North Carolina Newspapers

J 11 I.JU JWIU'IIJ IJ0.43 Jid- i.Yjrik' Carolina GazfUtr :'. - " naieHEi, wikkit, at THOU AS J. I.E.TIAV. TKItMS. - . iiMCirTi i", three ilnllnre pr annnm rne ill kritlr rtiiVre4 1 pay the whole '. M most liberal amendment aiMint of the eri tubwriitlinn )n aiiranae. k Mimwrt rr iecrt w (T fi Itee.iT f i nei. joicrten tiirew iimri mr one Hollar, anil ei .S,reenla for each ennlititianre.' I ifriii to lite Kditnr nail be post paid . ; STATE COXVEXTIOX Jn the Thirljr-Serona Article . v Tuttday, June SO. .. Gen. D0CK.ERY rose to make a tisrsestion to the gentleman from Cra- en, who rail just addressed the House i eloquently, ni! Iliat toe propriety amending this article be submitted the .People in a distinct and sena te proposition. ' . To incorporate it in e Constitution, would endanger its tifiention by the people. After the tisfactory exposition of th princi- les of the Catholic Fait by the een- eman from" Craven;' he3ar-wHlinz rWuWfvHmen re, oy, inie,rinng wnn it. Gen. D. said, it had become, very shionable here, ami fashion was con uioOr for Cffitlf men t tiv at ae of their- Religious tenets. The ntleman from Buncombe, (Governor ivain) said lie belonged to the Pres tterianChurch, if he h'l never been rned out lie Gen.- D.) belonged the Baptist CUu (Ii, and was certain, had, not : been turned - out."' But nugh a member of hat Church, he at not disposed to exclude Catholics 6m ofnee, however, all who were op- bud to the alteration of that Article Jt ! Ii ncture, migh t bt '.il enminccd s ui gui or jraoufu lunat tcs. i v as o recpect to be paid to the feelings or rejudices of the people, on this ques-l-WTiatever other- potiticat "siiis e flight have to answer for, no one nuld accuse him of pnying too much ourt to the. people on the contrary, i trieniu thought he paid too little t when their viHhes were" known; ey ought to be respected. ; - Much had been said by the gentle- m r-'r-W'---.-; -r r.., W,.,,.. r..C .... an irom graven, in relation to me vert u res made to the East from the ftttt. In his. section of country. ie-tenth of the people were not )are that this Article was to be ldfhedi Antl why Vtrf Because the nuuteui extensively in me " est, in- irmation in that quarter not being ne- fssaryraswas imagined but the East as flooded with pamphlets. It was lifTicient for the 'West to know that a onvention wis to be called to redress f fir grievances on the score of tine- luaj Representation. - As to the vote h Convention being thinner one year. ah another, to which the gentleman ad alluded, it was owing ( the cir- mstanre of the;, tieople having dis- vered that this- article was" to- be "At one of- the ' election ounds in his county, he had been ask-' by several gentlemen, it the jLon-; itut'on, when formed, would be sub itteI to the, people. On his assu- lnce, tnat it wouiu, tney tnen saiu ley would vote for calling a Conven- fiii, reserving tue rigni io vote against be Constitution if this Article were terfered-withssn Gen. D. repeated that he wished to new that he uid not deserve to be rinded as a bigut for, if an opportu ne were anortieu ntm ior voTin to nend: theAificl- at' the : polls,-he fention, but from a conviction, that ' people would reject the Constitu Mr. 'GASTON said, that having exr fessed his view so fully,' it was with jxtreme reluctance he rose, to "say an- u'er, worn, -rie nan intenueti. wiien similar susrrestion to that now jnade y the kind irentieman from Richmond, fa thrown out by the gentleman from ffene General Speight) to have said word in reply. The gentlemen seem predicate their suggestions on the round that ne . tiar gome particular, ersonal interest -in this matter, He ed to assure them that this was not e case that' if Catholics were ex pdetl from office, no man in the State fould feci less pain at the circum- pnee than he would.- He believed if I ouwnright attack were made upon ffbgiou freedom by the, retention of ' twojiit atir vpx tbe j real WMaise, of the fxplt1 and after a i't!e.8ervestenc; of feeling had woik lthat there would be, fro'in! the jeofail) s to the seaboard, but one sn j'nt of dissatisfaction. V : . j jV't.h eganl to the suggestion about iUched amendments,' he was for two rns opposed to it In the first l.',fc w,e "o authority to do it H ,n theaeebnd, if we had, we ought We are to submit an entire' Con. 