Bradford reporter. (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, September 25, 1852, Image 1

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    Ir‘‘l7l. ZUEUP
TOW A ND A':
, ai) itlorninn, Orplember 25, 1252.
;;;rlrtfr 11qttrii.
THE BLIND MAN'S DOO
ET P. HANLEY
•
IS,:h feeble step. bereft of sight.
The blind man wends his way ;
Through winter's gloom and summer's light,
He wanders day by day,
Led !Till , de with watchful care,
Though fiercely blows the wind.
Whle at hts side-,Ah ! who shall dare
3i)leSt the helpless blind
•
Rr Ica,l , him on from place to place,
His toil , he freely - shares
hule in hr. mouth a small ti case
F) piuienir he bears,
Whate'er may call, the faithful gttla
Can never fig behind.
True to his champ, no base reward
-Can tempt him from the blind.
Tlvlnh hart his lot, though scant his fare,
The Mind man's fend caress
Repat•.s his 10,N—with faithfol care •
He'll never love him leas.
hearis mar se,,ff, an honest friend
IL!0•01, ,, 'll ever find,
ttihoe eralimie will never end,
1; heap 1,, cheFr the blind.
death shall seaCthe blind man's doom,
'll , l, like a faithful stare, '
lied Wall ni,tside the lonely room,
- And 'chew urn to the crave.
:here he'll .tap, nor thence be led,
• , 1•A called in accents kind ;
T. stretched annve the stlent dead,
H. never leaves the blind.
Fr in Star-Frong't it
~.u nnner.
THE 111\1)011" IN THE FOREST
I=
'!le Idle I:,.vrilrrie gathered with •
! h t ai , proach of a hrirsirmart,
••••it•horse's tread having apprt.-
I ,nlll,
up and 5 pringg lightly - from hit;
hone in charge of the hostler,
I.7k3cetvii%; lu< ttitructions i leads him
the looks of wonder
It a toes to account for the
fie was a man of about thir
rre limn height, well-feral
trtotitief. He was attired in
=III
_
a ,;:anon ,tt 'tie German 'service.
.1 pe'T:P - 'ex..laimed, at
-ec in my appearance eo
you gaze upon me l•ith
are a:ive ?
'111'11: ni rao.ed Ihl4 some-
Qihon in escape from him.
•!- my behef, I am so," re.
"Uo I look like a
ME
59t that...tatl the hest, as he
;ei . .,,vtitt-Vsme matter in his mini.]
'• You enme by the foreil_
1!, I Lt:. - bomv enough rt ia, too ;
^-C', !7,lverf , e when a man has no com•
`•! !.t , n • ri thuu::hts."
•-• )onr Ih, u2.hts than the fearful corn-
.tr:o Lire rnet Ir. the forest."
Ht g , rl of a person is he ?"
v hone 'hat have seen him have
of heir enconiiier:'
raize affair you are telling me."
r.f , shitig un ycur way through the
c"' - s!av—notr I bethink I dud
the forest, a short distance
:r roiuii cottage wifidoVi..—"
:1 kr ttlkitlur
litiou;:ht ilsin:rulthat a colage should
t:di a peculiar and lonely neighbor-
r.'' approach it I"
LEI
not have observed it but for the
gi.! of a taper which betrayed it to my
yrar.:oo itun2ry to stop to examine it ;
Incah , y of your inn, and hurried
Ihe night here."
i imetriber you now—ia it not Capt. Er.
same.''
5 1^pperf here on your way to join the ar.
' last campaign Zr
Plt . the war is over now, the Emperor has
a peace, and I am on my way home.-- ,
e ‘erve me up sinned' rig in the shape of
and while I satisfy the cravings of nature,
*` %arrale to me the particulars of this strange
it I,a[ iluie I have heard has greatly excited
:ed the Way into the principal apart•
ute Hin A hasty meat was soon spread
•magi table, and Capt. Ernest comMenced a
'DZ.. a; ack.
lodtrizst know," commenced the host.. seeing
nef.l ‘v.ac prepareil to listen, " it is now
Par .o.ce that window 'was Corgi seen
I
;‘recume that the cottage was built about
Capt. Fattest.
