The Waco daily examiner. [volume] (Waco, Tex.) 187?-1888, 1885-12-15

withheld from the envoy of the
United States To your government
that is TO say, because his wife Is
alleged or supposed by your govern
Inent to entertain religious faith and
TO be member OF n certain religious
sect---cannot be asserted to by The
executive of the government of the
American people, but Is aud must be
emphatically denied. The supreme
law Of the land expressly declares
that no religious test shall ever be re-
quired as q qualification to any office
or public trust under tie United
States, aud by the same authority
1t is declared that congress
shall make no law respecting
an establishment of religion. or pro-
hibiting the free exercise thereof
This Is government of laws, and auy
authority exercised must find its
measure and warrant hereunder 1t
Ia not within the power of the prei-
dent, nor of congress, nor of any
Judicial tribunal in the United States,
TO take, or even hear testimony, OF In
any mode to inquire into or decide
upon the religious beliefof any official,
and the proposal to allow tins to b.
done by any foreign government Is
necessarily and fortiori inadmissi-
BILE. To suffer an infraction of this
vital principle would lead to dis
Establishment of our citizens be-
cause of their religious belief,
and thus impair or destroy the
most important end which our
constitution of government was in
tended to secure. Religious liberty
is the chief cornerstone of the Amer
can system of government, and the
provisions for It's security are embed
ded in the written charter and inter-
woven in the moral fabric of its laws.
Anything that tends to invade Alright
so essential and so sacred must be
carefully guarded against, aud | am
satisfied that my cuuntrymen, ever
mindful of the suffering and sacrifices
necessary TO obtain II, will never con-
sent 10 its impair ment for any reason
or under any pretext whatsoever. In
harmony with this essential law is the
almost equally potential unwritten
law of American society, that
awards respect and delicate con-
sideraiion to the women of
the United States and exacts
no difference In the treatment, AT
home and abroad, of the mo theirs,
wives and daughters of the republic.
The case we are now considering Is
that AN envoy of the United States,
unquestionably fitted, whose presence
near the foreign government in ques-
ton is objected to by its agents, on
the sole ground that his welded wife
is alleged to entertain a religious faith
which is held by very many OF the
most hoDored and valued citizens OF
the United States. 1t is not believed
by the president that doe
trine and practice SO destruc-
tive of religious liberty and
freedom of conscience, so devoid of
catholicity and so opposed to the
spirit of the age in viii h we live, can
for a moment be sccel ted by the
great family of civilized nations or be
allowed to control their diplomatic
intercourse. Certain II is, 1t will
never, in my belief, be accepted by
the people OF the United States, nor
by any administration which repre-
scnts their sentiments. Permit me
therefore, being animated only by
ltlt btuttEtst tttlit W OIL VIZ
ties of friendship aud mutual respect
between the governments we respec.
lively represent, most earnestly and
respectfully to crave your careful
consideration of this note, and to re-
quest your government to recon
slider the views you have communi
Gated TO me in respect to the posi-
bic reception of Mr.. Kiely on thu
mission of amity and mutual advan
tage which, in the amplest goot
faith, he was selected by this govern
ment TO perform"
MIR. John NJ. Francis, the Unite,
States minister at Vienna, on JUNE
18th, notified Mr.. Bayard that he hat
been informed that the Austrian
foreign office had raised objection
to receiving Mr.. Kelly because ltal.
had already objected to him, and no
because his wife was a Jewess, as tn
Austrian government also objected I
Mr.. Klely's utterances.
Mr.. Bayard, on July LIST, instruc'e
Mr.. Francis TO again present The re
quest that the objections be with
drawn, and then present his letter o
recall and turn over the legation I
his secretary, If not relieved by hi
successor.
On August 9Th, Mr.. James Femme
, Lee, then secretary of legation at V
emma, teld eaphed to Secretary Bayar
that the Austrian government coul
not receive Mr.. Kiely, and aske
the United States to appoint anothe
, minister.
. Mr.. Bayard, In a final letter TO Nj
: Lee, says: "From the correspondent
, two facts appear. First, that tn a
) legged race and religious faith of Oh
welded wife of an envoy of th
D United States is held cause for hi
rejection, and, further, that the objo'
tions by third party-a friendl
power-are necessary to be remove
In order to allow proper receptio
TO be extended. These condition
are simply intolerable and are. in tl
! case OF the United States, not only !
opposition to the plain letter and VI
dying spirit of our constitution, bu
are also inconsistent with that decor
self respect which forbids nation
6O,00O,O00 Of freemen to accept the pr
7 sitiou of a diplomatic dependency ,
the power whose behests appear
; have been aequiesced in and carrie
} out by Austro-Hungary, in the pre-
: ont Instance" Mr.. Bayard inform
Mr.. Lee that the issues thus raise
+. are grave aud will be submitted
, congress at its next meeting.
-
r General Toombs Very III
WASHINGTON, Ca, December IA
General Toombs remains critically il