'totioa to the people not deiched PJentsit jnust. gtthem. as an fiVr HARRINGTON did not rise to Btt a speech on tha'cooiinittee, but J 'aim ply In' say, that 12 years ago, hav I ing had the honor to propose that this stain sHoffltttoe-" blotted "frnm'fttve iihin T'hnatiana tvnrakln An.L .k.t 1 cutrhpnn. u-aa time lKn ,!; posed to incur an j responsibility which might rest upon him. His voice, it was true, had not been heard in this dis - - --. ..v -.", " . I. , tun- cussion, bat his silence must not be Menoibe Hl lo rertmiB i rrer longer tconstrned into a wishjo ikulfe Jioiadu-j JJr. SMI III regret,t.ed that he should be again called 'to address the commit tee on this question, but circumstan ces rendered it necessary he should appear-either in person or by Attorney; It would seem that the Convention had esiaoiisiiin'r some new K,eiirimtr or iq Wfthtsrffie friaT lf (RT'cownty'-if Or ange and her Delegates on this floor. ' He had yet to learn what either or them had none to merit such particular (lis tinctiiin. He felt it to be liis duty to submit a lew observations, in reply to the gentleman from Craven, who had singled out the people of Orange as a tar-jet to hoot. at; though. : as- the Chairmsn of this committee well knew, he did not possess the physical ability d go into an elaborate investigation of matters whicjb. jiemce .tXkyxy.iAi rntirmaT ConveTitTpru t -wlikJi ftV gentiemati" fronr Craven had alluded. 1 his Article was dis cussed in that Convention, antl was re tamed in the Constitution presented to hpep!e.Hi8 ownimpresisiiSR .'ttlhe' time," was, that it oui;ht to be altered, but more mature reflection had chang ed his opinion. His name had also beert read out by' the tentleman.T as composing one of a committee appoint ed to distribute an Address, in which the expurgation of this Article was re commended. It was true, that tlywHH pointment had been conferred upon him, but it was equally true, that he had not distributed the documents for- warded to hiiiu They were sect to his )ffirew11iltsborhrhrirrhereT sumed, the greater portion of them yet n.l M.. tn..uj ii all t a ii a that he had circulated them, and that the people of Orange were once in fa vor of ..ran amendmcnt-of -tnin.-Article and were now opposed to it? He want ed to know who had the right to say they shOUldnof change" their opinions as often as they pleased. ' I hey had the rirht ahd were not to he arraipupd on mis noor lor me exercise pi it. They also had the right to instruct their Delegates for every community is privileged to express us opinions, any ine rigui to no so in smaller mailers, involve me right s ubliiatiohs referred to, were not dis- j portant questions. Is Orange county, with her 500 voters, too insignificant to be heard on this floor? : Whatever others thought, he felt himself bound to obey the known wishes of his con stituents; and he should do so. - Allusion has also been made, said Dr. S. to the small number of votes by wh'ch I was elected a Delegate of this body." The vote was not a large one, it is true Sir, but it was large enough to elect me. But why was the vote so small? There were ten Candidates, every one of whom was probably more worthy than himself, but the people did not tlunk so, and the vote was divided among so many, that the largest vote was a small one. This Sir, is the rea son. If however, he had been sent here by twenty Totes, he i.houliJ ron sider himself as representing the whole county of Orange. . He was born and raised-there anil ought to be presumed to know the feelings and wishes of the people. : " , - . ' .. ; Df. S. saiJ, that ftir.the, remarks which heTliad previously submitted on this jjuestion .hOiatf .peenTcalTettra" Uieuti but lie imasr'tned; that- he was a- Btvll lle would .ii4it-C!M"ffT0"frohf- the influence bf Priestcraft as any gentleman on that floor. -"The object of all governments pie Wd when the wislies of the eo pl are known, a good government will conform to them In the British Gov ernment, within a few years, how often has theSoyereign liimself bctn com pelled to 'yield to-theorce of public opinion as a matter of policy. The same results have occurred in France and elsewhere, the' most powerful Sov ereigns have bowed with deference to its irresistible influence. It is more operative in this country, and the prin ciple applies" with equal force to large or -smau communitiea of men. Sir. said Dr. S. there is no rjasom