I::c.r IS 110 cottage
colta..te 3 oh, but my good fellow
• r.; it myself."
qlll :here is no cottage."
hive!:earl of houses without win
' eve ; t^rfite heard 4 ,ina°,* .with•
c fact. Trav rse the road by day
7,3'efony examine ev
4 ry portion of it—pene
ila.;ance ioio the\forest on either side,
a tr::I find no vestige dt any human habitar
some myetery link"
'; and a deep one, for soon as the shades of
ME
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evening begin to fall, the traveller beholds the light
shining with sickly lustre amid the dense foliage
around."
" Ah, I have it ; tiers is rioting mote nor less
Than a Jack o' lantern, a Will o' the Wisp."
" You arc wrong; the window has been seen—
the very number of panes counted ; there are six ;
my boy, Heinrich, there, has seen it."
The host/pointed to a stout lad of eighteen, who
had been attending to the siranger's wants.
" that alters the case,.ihongh f must say
this light io the window is rather a dark. affair
But how chanced it he could approach so near this
dangerous object and not be the worsfdf it, when I
understood yon to say, ;all others have perished ?"
" You shall hear; it must have been through the
mercy of Providence. One evening, as Heinrich
was returning from the town, some twenty miles
beyond here, he got belated in thq forest., It gretv
so dark he could-hardly see his way by the time
he-got within about five miles of here. Feeling
somewhat tired, he stopped to rest by the roadside,
when, looking into the forest, he beheld the light
gleaming from the window—"
" What ! five miles from here interrupted the
enpfain ; why, where I saw it to-night must be all
of ten miles from here."
" I have no doubt of it—it is seen at all distan
ces Moog the road, but he Balk it five miles from
here, on the right hand side of the road."
" The right hand side f it was.on the left hand
aide when I saw it."
" Oh, for the matter of that,..it is seen on either
Fide by different persons ; in tact, na two ever saw
it in The same place."
" The devil ! but go on."
(.. The moment Hein t mil beheld the light, leeliug
thirsty, he determined to approach the cottage and
request adraught of milk ; mind, this was before it
had become fo noted—naturally supposing that he
was near the cottage of some woodman. He made
his way through the under-wood towards it, won
dering at the taste of a man who' could build his
houre amid a thick wood of brambles. It seems
he miscalculated the distance, for a hen he thought
he sltnuld have gained the light, it was as far off as
when tie first saw it. He continued to press on for
about fifteen minutes, yet the light maintained the
same distance. He paused, bewildered ; for a
moment it grew more distinct—he could count the
panes of glass, and he alrhost thought lie - saw a
strange, wild tare gazing out upon him. A sudden
terror seized upon him, and he turned and fled.—
That terror saved his life; had he followed that
fearful light an instant longer, he would have been
lost. He reached home more dead than alive, and
it was more than an hour before be could find
breath to tell as what I have just relateclY
" So ymt think the fiend himself has something
to an with this travelling window.''
"1 do not know what to think. You know the
inn of mine lies half-way between the towns of
I,Valdbarg and Moritz. Many rich travellers leave
one of these town* for the other, yet one out of every
t xis never reacts their destination. They ate mtsc•
ed between here and Waldburg."
" Robbed and murdered, perhaps, by some ruffi
ans who infest the road."
" Their bodies are never found."
" Have the police investigated these mysteries?"
6 Yes, but without discovering any signs of a
band of robbers, NVe told them of the window ;
they wwcheit for it, but as they could never see it,
laughed at us, and told us our light was nothing but
a fire-fly."
'' Strange that it did not appear to them."
" It was so; after they len the netghborbood the '
window again became visible and the travellers
disappeared as before!'
Was there anything singular connected with
the disappearance of these traveller:?"
