes appealed TO for
information as to matters of fact by
readers who imagine that we may have
special means Of knowing the truth
In such a case we are willing to tel
what we know-roi for the sake of par
iy, but of truth. This we may do with.
out, sacrificing. our neutral and independ.
ent character. If we can help to cor
rect an error or TO disabuse the public
mind of a false impression, We are do
ing a service 10 right minded men of all
parties. We DO moi urge our readers 10
vote one way or the other, but we do
wish them to vote i~n.elligen,ly.
Il 10 well known that one OF the can.
didases fer the Presidency has been
charged with being a Roman Catholic,
To this story we never gave the slightest
importance, considering it as one Of
those bald falsehoods which were fabri-
Gated for a party purpose, and which
would drop into oblivion and be des-
pissed as soon as il had served its object.
But as the originalors of the story cling
to il with great pertinacity, thinking it
a very effective weapon to excite odiun
and prejudice, come good men have
thought il worth while 10 set the matter
al once and forever a. rest. Clergymen
of this city have'been applied to by mem
bers of theit churches, and by letters
from abroad. to make personal inquiry;
since the public would have entire con
idence in ihei! statement, knowing that
they were not likely 10 be deceived
themselves. and that they could have no
motive 10 misslate The fact.
Thus appealed 10, a numder Of clergy
men, though very reluctant to do any
thing which could bring their names
before the public in connection with any
political question, called on Col. Ere.
mont for the purpose OF q frank CONVEX
cation in regard TO his religious profess
sion and belief. This they did--not for
their personal satisfaction, for not
one of them had doub! about the mat
ter--bu. simply that they might be able
TO satisfy others by an assurance from
his own lips. Among those who wen,
were. the Rev. DR.. De Witt Of the Dutch
Reformed Church; Professors Henry B.
Smith and r.. ID. Hitchcock of the Union
Theological Seminary; the Rev. David
d. Coe. Secretary of The Home Mission.
airy Society; and one of the editors OF
this paper. They were received with
grea. cordially, and Col. Fremon. res.
pended very frankly and cheerfulIy to
their inquiries.
When il val remarked hat some of
our good people were disturbei abou.
his religion, he replied, smiling, that he
was glad that his opponents were viii
ling to admit, at least, tina. he had some
religious leeling--ihat he was not Who'll.
ly Indifferent. 10 christianity. One OF the
ministers inquired if the account of his
early religious education and Of his Join
ing the Episcopal Church, as given in
Bigeiow's "Life of Fremont" was cor
rect? He replied tina. il wac; and ad-
ded in a few words, that he had been
born and educated in The Episcopal
Church; tina. he had been confl med as a
member of that church, and had never
had . shacow Of a thought of leaving il.
When allasion was made to the per.
sistent assertions .ha. he was a Catholic,
he replied that lie could no. imagine
how such a story took it's Use, for that.
in fact he had hardly been inside of a
Catholic church more than half dozen
times IN his lite, and lheE upon occasions
OF public in.ereai or curiosity.
All this was said very quietly, and
with no apparent desire to obirude his
religion or to make capital out Of it, but
10 state the simple fact of his religious
education and belief. No one could list
en- to this frank. yet modes. statement,
without feeling that it was perfectly in
genGOus; and that, with nj bigotry TO-
ward others, he was sincerely and unnf-
fecsecly attached to the religion in
which he had bsen educated by a pious
mother.