why this Article should be amended there is no emergency which demands it What persecutions have been aU tempted, that gentlemen are so' ex cited? rli had K1 nothing in dispar agement of JloTnati' Catholics he had as much respect for some Catholics that heTtnew, as anr member in this Con vention. "But Ve was not willing, by expunging this Article, to let in Turks, Hindoos and Jews. They might call him a bigot as much as 'they pleased, but he would not ronscnt to this. In what way could "we bind thern to a proper discharge of their duties, if we should admit them? Must4 we swear the Turk nri tile' Koforh must ivc sen". airte tlie Holy Scriptures' that weinay wear the Jew on the OUTestamcnt? If a Tura comes to .our country, let him be a Mussulman and nj y hva RALEIGH; N.. THUIISDAY, 00T03l 10; IC35 1 . ..JTWid ' ' .' in' ; ii 'i Religion; but if he thrusts himself .in to our Civil Compact, he ou?ht to wor. I imp h MAntlnm-m f.... ".... n :i. . I k t.1 VI.. Cllll(IUU IIU iiiAfru lllltl think, he could not concur in his lati tudinarian doctrines of Religious free dom. As an American citizen, and a native-born son of Korth Carolina, he jia wHiBgkatertetlRbuTd 1 dulge in their own peculiar species of worship but he was not willing that they should .fill, the high places 4 the land. The rights of men are necessa rily restricted. The Minister of the Gospel is precluded from a seat in the Legislature, because policy requires it, and there are various other, res- property a man Cannot VOte Tor a teen - ator, unless he own a freehold. fi. l..' . i These are civil rights, as contra - du - tinguished from natural rights and no man should be branded as a bio-ot be- i ! .1 , t . cause he considers that Government best, which restrains fewest of the natural rights of men. The right of conscience was a natural right it did not. grow out of the regulations of So- cletr. r ; ; : five gcntlemaa: from .Ciavert had Chare4 iheesf meutftwUlMSto t wwiin Conventw Ther -Wt-wStfttf-f mtMrig'Wtheer right, and if the Esst have aided them reported by the" Committee of the to obtain it, they did so doubtless fromfWliolehe noped the Members of the correct principles. He never imagin- Convention would forbear to olfer any e4 htmsfrlharthey ivcre tn've'TfurtheT ameDduientr-ahtl act at once on consideration for the vote of the East. that. rt. K.; ' : tie stood pcnectiy acquitted to nun self of the charge of having made any baigai-touching" the thought that the discussion i would endVhole.trHe had voted- id-favor-of as it has, and that was one reason why btndeavored to prevent ft, in the first usance, by moving to lay the Resolu- not consider the amendment proposed lion on the table. It was not true in by the gentleman from Wilke as re point of fact, that this was an Eastern moving the stain from our Constitu and Western question for so lar as he tion. and would not therefore: vote liaiL teen enabW were more unequivocally opposed to others might do.Jlg wjnuliLnot throw an jlteraltonof this-Artiele than thoat"a luo io'ihe tohnlt. ', Striking out West themselves, who, it is said, held the word Prottitanl, and inserting out the amendment of wis Article as Christian woul j not cure the. evil j for a bait He did not wish to offer any hj b?lieved that there were some pco violence -to-the anderifanding which pie so ignorant, or so "blinded by prt had hitherto existed between the two judice, as to believe that Cutholict wcret sections; and tegrett '"that he had to" riot Christian Met as we - are, said trespass again on thfe ine of the com- Governor B. to amend our Constitu- mitteej but having been instructed by tion, we ought to dej it effectually, and aTrrunequivocarexpri'Ssm iltfounded pre- opinion, he felt bound to state the fact judices of the people. Why, said he, Dr. S. said he was willing. to yield are the Jews to be excluded from or to the voice of the people and if this fice?. They were th a favorite people was deemed so important a matter, of the AlmiWhtv. Our Saviour and Via not rate proposition?! If they would du it, at (the next August election, his word for it, the question against expunging the Article would be decided , by an overwhelming majority. Has it come to this, that the sovereign will of the people shall not rule? And that there shall be no expression of it, because it may-come, into collision with this body? , It was the most Anti-Republi- ernment? He was opposed to all re can doctrine he ever heard broached; ligious. tests for office, and should and was certainly one which could not receive the sanction of this Convention. ; ; tf'edntiday, Jufi I,, u ; The Convention took up the Report of the Committee of the whole on the 32d Section when Mr, EDWARDS moved to amend the Report by insert- ing the following, viz: ' "l nai-ail men narui' a natural ann nnaliena- oie rtgm to woruiip Aiiuigiiiy t,a, aecorain-t to the deedi done io Ihe body." .