, 1860-09-08
II Douglas 4 CQthoi lie 7-.A Question OF
VerAclty--The Urbana Case.

Veraclty--Ths Urbana Case.
Editors Pre4s ind Tribune:
Some TINA since communicated to -FOUR pa-
per short artic1e in which it was alleged that
q certain Catholic priest had, in a church here,
urged his hearers to supper! Mr. Douglas upon
the ground that he was Catholic. This com.
municaticn WAS replied to in the Iims and
Herald, by an sfi 1avit Of one Lawrence Murphy,
denying wtol ; the truth Of my allegations. The
issue thus formed may require some attention at
my hands. although the affidavit of Mr.. Murphy,
much in the usual way, would not be considered
Of much consequence by thoss acquainted with
The religious teuets Of the afIiant, which. it is
well known, nit rly discard the binding obli-
CATION Of an oath administered by Eeretic,
ID not on the holy cross. But Tor nll prac,i-
cal purposes l will treat "Larry's" affidavit
as Of the utmost credibility End Importance.
Ny statement that the bit Of elec.ioneering
done By the priest for brother Douglas" was
perpetrAted iu the pulpit, Was made upnn the
strengthlof report in the town, which origiuat-
ed with Catholics. and found credence With Ill
classes Of people. The renue may be wrong hut
the fact is uquue6tionahly true. This gentleman
may not have Faid what is charged in Msnvipit,
but that he did say il, and ia the presence Of
members Of his church. is unquestionably true.
The affidavit referred 10 only denies that the
Priest urged his hearers to support Mr. Doug
las from the pulpit, learing the material fsct,
.lz., the electoneerinR, undtnied. With his d..
NAL Of t: e place, / a!'sll not now take Issue.
On the Sabbath in question, (August l2h}
Joseph Frederick and other Catholics Of This
place, attended the Catholic Church, listened
to sermon and returned ho ne, informing
their friends tha. thry theutd no longer tup.
port Mr. LiIcoln, as they hsd formerly ind
very warmly done, but should vote fer Mr.
Douglas: An e1p1 p14nation Of the sudden ind
unexpected conversion being asked, they we're
informed by frederick, with The utmost frank.
ness, that the priest had assured them that Mr,
Douglas was q gnod Catholic, and that tley
(these Catholicsj should support hin. Tbese as
sertions we're freely talked over By Frederick
and his friends On that AID the succeeding
day as asexceedlngly commonplace, until they had
Democrats, when one or two made it convenient
to see Mr. Frederick and carefully spike the
gun; since which time, he aud others Of bis
taith, who were, previous to the 12sh uf August,
following the natural impulses of thtir hearts
in tue support Of Lincoln, have been the blind
devotees Of Douglas; dogged By refusing to
say anything in Relation to the advice Of ih:ir
spiritual adviser. For the truth of these asser-
uons refer the reader hereof to the ACCOM-
panyipg affidavit Of Mr. Gardner Mott, Of this
plsce, citizen who does his OWN thinking and
eats naest on Fridays.
Nov will any Douglasite account for these
sudden conversion, made upon the Sabbate,
and in !. space of time not exceeding that oc.
cupied b. the miraculous conversion of st.
Paul; and for these unwilling revelations Of
agencies brought to bear upon any o:her hypo-
theais than that The Psiest did, either in or out
Of the pulpit! 1and it is quite in,naterial which,
assure the people that OouQlds scat one # them.
Tho fact that, usually, none but Catholic. attecd
service at thfir church here, and that leading
Democrats tara na4 tqfked the mouths If Fred.
erick and biz friends, p1a.es it beyond my power
to prove by direct evideuce The assertioos made
in my note OF the 18th u'titno; bat the law Of
eyidence recognizes smother variety, to wit
circamstanciRi evidence; and where chain Of
circumstances are shown. oil connected togeth.
er und tending 10 the same point, this kind Of
evidence is az conclusive as The former. sub-
nit to sn impartial public if my assertions, in
materiRl points, arc not sustained.
But why introduce fac!s TO sustain The charge
Of Cataollcit, made against Mr. Douglas. when
it il fact that n<ithsr Aim,<tf nor any r<tpon-
+i5'e fri<nd has eptr, publicly, dtnitd iff Ii be
il not a Catholic, and the Protestant world de-
msnds to know it, let him in some one Of his
stump speeches.. daily reiterated, deny the
charge, and no longer deceive those Of that
faith who are supporting him almost H unit.
Will he do it,
Mr. Doug!as' religious sie~s arc his own,
and no one has any right to complain whatever
they may be, nor persecu:s him for the same.
he has m undoubted right to be Catholic il
he wants 70; but the American people have
I right TO know whether be is or ID not 4 fol-
to know before they vote f"r him whether he
owes higher allegiance to the Romish Church
than 10 bis native land. Let him, OF some re-
sponsible friend, speak ont upon this Is upon
other charges which affect him
Respectfully, J.. o. c.