' l Yes, one thing, ; all that were missed had jour
neyed alone. Strange to say, those who travelled
in parties of to o or three invariably escaped."
a Well, my worthy host, do you know that a
strange desire has seized open me to penetrate this
mystery It seems that lam the only solitary
traveller who has escaped the dangers of this mys.
terious window ; that is a prestige of sncAss. I
have nothing better on my hands at present. have
passed through some scenes of danger, and may
be allowed to remark that lam no coward. This
is a promising adventure! to a soldier, who finds it
somewhat hard to settle dOwn into a quiet lire, after
the bustle of a long campaign. So, 11 my stout He.
irrich, there, will bear me company, I'll e'en un
dertake a solution of this enigma."
" With all my heart, captain," cried Heinrich,
promptly.
r , Then let us set forth at once."
" What, to night Y' exclaimed the host
" Aye, to night," replied the captain ; " it is
scarcely ten o'clock, and f am in excellent trim ;
so, prepare, my lad, and we will set forth at once."
The captain examined the printing at his pistols
carefully, and then thrust them into hts belt; he
then buckled on his sabre. Heinrich was ready,
armed with a stout cudgel. In this manner they
sallied forth.
Alter proceeding a few picot op the road the
captain paused to give his companion a tew ►n•
structioro.
" Heinrich," be said, it a skillful commander
always conceals the number of his force ;—for the
furtherance of my 'plan of action, it is necessary
that we should pass for one man. You are the
gni r le—consequently, you must go first ; I will
-4 ' lock step" with you; tread lightly, and slur min
Bled toot-steps will sound like the tread of a single
man. In this manner—sh, you understand—not a
bad soldier (or a beginner.. Now, whatever you
see or hear, keep your tongue between your teeth;
if you wish to call my attention to anything, nudge
me with your elbow; if you see the light on the
L left, the left elbow ; if the right, why the sight--
Now, hen, forward—march !"
They proceeded in silence for over an boor.—
Heinrich's right elbow was then thrust gently, into
*captain's ribs ; at his whispered hahithey both
INlMMilaimaidip=maagtEmight==a=imil
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY AT TOWANDA, BRADFORD. COUNTY, PA., pi E. O'MEARA GOODRICH.
;
stopped. Amid the trees they both saw distinctly
a faint, twinkling light, having the appearance of a
taper in a cottage.
" Now, Heinrich," said the captain, " it the dev
il owns that tight, he has no power to harm us ; if
it belongs to mortal man, we shall see which is the
strongest. Keep a bold heart in your breast and
press steadily on,"
They entered the forest ; the captain still keepine
close behind Heinrich, so governed his movements
that they seemed as nne man.
As they proceeded, the light almost impercepti
bly retreated.- To the eye of an per
son the movement would have had the effect of
- miscalculation in distance, btu the keen senses of
the captain were not to be deceived ; he beheld the
light receding slowly, but steadily, as they advartc-,
ed. He-strained his eyes to discover the cause,
buts in vain. As they threaded the mazes of the
wood, it would suddenly disappear, and . after pro
ceeding a few minutes without beholding, it, they
would pause, thinking it had vanished entirely,
when again its light would glimmer before them,
as if inviting them to proceed. One thing the cap
tain had discovered ; they were pursuing a beaten
path through the forest, and he felt a slight-shudder
thrill even to his stout heart as he reflected that it
might hare been worn by the feet of the unform.
nate travellers who had !alien victims to this mys
tery.
A quarter of an hour had passed since they en-.
tercel the forest, and yet they were no nearer the
light than befor e . The captain began to grow im
patient. Again the light disappeared ; this time it
seemed to have gone in reality ; they walked ei•
lently on—all was dark. The captain was about to
II relinquish the persuit, when lo ! there wailhelight
quivering as before.
. Heinrich stepped briskly forward ; there was a
crackling senrel, as of breaking (wigs.- The cap
lain drew back and grasped an overhanging bough.
There was the sound of a heavy fall, a cry of pain
—then all was still. The captain was atand,ng on
k ihe brink of the pit into which Heinrich had fallen.
