Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-01-11

uaeSy !
of any special privileges or exemption, by =
litical combination Of lie members, O. Ia, =
:. sas os &C. go any forsisu power
:. -~scsaestts.
J. sne gentleman ffssn Louisiana mr. Eusrrs,
will remember that Anericaaism Il the leading !
idea Of the party, he should know that n the Ro-
man Catholics OF Lonsiaaa " 10 not hold eivit al.
tegiance, directly OF indirectly, 10 any foreign
Pooer, mhether civii or Ecciesidstieai, ard arc
Americans 6y birth, edsscafion, and tyoitssg,
they can be members Of the American party.
In this connexion win refer 10 the question Of
my friend from North Carolina, Mr.. READE, the
other day, which the honorable gentleman IRON
Georgia, Mr. STEPHENS declined to answer, init.
mating that i would lead 20 religious controversy
make this distinction now. / ask the honorable
gentleman from Georgia, or any gentleman who
may please TO answer
Mr.. KELLY. Let me ask the gentleman a
auction. desire TO know Il the gentleman from
Alabama viii say here in his place, that he has
ever known Catholic, native-born or a foreigner,
who has become nnturalized citizen, who was op.
posed TO the Institutions Of this country.
Mr.. SMITH. win not gay that have have
bad but very little Intercourse with the Catholics
live In portion Of country whore there are
| very few Roman Catholics; but SIR, argue from
their antecedents what they have done In the
past they VIII do in the future II ever they get
| the powa. Why, sir, during the Reign OF Terror
in France--the bloody days OF the sacob.ns--were
there not Roman Catholic priests who joined them.
selves to the yaeobns-who renowned their re-
gfon, and, stripping off their robes, kneeled be-
/ fore the Jacobin affairs and swore there was no
other God but the god of reason W
Mr., KELLY. And let me ask the gentleman
| from Alabama If there were not clergymen OF Pro-
testant denominations who did pr ecsely the same
things
| Mr.. SMITH. hope some of these gentlemen
who have SO many questions to ask will, at pro-
! per time, take the opportunity to furnish to me
and to the Heuse single instance in which the
Roman Catholic clergy, in controversy between
the king and people, have been found on the side
! of the people?
| Mr.. FLORENCE win give the gentleman an
instance now. Did not Father Murphy head the
rebels, as they were called, against the forces of
the king, and did he not preach eloquently, and
fight brayely, in favor of Irish freedom9 The bat.
tile of Vinegar Hill stands out in bold relief in
English history, and attests that the gentleman's
remarks are liable to strong exception---that he
was little confused in his historical knowledge
Great laughter.
Here the hammer fell, the ten minutes to which
Mr.. SMITH was entitled having expired.
Loud cries of Ego on!" Ego onl"]
The CLERK. The gentleman will proceed If
no objection be made.
There no objection, and
Mr.. SMITH continued: am very much inclined
to think my friend from Pennsylvania does not dis
tincty remember the nature Of the controversy in
which Father Murphy was engaged.
Mr.. FLORENCE. Yes, sir, / recollect distinctly
Mr.. SMITH. My recollection of the occasion
Ut have any to which the gentleman from Penn
sylvania audes, is that it was spiritual at least
it was vinegar war. That controversy gave the
name to the locality where it occurred The great
question at issue, | think was whether Hannibal
in crossing the Alps, had actually climbed the
mountains, had dissolved them with vinegar
Laughter. / hope, however, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania will prosecute his researches into his
tory further, and, at some future time, be able to
give me some instance where, in a controversy
such as have cited the Catholic clergy we're found
arrayed on the eide Of the people,
Mr.. FLORENCE. The gentleman asked for
single instance, and ! thought would give him
one.
Mr.. BOYCE. win the gentleman yield to me
for momentg
Mr.. SMITH. No, sir, excuse me. / cannot
yield further, with all respect to my honorable
friend from South Carolina.
When was interrupted some minutes ago by
the numerous questions which have been shower
ed upon me, was going to PROFOUND question
similar to the one asked some days ago by my
friend from North Carolina, Mr.. READE, to which
have yet heard no response. Suppose man
were to come into your neighborhood, and pro-
fessed to be school teacher suppose he applied
to You for place in your academy, either to lead
or teach; suppose he protested rcligion-that he
belonged to church the cardinal policy of which
was to destroy the very foundation Of the Protest
ant religion suppose you knew that his master re-
CURED OF him to burn Protestant catechisms--the
question is, would such man be the proper teach
er for your children Yet, viii any man pre-
tend to deny that il has been the practice of the
Roman Catholic clergy to burn Protestant books :
A MEMBER. No. deny it.
Mr.. SMITH. Then the gentleman denies the |
current history of the day--so far as the public
press is concerned and he denies the recorded
history of the Roman Catholic policy for ages
from the days of Luther to this hour Does not
the gentleman know that the Catholic priests burn
Protestant Bibles?
Several MEMBERS mol mo-
Mr.. SMITH. History win attest how often this !
has been done.
Mr.. EUSTIS. win tell the gentleman
Mr.. SMITH. l am not talking about the Catho- |
lies of Louisiana Laughter. Do not the Ro-
man Catholics make war upon the Protestant BIZ |
BILE? Do they allow their followers to read itP
Have not they Bible Of their own peculiar trans |
ation Do yon forget that they wage fearful |
war against all Bible societies In the Presiden-
tial election, when Mr.. Frelinghuysen was cand-
date for Vice President with Mr.. Clay, the Catho-
lie Wings refused to vote the ticket, because Mr. |
Frelinghuysen was the President of the American |
Bible Society?
Mr.. EUSTIS The gentleman speaks about |
burning books, and especially about the burning of
Bibles. He goes little further back into history
than am willing to do. But / win ask him one
question i will ask the honorable gentleman |
whether it has ever occurred to him, or whether |
he has in his reading of history ever heard of
Catholics being burned, with or without their
books? Laughter.
Mr.. SMITH. Before that had happened, there
had been many Professionals burned by Catholics |
If the gentleman wants to meet me in an argu- |
ment, with regard to prescription, very well |