Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-02-02
HON. GEO. EUsTrs, SPEECH.

IT'S, Jr., Representative from the First Congress
sional District, addressed the House as follows:
Mr.. Eustis rosed to a personal explanation.
He said that he had intended to occupy the at.
tention OF the House after an organization was
erected, but that the peculiar complexion ofthe
debate on Saturday last, and the remarks of
the gentleman from Mississippi, (Mr. H. S.
Bennett,) which he found in the Congression-
al Globe OF Thursday, compelled him to change
the course which he had determined upon.
That gentleman had asked whether the Ame-
rican party in Louisiana did not view the
eighth section of the Philadelphia platform as
prescribing Catholics and foreigners, and whe-
ther, in consequence, they had not ignored and
repudiated it? That if he, (Mr. Bennett,O was
not mlsintormed, the gentleman from Louisi-
ana, (Mr. Eustis,) who was elected by the
American party of that State, had repudiated
that portion of the platform, and vet he was
still harmoniously acting with the American
party here in the support of Mr.. Fuller, of
Pennsylvania.
Mr.. E. regretted exceedingly that the vote
which he had the honor to give the patriotic
and conservative gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA
should have given any concern or uneasiness
to the gentleman from Mississippi-more par
ticularly, as he did not think that he required
from that gentleman any prompting, any sug-
gestlon, or any lecture. He said this in a spirit
OF kindness and courtesy. gHe thought that he
was alone responsible to his constituents and
political friends for any vote he might give.
He yielded to that gentleman the broadcast
latitude In the expression of his opinions here
and elsewhere, and he claimed the same pri>
vilege for himself. He had voted for Mr.. Ful.
Ter because he thought him the most accepta-
bic candidate; and because he knew him to be
a sound and conservative man, and he would
continue to vote for him as long as he permit
ted his name to be used by his friends in the
House. tie wished, however, to state the posi-
ton OF the American party of Louisiana, on
the subject of religion. The party in that
State held it as a cardinal maxim, and he hop
ed to God that it would be so held in every
State OF the Union. that religious faith was a
question between each individual and his God,
and they considered any attempt to abridge or
sircumscribe religious freedom az unworthy of
our great country, as it was in violation of the
organic law of the land. In this spirit the
American party of Louisiana repudiated it in
toto. he care not what construction gentle |
men might be pleased, in perfect good faith, TO |
put upon that article. They might say that it |
was imperative, and therefore inofensive, a. |
gainst American Catholics, but the words were
there, and they were offensive and insulting TO
the American Catholics. He called the atten>
of the House to the construction tina,
Flournoy had put upon that article when he
the American candidate for Governor in
That gentleman published a letter
in which he said he would never vote for a Ru-
man Catholic, aud he thanked God, that he,
(Flournoy) was defeated. He ought to have
been defeated, as there was enough in his let,
ter to have defeated ten thousand candidates
Governor and he hoped that every mar who
held such odious, such moustrous doctrines.
would ever meet with as deep aud as early a
grave as did the Hon. Mr.. Flurnoy'
He agreed with the gentleman from Missis>
suppl, (Mr. RennetO when he said that if the
SUI article of the Philadelphia platform did not
mean to prescribe Catholics, it meant nothing.
The cardinal principle of tbs American party,
Ind the only one which he chose to endorse at
Was that none but native-born Ameri,9'
;ans should be elevated to office. Ifnone but
latiVe born Americans should be elevated to
all foreigners, both Catholic and Protes.
ant, were excluded, ana were excluded not on
recount of their religion, but of their birth. and
therefore,, the only Catholics that remained 10
BE dealt with-the only Catholics that could be
considered as candidates for ofice-were the
American Catholics.
lie wished the house to- understand that he
addressing. the national American party
md not the Democratic, and he wanted that
'arty to understand distinctly where he stood
IN the question He was no Catholic! he had
'een in d Catholic church, but three or four
ines in his life, but he wanted to see iuslice
lone them. If the eighth article meant nothing
not strike it outI 1t was a blot on the
history of the country, and had driven thou-
auds from the ranks of the American partv
Who, in other respects, sided with it. The
american people were a generous people, and |
you'd never unite in a crusade against Ameri-
an Catholic, and he, for his part, would rather
nat his right arm should Wither than lend its
ID to a party whose direct purpose was such
roscFiptlon. Gentlemen talk about .sPapal
They could not point him to an in.
lance where a Catholic priest, or an aecredits
q agent OF the Pope of Rome, had ever held a
eatln Congress and yet he blushed to see the
OF the Protestant religion poIluting
leir robes BY dragging them in the mire Of
olltles. The State legislatures were full of
lack robes and white ~eravats, laughter and
even was filling with the same gem
y, (shouts oflaughter.) He wanted to know
,erre they got their authority from for thus
laek.balling their peers and equals the Amer
Catholics, stamping them as mere tools
the Pope ofRome, and considering them as
nwortby of being in the country? Did they
it id the constitution or in the treaty be.
veen France and the United States, in which
Ie territory of Louisiana was ceded to this !
the religious rights of the inhabitants
ling guaranteed to thems Did they find it in {
g Farewell Address of the Father of his
ountFy-that address so often quoted by the ,
ators lot the American pasty-or did they J
I'd 1t 10 that great book, the Bible. on which =
much veneration had been bestowed so u2-
ofltably 10 the Philadelphia platform? Great
iugiter.l He would tell gentlemen where .
pE fnfIDH If In &ln - - -