-, the diclalea of their own eonscivncei, all rcli-l' ti.......i:.. . it.'. . i. rout leu. at nnaimcaiioni for office, we ineaji .t 1 ,,e qa"lon on this amendment was pmibie wnn iiienrincipicani rree oerninent,'!.TaKcn , wniioui (ieDaie, 0 T 1 eai-aivu !'Mf; GAITHER,Tr6ml!iurkctsaid,he' Nays and negatived 80 votes to 46V preferred the Rcprot of the committee The Report of the committee of ,ie of the whole to the proposed amend,- Whole being under. consideration: - ;: mentIewould, hmiK of. the most libfral amendment to this article of :ihe Conalitutionj for he cansfed froin thei:otnmittee of OiS whole sidered it a blot on that instrument but as he was convinced it was the de- sire of a " considerable portion of his that if any great alteration was made in it thev would not accent of the amended Constitution, rather thanrun the risk of the loss of that, he should accept of the proposed amendment, of the gentleman Jfrora .Wilkes (Geni tFetlborn) as reported by the commit tee of the whole. J Mr. O. was. sorry that so strong a prejudice 'should pre vail in his section of the country a gainst the Roman Catholic Religion but that he had no doubt when the people came toj-ead the able exposition 01 tlie uociniica ui mat jlvciijiuii wiiitu had been given to this Convention by the gentleman from Craven Judge Gaaortthese prejudices would entire ly1 vaniah, and the amended Constitu tion would be well received. : l Mr. JOINEU rose, he said, tarcake speech, but it should be a short one. lie expressed himself perfectly satis fied with the ; article of. the Constitu tion under. consideration and there fore opposed to any amendment of it He had no doubt, the fiamers of the Constitution had good. reasonsTor pla cing this article in it, and he wished to retain it " He believed, it was in- fended to. prevent ihe Roman Catho lies from being adioiUed to, office in the Government.and.he approved of it He wished to keepjtas jtceping thun-jestabllsh, the vHoly Inquisition" in fer to be used when wanted. . V (North Carolina that we are now pre Tbe question on Mr. EDWARDS'S, paring the wheel, and the rack, the proposed amendment was taken by thumb screws, and the hot irons, for In h Yeas and Hi iave been al- ready publislied7v?Sl negatived 87 vote to so. f- ilMllliaMliMillW'i '"" Gen. JACOCK.S then offered an amendment, in the following words; mSo pcraon ho shall ilenr the beinf of Gml hall b eapuble of hol.linj hj uflioe or ultoe of miLr wwirteftwwk;,f pwrtWion-jain a class of kerebf eenreO iliill not H oni racl l miqu ell of lieentioutne, or jwitif m-aetieea mean ittont with theiWMW or Mfcty of the Snie." , .Xl-e Lqtt,MtJni..on , ,thk. Amendment was taken without debate, by Yeas and Nays already published and was ne gatived by 8-2 votes to Mr. HOL.MK3 then pronowit tl.e rottowlnt ubitiintet "That bo perton who tlwll Heny (h bein oi a God. shall be- eaunhle of holilimr nv hip without Uiaerimlnalimt, ahull rirer lw frre !' " Pf " i Wa si.ie, .roi.ie.i the rlgh ! "erehr lwlared ami eatablUhea hll nol be !.ooUli,4 w ,M , jMif)r vnmli i mubie with Hie freeima mfeiy of ih ;Sl"e. rWl lulher, that no itreferenee ahail eer be ti by law to aor relieiou aeel: or mode of or.hip.' 1 , The question on this Auiendineht was taken without debate, by Yeas and -Nftys ('already published aiid was ne 'gativcd T8 votes to 46. Governor SWAIN obssrved, that as it nnneared evident, from what had tleman from Vilkes, which had been Governor llijVtJil said, it was not his intention to vote for the amend every liberal proposition for amendiug this objectionable section! but he did performance - of- his - duty, whatever men am 'sst the Jew as talented, as virtuouV as well qualified to fill any office in our Government as any other citizens in our community? A Jew may ba appointed to any office under the General Government. Jle may bs raised to the Presidency of