By the aid of the bough he had seized, he drew
himself back from his perilous situation. Scarcely
had he recovered a firm footing before he saw the
light rapidly approaching the pit. With a painful
*stied he repressed his breathing. As it neared him,
he perceived it was nothing but a frame-work, in
which a taper was placed, born in the hands of a
man of wild and ferocious aspe,e. The truth in
stantly flashed upon the captain's mind ; he under•
stood the devilish artifice which this monster had
used to entrap the unwary..
The robber placed his window by :he side of the
pit, and sinking on his knees, peered curiously into
its depths ; a lung knife which slivered in his hand
told plainly what awaited Heinrich if he had sur
vived the fall .
The captain drew forth one of his pistols and cart.
tionsly cocked it ; slight as was the sound, the rob
ber's ear detected it, and lie sprang to his feet; the
the captain fired as he rose. The aim was true and
fatal ; with a loud shriek the ruffian tell to the
earth ; a few convulsive struggles shook his frame,
then he lay perfectly motionless.
The captain moved cautiously round the sides of
the pit and gained his side. He was quite dead,—
Ile examine.' het person ; his garments were of the
roughest kind and ma/eh worn ;—his feet were pro
tected by a covering made of felt, which prevented
his footsteps from being heard ;•he then turned and
examined the window, it was nothing but a com
mon frame that he had obtained from some cottage ;
the taper was backed by a sn all strip of green
board, which serveil to throw the rays of the tight
strai2ht forward, while it concealed the person of
the bearer.
Feeling anxious fur ihe fate of fleinrich, the cap
lain.calloil loudly upon his name, but received no
answer. Fearing the worst, he retraced his steps
to the best of his ability, in the direction of the inn.
By pursuing, the path which be had before noted,
he succeeded in regaining the road without much
difficulty, and arrived at the inn ii little before day
break.
The host, though anxious to ascertain the late of
his son, advised a short delay in order to procure
the assistance of the neighboring villagers ; me cap.
tain accented.
. In about two hours after, a strong party proceed
ed to the scene of the nocturnal adventure. The
captain found all as he had left it, and hie heart was
considerably relieved by hearing the voice of Hein
rich shouting lustily for help. He was soon reliev
ed from his unpleasant situation ; tbon.ol stunned
by the fall, he had received no other , hurt than a
few bruises. This pit was the robber - sburial place
as well as trip, they east his body among those he
had slaughtered, and tilled it up with earth
The place was soon deserted. Captain Ernest,
after a hearty gond-bye exchanged with the host
and Heinrich, proceeded on his journey. Phe cir
cumstances became known, and government re
warded ltie.courage with a pension.
Heinrich had the window placed in the front side
of the inn, where it may be seen to this day by the
curious traveller.
Canearr Ouvrionc.—A Yankee jok?r, in yarn
ing it, says, in talking of Davy Crockett, that Ezek
iel Nash could send hint to eternal smash right off.
Zekel chews chain cables for tobacco, takes gun.
powder for snuff, and- blows his nose with a tin
pocket hardkerehief he sleeps between iron sheets,
which in winter are made red hot. Instead of rats
and mice, wolves and grizzly bears prowl about his
room at night, but he sleeps so sound that he is
obliged to be thrown out of the window every
morning to wake him. Ilia mother missed him
when a baby, and found him at last in a hornet's
nest, playing at bo-peep with a couple of rattle
snakes. As an infant, Zekiel was a wonder, I
guess; he had razors and bayonets for toys, walk
ed in top-boots when he was three days old, sucked
hot coals, and used to rub his gums with a nutmeg
grater ; - they weaned him the day be was born and
fed him on pap made or flint stane and lignnmvilm,
" REGARDLESS OF DENUNCIATION rams ANE, QUARTER."
soaked in.prussic acid. His app)stite, for a boy,
was awful ; he once eat three parts of a horse and
then asked if tea wasn't ready:. When.he rides on
a railroad, he gets off to walk a trifle of forty or fil
ty- miles, and waits an hpur or two for the, trains, to
overtake him. The engine comes up panting and
blowing, and often says, with a forced laugh—
" Bust my biter, but of all mortal critters
you're the biggest ; I reckon your father was a
dash of lightning, and your mother an airthquake.
