The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-08-14
Shall Man be a Catholic a. against st his wiilP

from the Independent.
Shall a Man be Catholic against his Will?
Political heats are apt to hatch out fal~ehoods
as tropical heats do venemous insects But
Christian men should be especially careful
thathey do not countenance or propagate such
falsehouds.
Al tins Tuna many newspapers recklessly
charge Col. Fremont with being a Roman
Catholic. Though il has been au,horitatively
contradicted, it still continues to be asserted
and in very positive and imrrudent forms
We have taken pains TO inform ourselves
in this matter, and now state TO the Christian
public the simple truth, that good men. at
least. may cease u bear false witness
Col. Fremont was blessed with mother OF
devoted piety. She was a member of the
Episcopal Church, St. Philips, Charleston,
). c, and reared her son in her own faith.
Indeed, until he was fourteen, Col. Fremont
Has, 9s,ed4Gated in the hope and expectati n that
sixteen, he ,o..J.r }i'..95ts"1ai minister Al
Church, and has, ever since when wIthIi
reach of the church, been an attendant AL Il
COMMUNICATE Aud since his temporary So.
iourn in New York he las been an attendant
at Dr. Antho ''s church. until recenll, and
now he worships at Grace Church Mrs
Fremont reared strictly in the Presb teran
Church and united with the Episcopal Church
upon her marriage vi il Col. Fremont. Their
children have been baptized in the Episcopal
Church II IS said that daughter has been
sent to Catholic institution for education So
far from il, she has never been sent away from
home at all, but has been educated by her
own mother.
Il is well known that Mrs Fremont is the
daughter OF Col Benton, and thai, at the time,
her father was opposed to her marriage Col
Fremont personally solicited several Protes-
tant clergyman To perform the marriage cere-
mony, but account Of Col Benton's opp0-
sitign 10 II, they We're unwilling to do il. A
female friend, IN this exigeucy, said that she
could find clergyman who would aid with
out fear. and br0u5h ia Catholic clergvm. n ,
who married them. Like true lover aud
gallant man, Fremont said that he did not
care who did it, 50 that It was done quick and
strong Had We been ia Col Fremont's place,
We would have been married if it had required
us to walk through a row OF priests and bish-
ops long from Washington to Rome,
winding up with the Pope himself
Is Il not iudlcrouS to see class Of citizens
so terribly frightened at the spread Of Catho-
licism, and dreading the evils Of Papacy
above all things. seizing quiet Protestant
gentleman, and Insisting upon Il that he stoH
be a Catholic? In vain be struggles and pro-
tests; Catholic he shall Be, whether he viii or
not. But. gentlemen. do not believe in the
doctrines; was reared by Protestant church,;
| have married Protestant wife; my children
have had Protestant baptism: we and they
attend Protestant worship, and we are, both
bv education and conviction. Protes'ants.-
You must excure Us, but we capaot be Catho-
hes The eager gentlemen will not be baffled
You shall be Catholics; you are Catholics;
We viii have you Catholics; all that you say
may be true, in some mysterious manner; you
are Catholics, aid we will hareit son' Poor
Col Fremont. We do not see how he viii
get over itl These terrible Pro;esiants o
Tie Erpress are out with sword and pen
determined that be shall DC Catholic.
HESRT WARD BEEcHER