The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1872-09-20

influence with the House and 0enate on the
question OF Santo Domingo. -Ed.l
TEXT OF OATH TAKEN ny HENRY WILSON IN 1854.
In the presence Of the true and ever living
God, and on these sacred Scriptures, His Holy
Word, i do declare that will truly fulfill ali
my obligations toward my brethren Of the
Order OF Know-Nothings, and that will keep
sacred all the signs. tokens, pass and degree
Words Words embiems and proceeding. OF said
further declare and solemnly swear that / viii
not knowingly vote for, appoint, or elect any
person OF foreign birth, or Roman Catholic
TO any Office IN the local or general admins
tration Of the American Government: and I
further declare and swear that ] viii use all
the means 10 my power to counterfeit aud de-
stroy the influence of foreigners and Roman
Catholics In the administration of the Gov
eminent Of the United States, and in any and
all parts thereof. both local and general. To
all this, . free and voluntary obligation on my
part, without reservation. l pray that ] may
ever be able to remain true and steadfast, 80
help me Cod"
Though this oath seems comprehensive
enough, it was explicitly Understood to COM
promise more; because on the occasion Of
taking it the formula was that " the President
lof the Lodge will address the brethren as
follows"
"As . member Of this patriotic Lodge, it
will become your duty to disregard all per
sonal interests and predictions in the service
of your country. in order that the corrupt and
evil influence Of foreigners may be effectually
combated and destroyed, and here. 1t will be
understood. sons of foreigners and Of Roman
Catholics are included"
This oath is still obligatory upon Mr.. Will
son. He has made no solemn and public re.
cantation Of it. The pledge which he took
before a conclave of his fellow citizens il not
to be shaken of by simple change Of rcso-
luton in his own mind and conscience. He
cannot be purged Of this responsibility except
by confession and recantation as formal as
the original profession. II he had done this
promptly he might have lost some votes by it,
but he would have saved his personal dignity
to some extent in the eyes Of thoughtful men.
He has chosen the other course; he has
hummed and hawed and extenuated and hint
ed and suggested; he has done everything
shcrt of absolute denial OF his Know-Nothing-
ism; and the consequence is that Mr.. F. w.
Bird and Mr.. Pike have put him in q disagree
ably tight place.
HOW SENATOR WILSON TRIED TO SNEAK OUT OF
THIS.
NATIcK, Mass, July 20, 1872.
J. o. Culver, Esq., State Journal, Madison,
Wis.,:
MY DEAR SIR: The mail has Just brought
me your note and extracts clipped from news
papers purporting to be speeches made by me-
Al hueWcl " yOuI Inquiries i nave 10 say tudt
they, and all thought and words Of like char
acter which have appeared in the papers, are
pure inventions, wicked forgeries, absolute
falsehoods. Never have / thought, spoken, or
written those words. nor anything resembling
these words, nor anything that the most ma
Ignant sophistry could torture into those
words. ! could not have done so, for they are
abhorrent to every conviction of my judgment,
every throb Of my heart, every aspiration of
my soul. Born in extreme poverty, having
endured the hard lot the SONS Of poverty are
too often forced to endure, came to MAJ
hood passionately devoted to the creed of hu-
man equality. All my life have cherished as
bright hope, and held and avowed as q living
faith, the doctrine that all men, scithouf dis.
ttnction Of color, race, or nationality should
hare complete liberty and exact equdlxy-dU
the rights asked for myself. Ny thoughts,
secrated for more than thirty-six years to hui
man rights In the Constitutional Convention
OF Massachusetts; in eight years service In
her Legislature; in more than seventeen
years service in the Senate of the United
States in !, 300 public addresses in the press
in speeches and writings that would fill many
volumes and make thousands of pages, have
iterated and reiterated The doctrine of equal
rights for all conditions Of men. 1t is not, my
dear sir, passing strange that craftsmanship
should 90 blind men to q sense of truth, JUS
tice and fair play that they should forge and
print abhorrent sentiments-sentiments in
sulting to God and man-and charge them
upon one whose life has been given to the
cause Of equal rights at home, and whose
profound sympathies were erer gtren TO ls
friends Of liberty Of all races and nationaiities
abroad? HEyRY WILSON.