Darn me iflon aint an ornament to creation." Asa
specolatni; Nadi is real lucky. He held some ca
nal shares which went to such a premium, be was
obliged to send the Evoker up in a balloon to sell
our.
Volititni.
Prom the Boston Pilot of the 14th inst.
Gen. Pierce and the Cathalics.
We hoped, last .week, that we had heard the
last of the cries which interested partizans had
raised against the Democratic candidate, in cense.
'of the'refusal of his native state to amend the 10.
cal constitution in such a way as to admit Caen) ,
tics to State offices in New Hampshire. We sup
posed that we Ind said enough, and more. than
enough to convince our two hundred thousand
readers that, if New Hampshire has a. constitution
whi c h excludes Roman Catholics from certain offi
ces. Gen, Melee et not at all responsible for that
state of things. Our articles on this subject, som•
med up, present the following result. Gen Pierce,
from the beginning of his career as a public man,
has exerted all his influence in favor of amending
the constitution so as to expunge the obnoxious
clauses which require that certain offices shall be
held only by Protestants... He, and the late Judge
‘Voodbury, succeeded in procuring a State conven
tion, three years ago, for the purpose of revising
this constitution. He was the presiding officer. '
and all, or nearly ail, the members returned by the
people for the convention, were Democrats. When
theitrticies concerning Catholics came up for con
sideration, Judge Woodbury made a masterly
speech in favor of amending.them, which was pub
lished in the Pi/of, and Gen. Pierce also delivered
a powerful argument on the same side, he leaving
the chair for 'his very purpose. This speech was
published in our paper not long since. At that time
he no more expected the nomination than we did.
The vote for amending the constitution, in this re
spect, was unanimous we believe. Sr. it is clear
that the leaders and representatives of the Demo
male party, in New Hampshire were unanimorrily
in fluor of itrikinfrom the Constitution the clauses
respecting Catholics, awl they strongly recom men•
(led the people to approve, by their votes at the
primary elections, the amendments made by their
delegates. So far, neither the leaders of the Dem
ocratic party, nor Gen. Pierce, deserve any blame
—on the contrary, they merit praise, and if the
convention voted unanimously in favor of the Ctoh•
olics. the praise is due to Woodbury and Pierce,
who labored zealously to bring about that result.
Whemthe sulject came before the people, at
their town meetings, all the amendments proposed
by the convention were lost. Cen Pierce, howev.
or, made another effort in favcr of the Catholics,
and mainly through his influence, the whole sub.
jest was re-considered by the people, and they on.
ted attain upon certain amendments of the Consti
mtion presented for their approbation by the dele.
gates. The amendments in which we are particu
larly interested were once more lost. In this see.
and trial Gen Pierce, of whose nomination no one
then dreamed, faithfully served the interests of the
Catholics of New Hampshire. it was not his fault
it the amendment wan rejected by the people.
We have dilieenily inquired into this matter, we
are satisfied that this curious result is due to the
following causes :
There were several amendments to the Consti
tution as proposed by the Convention for popular
consideration. Some of them were pleasing to the
people, and among these, we may palely mention
the proposed amendment abolishing the property
qtrattfication. There was no earthly reason why
these should he rejected. Yet, rejected they were.
The amendments were not, we believe, acted upon
separately, but they were all or nearly all, disposed
of in a lump. Some of them were not acceptable
to the people, and the others shared the lot of these
All were lost.
Persons familiar with the conduct of town meet.
ings are aware that citizens who have business of
their own to transact, frequently, it riot ordinarily
content themselves with going to the polls simply
for the purpose of voting for officers. Th;) , do not
always remain through the day to take part in de
bates or hallottings which occur after the votes for
officers have been east. It so happened in the
case we are considering. The votes on the ques
tions of amending the constitution were taken, in
many towns, in the afternoon, when the meetings
were more thinly attended. So we have been in
formed.
