The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1856-07-26


SATURDAY MORNING, JULY 10, 1856.
Fremsnps Religious Views:
Henry Ward Beecher in the New York In
dependent, turns upon the Know Nothing
Press in regard to Col. Fremont's religious
faith in the following pungent manner:
SHALL A NAN BE CATHOLIC AGAINST
Hrs WILL.-Political heats are apt to hatch
out falsehoods as tropical heats do venomous
insects. But christian men should be espe-
cially careful that they do not eountenance
or propagate such falsehood.s e99 eg.a e!
At this time many newspapers recklessly
charge Col. Fremont with being . Roman
Catholic. Though it has been authoratiyely
contradicted, it still continues to be asserted
and in very positive forms. 4 sss sass
We have taken pains to inform ourselves
in this matter, and now state to the Chris
tian public the simple truth, that good men
at least, may cease to bear false witness.
Col. Fremont was blessed with a mother
of devoted piety. She was a member of the
South Carolina, and reared her son in her
Col. Fremont was educated in the hope and
expectation that he would become an Epis-
copal minister. At sixteen, he was confirm
ed in the Episcopal church, and has, ever
since, when within reach of the church been
an attendant and commitment. And since
his temporary sojourn in New York, he has
been an attendant at DR.. Anthon's church,
until recently; and now he worships at Grace
Church. Mrs. Fremont was reared strictly
in the Presbyterian Church, and united with
the Episcopal church upon her marriage with
Col. Fremont. Their children have been
baptized in the Episcopal church. It has
been said that daughter has been sent to a
Catholic institution for educating. So far
from it, she has never been sent away from
home at all, but has been educated by her
own mother. -
1t is well known that Mrs. Fremont is the
daughter of Col. Benton, and that at the
time, her father was opposed to her mar
riage. Col. Fremont personally solicited sew
eral Protestant clergymen to perform the
marriage ceremony, but on account of Col.
Benton's opposition to it, they were unwil-
ling to do it. A female friend, in this ext
gency, said that she could find clergyman
who would aid without fear, and brought in
Catholic clergyman, who married them.-
Like true lover and gallant man, Fremont
said that he did not care aoho did it, so that
it was done quick and strong. Had we been
in Col. Fremont's place, we would have been
married, if it had required us to wade
through row of priests and bishops as long
as from Washington to Rome, winding up
with the Pope himself ~
Is it not ludicrous to see a class of citizens
80 terribly frightened at the spread of Cath.
olicism, and dreading the evils of Papacy
above all things, Selling quiet Protestant
gentleman and insisting upon it that he shall
be q Catholic2 In vain he struggles and
protests Catholic he shall be, whether he
will or not "But, gentlemen, 1 do not be.
lieve in the doctrines 1 was reared by a
Protestant mother, in Protestant church
/ have married Protestant wife; nv chill.
dren have had Protestant baptism we and
they attend Protestant worship, and we are,
both by education and conviction, Protest
ants. You must excuse us, but we cannot
be Catholics" The eager gentlemen will not
be baftied. "You shall be Catholics; all that
you say may be true, in some mysterious
manner; you are Catholics, and we will have
it So! Poor Col. Fremont! We do moi
see how he will get over it. These terrible
Protestants of the Express are out with
sword and pen, determined that he shall be
Q Catholic
The New York Herald also has something
to say upon this question. We make an ex-
tract: nn3 .1ass.rr s.4 i--
KNOW NOTHING WAR UPON FREMoNr.-
We publish elsewhere in this paper, as one
of the Know Nothing curiosities of the day.
a very elaborate argument from the exclusive
Fillmore organ Of this city, against Col. Ere.
mont, and upon the astounding text that
having been married by Catholic priest
che must have been Roman Catholic.n-
Had we fished up this pompous and ridicu-
lous article from some old Puritan newspa-
per of two hundred years ago, when Roman
Catholics were outlawed, and witches were
hung, and Quakers were drowned, as for
the highest offences known to the law, we
should not have been at all surprised at it /;
for this delectable argument of our BOBBY
has much of the ancient godly twang about
it of sermon from old Cotton Mather. As
a production of the present day it is the most
ridiculous rubbish. No discourse from the
Angel Gabriel in the Park was ever made up
of such ineohereRt jsrgon and stuff. "Fre-
mont was married by a Catholic priest'-
"pobody compelled him -" marriage with
the Roman Catholics is a sacrament''0there-
fore, Fremont, when married, "must have
been, or pretended to be, Catholic" and
eff in view of the Presidency, he has recent
~ changed his religion, so much the worse. y
Thus it appears that Fremont's religion,
whether he be Protestant or o Catholic
debars him from the support of the real ST.
mon Pure Know Nothings, because he was
married by Catholic priest. What insult
ferable trash! Why not inquire who hab-
.tized Fremont's children-who nursed them,
and whether Mrs. Fremont has or not been
accustomed to the services of wet nurse
and if a wet nurse, whether Protestant or
Catholic; and whether Fremont,s butcher
baker and grocery man are Cotholic or Prot
estant! These inquiries will probably next
be sifted by our Fillmore organ, for the en-
emies OF Fremont have not stopped with his
marriage, or even with his birth. His father
and mother, dead and buried long ago. are
dragged from their graves, and examined as
before mixed commission of democrats and
Know Nothings as to who and what they
were. The enemies of General jackson, by
this mean, miserable and dastardly course Of
opposition, did more to make him President
than the battle of New Orleans; because
such wretched and unmanly hostility the
honest masses of the American people repel
with scorn and disgust. The same coarse
action towards Fremont, if persisted in, will
do more in his behalf than the fame of all his
wonderful achievements for his country, for
No