The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1856-10-09

COL. .FREMONT'S RELIGION
The Charge of Catholicism Refuted.
Hts Authors Condemned out of their own
-E.s 4t Mouths. %
THE QUESTION SETTLED.

THE QUESTION SETTLED.
The men who have fabricated and who
circulate the lie that Col. Fremont is a
Catholic never produce direct testimony
They tell us Of some man who heard some
other man say that he knew Fremont te
be Ca tholic. Thus Mr.. Sargent says
he heard Mr.. Russell say SO o-and-so /; and
when Mr. Russell comes TO be traced out
he turns up as one Of the most infamous
leaders of the Missouri Border Ruffians
The New York Erpress-Mr. Beeche,
should apologize to his dog NOBLE for his
disparaging comparison - adheres mos
persistently to its fabrications to prove
that Fremont is Romanist. 1t cited the
Rev. Father Olivetta of Whitehall, whose
|testimoney it considered a clincher. Bu1
Olivetta himself published letter denying
the statement imputed to him.
To this letter what would be the an
swer of an honest editor? That he was
misinformed or mistaken. Not so the
Express. It replies in substance that Oh
ivetta is an Italian Jesuit, and lies. A
common rule of evidence forbids a party
impeaching his own witness. But while
the Erpress treats statement attributed
on hearsay to Olivetta as proof that Ere.
mont IS CotAolic, it refuses ali credeuce
to Oliyetta's direct and explicit denial Of
ever having said SO.
But Father Olivetta's letter a6irms thai
"Catholic clergymen often marry those
who are not Catholics, thus directly de-
molishing all inferences based upon the
fact that Col. Fremont was married tc
Miss Benton by Catholic priest. That
fact proves nothing, and all the shallow
twaddle which the Fillmore papers have
printed on the subject goes for nothing
except to prove their own stupidity.
Father Olivetti says, "Catholic clergy.
men often marry those who are not Cath.
olcs." To this the Erpress rejoins:
We hereby contract TO give 800 to
any Roman Catholic asylum in this city
If you show US case where Rom an
Catholic Priest has married two Protes
tants-th;t is to say, two heretics- the
man or the woman not protesting to be
Roman Catholic.
Now it is probably known to the Er.
press editors that there are two forms o.
marriage known and recognized among
the Catholic clergy. The solemnizatior
of marriages By the civa contract, which
gives legal efficacy to the rite, is otter
performed by Catholic priests where nei
ther party belongs to that faith. The
sacramental rites, which are purely of ,
religious nature, and are seldom, we be
lieye never administered when the parties
are not Catholics--indeed, unless both ar,
SD. The fact that Miss Benton was at tn,
time Presbyterian, would have been de
cisive, without reference to Fremont
faith. The ceremonies necessary to Civ
legal sanction to the marriage as civi
contract, were performed by Father Val
Horseigh, at a private residence in Wash
ington. Neither of them received i: as 1
church sacrament, nor was it SO perform
ed by the officiating priest.
One instance where the parties arr
well known, makes precisely the cas-
which forfeits the Express 500, if offer
ed in good faith. We certainly woult
not refer to it, if we had not good reason
to believe that the fact could be stated
without offence to the feelings Of the par
ties. @ a s
Our late Secretary OF Legation at Paris
Mr.. Donn Piatt, was privately married t.
Miss K, known to the literary world al
"Belle Smith"-by the Rev. Edwar'
Purcell, a brother of Archbishop Purcell
of Cincinnati; and probably his equal il
learning and acquaintance with churcl
canons. Mr.. Purcell, when applied to
was distinctly informed that neither Of til
parties soas Catholic, but he readily con
sented to perform the rites of marriage b
the civiI contract between the two non
Catholics, and did so. Mr.. Piatt and tn
Rev. Mr.. Purcell were personal friends
and the opinions of the former were we
known to the latter as being any thin
but favorable to the Roman Catholic faith
Miss X was Of Protestant parentage
was educated in that faith, and still ad
here's to it.
Here now is case which calls for til
500 offered by the E1press. Nobod
who has seen it's twistifcations and dodge
would ever expect the money TO be paie
We certainly do not, and should no
though ten thousand cases were citet
such as it calls for. ls1u
WHAT MORE CAN BE ASKED ?-Joh
Covode, member OF Congress from Penn
sylyania, having addressed note
General Anthony Colby of New Ham,
shire, inquiring what he knew of Co
Fremont's religion and religious profe
sion, the following reply was made:
II answer by saying, that | was a.
uuainted with Col Fremont before h