Religious prejudice unquestionably had much to
do with the result, as we intimated in a recent arti
cle on this subject. We suppose that Catholics
most wait patiently for a few years, as they have
waited in New York, Massachusetts, Carolina, and
in other States, and these laws will surely be re
pealed. In most States, penal laws ware enacted
against Catholics. Onr grandlathers can almost-re
member the time when priests were hung in New
York. Our fathers can remember the time when
Catholics were not admitted to the rights of frill cit.
izenship in Maryland, and in some other States
We can remember the time when it was so in Car
olina, and elsewhere. Now, these things ate
changed, and Catholics enjoy equal rights with
their Protestant fellow citizens., And whence
came this change Why emigration brought it
about. Catholics settled in . those States ; they Istl.
came.numerous; she people saw that - they were as
good a ohne of citizens as any in -the land ; they
saw that Catholics freely poured forth blood and
=Z
fl_H
treasum in the defence of the country ; they grew
ashamed therefore, of the silly laws which were
foisted upon the credulity ofjheir lathers by Eng
bah bigotry, and they blotted them from the statute
book. The same resell will be witnessed in New
Hampshire in a few years more
One reason why New Hampshire hat. delayed
following the example of the other slates is this
She has not, like them„ had opportunities of know.
kg who and what Catholics are. We *impose that
the Protestants of New Hampshire are not, alter all
more bigoted than are evangelicals in 011 1 6 Stales,
for these had such and worse laws, and ;repealed
them as Catholics became numerous, and better
known. There are few Catholics in NeW Hamp
shire. We have heard of persona who travelled
twenty miles to see an Irishman and an Irishman's
t aby, whether they were like other men and lia
ble*. This, however, walk thirty years ago, when
Catholics were but a handful. There are but three
or four priests in New .11ampshire, while there are
about fifty in Massachusetts. Under these circum
stances, Catholics, may as well he charitable, and
wait until New Hampshire knows them better.—
This must haPpen soon
These considerations show that thin law has been
a dead letter in New Hampshire. Catholics should
not hold certain offices, but then, there were no
Catholics in the Stale. none, at any rate, who conld
a.pire to be Governor, or Senator Had dui issue
been tried—had a Catholic been elected Governor
oy the people, at any time, we are persuaded that
he would not be unseated by the legislature,
connegnence of these constitotirtnal pros igloos. Lit
de or nothing, probably, would have been said
about it. Any attempt in the way of entoreing the
law would piobably have resulted in i's
This is the operation of most obnoxious laws which
have become a dead letter. In Maryland . (or ex
ample, there is at this moment, a law forbidding
Catholics to pass within a certain distance of the
Court House. We doubt not that similar laws may
be Muni{ in the statute books in other states. They
cannot he enforced, of course. Woodbury and
Pierce, in their speeches, strongly insisted upon
the fact that the New Hampshire law is a dead
letter. .
Whigs care as much for Catholicity as Demo.
erats ; neither more nor less. We would not nest
its interests to either party. It is wrong, however,
in our Whig friends to charge this Ne
law upon the Democratic party in that State. The
Democrats might as well lay at the door of the
Whigs the injostice of Massachnsetts in refusing to
pay for the destroyed Urs.uline Convent. Nay,
wiAt a greater reason. For Massachusetts hits been
two or three sessions excepted, in the hands of the
Whigs ; a two thirds vote is not required to make
the proposed indemnify, and the Whigs might,
therefore, ha.t they wished it, have done justice to
the owners of the Convent. Vet it was not Nlas
sachusetts Whiggery, but Massachusetts bigotry
that did,' this. The same thing holds more than good
in New Hampshire. For two years, we believe,
New Hampshire was in the hands of the Whigs.
Why did they not then evince that tender interest
for the welfare nt the New Hampshire Catholics
which they exhibit no - v.
The truth the Democrats never, within nor
recollection, held New Hampshire by a majority of
two thirds They have carried the Stale, in most
years, by a simple majority. Now to amend the
Constitution, a two-thirds vole is required ; they
could not, therefore, without help from the Whigs,
repeal this law ; and it they could not, they are riot
to be blamed. The truth is, in every State bigotry
is to be found in men of both parties. It has not
any necessary relation with American polities.
The question, then, has not been, hitherto, of
much practical importance, and the difficulty isoite
of those whichjime will surely resolve as it has in
most of the other States. Catholics are beginning
to be known in New Hampshire, hence the subject
has been agitated of late years, and the agit a tion
will not cease until the Constitution shall have been
amended in this respect.
The nomination of Gen. Pierce has brought dun
der the notice of the whole country, and that cir
cumstances may cause the people of new Hamp
shire; both Whigs and Democrats, to expunge the
ofleusive clause by a unanimous vole. General
Pierce has done all that one man can do to that end,
and what he did was done when no one talked of
him as a candidate for the Presidency.
The good feelings of Gen Pierce, in this matter,
may be appreciated from what we have said thtis
for. Rot a circumstance occurred which adds great.
ly to his cre.lit. When the towns came to vote
upon the amendmetas granting• equal rights to the
Catholics, they rejected it, tut we have seen. Gills
borough, the hone of Gen. Pierce, gave a very
large majority in favor of the amendment. Concord,
the town in ehieh he transacts his bu , iness and
temporarily resides, gave a small majority, about
seventy, we believe against it. That majority
would have been much larger, were it not l er t h e
evertioris of General Pierce, and thereby hams a
tale.
New flampsbeir, as we hare said, is now main
ly pnpnlated Proteetants. who ,to not know v. hat
Catholic is, and who unlike the Protestants in most
other states, have not had opportunities of knowing
what it is. The bigots were opposed to its amend
ment, of course, and their influence was extended
to procure its defeat. It was in Concord ; the big
ots were busy /and the vote was going largely
against then ote-dment. Gen. Pierce who was at
work in J . ,isliffice, after having i.leposiied his vote.
heard of this in the course of the afternoon. He,
with Woodbury and other gentlemen, who had la
bored in the convention and else w hero for the Cath
olic amendment, supposed that the accpla would
sustain it, as the convention did, as a matter of
course. On the reception of this unexpected and
unwelcome news, he hurried to the town hall,
where the people were voting, obtained 'leave to
speak, and delivered an earnest appeal in favor of
the amendment. The bigots were silenced, and
the ballots thereafter were cast for the amendment.
=9
Had he.or any of ;he prominent friend* .o(,•lhe'
measure supp , ised that there would haVeVieti'con
siderrible opposition, it would have been nn ettsy
matter to stump the State, as the phrase ia. r But no
one expeened such a result. This is plain crom'tho
fart that the convention was unanimous. When
Judge Woodbury bad finish his speeep, one of the'
members observed that it was a good argument,
but it was thrown away beentrke there waft no or•-
p ()POMO. Fle thought the people wouliVareept the
amendmerit by an overwhelming vote.
A cnnvrrt is a good thing, but recent. converts,
especially when they are conierte nt efertibiterr•
ing times, are open to suspicion. Gan. &CM , IPPI)T.
ea) . did °nee espouse the Native cause A4eut . lB4B
he retracted the error. •A second retraction crimes
now. in 1852 These are two Presidential yCars.
All-ibis is well, but it wou'd be better to be fr e e.
not only horn Nativism, but from- the ettepietorr,a
it. Now, our readers remember the Philadelphia
lints of 1843. The strong.itd - votee 11111 wairaised
in New England against those excesses, was the
voice of General Pierce. Meetings were held et
his t-ug;zestion, to denounce them. In 'his matter,
its well as in the controversy respecting the New
Ilampsheir constitution, it is particularly worthy of
remaik, that General Pierre had no visible interest
or ids own to serve. The late Baltimore nornina•
lion, so unexpected to himself, has made these
things of some importance. But at the time, in de
fending the inteiestirof Catholics.; and of adopted
citizens generally, he did a generous, disinterested
thing, and he ran die riA, if risk there was, of of
ending two parties, then powerful, or seemingly
powerful, in the country. We mean the Natives
and the bigots.
We are sorry that this gneteien was rai-ed al ell.
Not on account Gen Pierce, fir the lies cireulat.
eil about him will Jr. him no harm, as they have
been kn prompll , expo-ied by the Catholic press,
the party na•urally the best informed upon the met
ier. flat we do not like to see the Catholics sing - eit
out from the body of American citizens, and made
the subject of electioneering experiments. We
dislike the poliiieiana who love us at electif veering
seasons, and wLo do not know us at all after the
election is over. Now the IVhige have been guil
ty of (his capital error, and in our opinion, it will
,tot tend to their good.
They have suddenly discovered that Catholics
are an irVere.fin,2 class at persons; that New 'lamp •
sheir does lint treat them well; that Gen. Pierce
must be to blame for this, and therefore ought not
to he President that Gee. Scott treated Catholic
soldiers well, respected Cadulic chary hes; was
present at the Catholic procession in Me x ico, aril
therefore ought to be This is not the
way in which the contest should be cotiducted,—
The true question to be settled is—which the
best man, which candirlide stands on true Ameri
can ground, which man is the enemy of abolition
ism, fillibestierism, intervention, ildenestie anarchy
nr radicalism? lVhich man is for the Union, the
Constitution—inelnding the slavery clause—and for
the Laws; inelthlieg the laws against treason and
violation of international treaties? These, and sim•
filar issues are the questions which should be ask
ed. The poticy re singling nut the Catholica in
this war. besides tieing anti-American, is foolish,
for America has rot, and cannot have a State reli
gion. The religion, or religions prejudice, or want
of religion, In a President, cannot affect Catholics
or Protestants, as such. And it is very 1001141 to
misrepresent a candidate, as some of the papers
misrepresent Gen Pierce, in order to prejudice the
Crelinlies against Vn, when the misrepresentation
is so easily exposed: The authors of this falsehood
slime Gen, Pierce forget that there are thirteen
Catholic papers in the United States, all of them in•
dependent in politics, and none of them disposed
to anew their readers to be hookwinked, It will
be well for Gen. Scott if he can clear his skirts of
Nativeivm as easily as Pierce ran fling back the
charts of opposing C4tholic interests.
All these things are Well lenderstood here, at the
Fast, and we smile at the efforts made to secure
our-voters because this randiilate -was "supposed to
be friendly to the Catholics, or because the candi
eate was born in a Protestant State. But we learn
that nnremitting effintstare been made to,range
the Catholics of Wisconsin, lowa, and other Wee.
tern Slates aeainst Gen. Pierce, on the alleged
grtuincl that he opposed Catholic interests. We
=i f. this article to let them know the merits ofthe
whole story, and to show them that this Ginty is a
very clumsy lie. After that is settled, they can
vote for whom they please; but it is not right that
either party should single us net -particularly, and
try to secure our votes npon false issues. Let us
stand nport American ground, or upon none at all.
We repeat that we hope this subject will never
again call for a remark from the Catholic press
We have treated it firm the beginning, with mine
inner., because it is really humiliating to knoW that
politicians think in meanly of us, Catholics, as in
flpilf , S;; that such considerations as lhcse can sway
our WI?".
.0 the time ever was when they could,
it is gone, arid the sooner this truth is appreciated,
the better it will be for all concerned. Meanwhile
our readers will ;weer this article as a fulfillmen,
of oar promise to expose falsehoods and false issues
raised against eithe- Candidate, from whatever gear.
ter. Our independent position obliges mato do this,
to say nothing of the tact that - the falsehoods told
about the New flampsheir affair, and the silly is:
sue predicated upon them, were such as especially
merited rebuke from the Catholic press of the Unit
ed-States Give the candidates a lair field, tell no
lies about them, discuss their cialr.ts horieStly, and
that is all that. either can ask.
correspondent say% that when - the law ,
says he can't marry his grand.mother, nr his aunt,
or his wile's mother, it makes an ass of itself, for
when a roan marries now-a.days, he marries the
whole family.
If girls_ won1(1 have roses in their cheeks the
mist do as the roses do; go4o sleep with thelilise,
an'l get vip with the morning gloties.
=I
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