the United States. And why shall we refuse to admit him to any office under our Gov- therefore vote against th'is amendment Judge DANIEL wished to offer the Amendment which he had brought for- warJ in'- Committee of the Whole, in order to obtain the Yeas and Nays up on it It was in the following words: That h i expedient to remote ,iiTi'ATa'm'ntprJm aM?'4 33(1 Article, from all who lit not deny the be- inir of a Gml ami an ccnnni.liilit in llim f.i for the amendmcnt'hich'waf rennrti" namely to strike out of the 32d section of the Constitution the word Protestant, land instead thereof insert the word lieve in the truth of the Christian Re ligion to hoW civil office in the State,' In giving this vote, he was not in fluenced by the motives, which the gen tleman fromHalifax fGov. Branch hail so charitably attributed to the friends of the Amendment, that is, to throw the tub to the whale, as he is pleased to call the people nor yet for the accommodation of a certain indi vidual, as he supposes but for rea sons which he would undertake to (Matejor himselt-l Mr. F. said he had listened with ve ry strict attention to all that had been said on this subject and,' of all d bates he had ever witnessed, this had taken the widest range. As regards Ttxt, it had swept over eighteen cen turies, and as regards sfacf., it had travelled round the globe its fangehas been circumscribed only by the limits set to human imagination.; If a stran ger, uninformed as to the true state of the question, had dropped in here, and listened attentively to alt that has been said, he must havs come to the conclu sion, that we were debating whether we.s!iould, or not, establish a cruel fcsr oath to bind men's consciences , nay, most likely, he wpc jto'the conclusion, that wi he wpuld have come we are about to the punishment of recusant Papists that fie merciless Jluto de ft. itself, was 'fo be, kindled up in the midst of this Protestant community. "Nowyair, is tins sur is u true, that we are about to establish i. test oath? Is it true, that .we are about tu commence the people for conscience sake? -. No, sir, it is- not'g.i.r If srentlemen will des cend from th. clouds, iti which . they have'b-'en 'wanderingin," fibm"that march of mind" we have heard so itiucli about, they will please to march back to tli6 regious of common sense, they W.iI1 see that their imaginations the rue uiLsin ina v-onstuunon wuicn our Rc vol u tianary t forefathers es tabl ished for North Carolina in the year 1776, there is a clause designated as the S2d section, which .provides, that no per- son who denies the being of . God, or. the truth of the Protestant Religion, or the divuie authority luf the old or new Tes.Uments, . or, wno shall hdd reli- gi iis principles incompatible with the freedom and safety of .the State, shall be capable of h ildinz civil office with-' m this.,.tjai;,,Ever auicethe :ofthgo5titul that a part -of, Uiia Arjisle. lJLUbera aaimpto'k-enm ers have, thought that, thn whole of it If .the ' 321 Article-was expunged ought to be expunged Jn consequence from tlie Constitution and the instru bf these ppiiiions, the Legislature in mnt then? placed in the hand of an the.ctndtwhichthia it, meets, gave a discretionary power to wl&t would he suppose our Religion the Convention 'to amend the 32d Ar- to be? H would first read the 19th Vicle orme Constitution f ' anl the on- ly question now before us is Shall we.iwhic1ihcL wnuld-aea- that vnW men,' anrnJit. or shall we leave it as it is?. Christian, Turk, and Jew, stand pre. Some wish to amend it, others wish to cicely on the same footing, and con strike it out altogether, and others a- sequently, Sit far as this goes, in North gain wUli to leave it as it is. For my Carolina, the Christian has no advan parti il Mr, F. I am ; opposed - to tage. over the Turk. V Ha would then striking out the whole Article, but I dime to the Slat Article, where h wish to amend it. - To amend is one would sea that Preachers of the Goi-. thing to strike out altogether is jtud juidiulett'" frow"" hoIitHty-ai-ata- oUierVhava-rSlitt we have no nower to deslroyn tOmncirof State, but that : Preachers strikeout altiTgRTier would be to de- stroy. ; ;;; 7-- -.v:. ; - Among the arguments advanced by those who are for itfiklng oiitraftogetJn'-0 v-nnstianity; -- m WouItT next er7oiie Is7tirt the 824 Article comes com , toL th"- S4,, Article. If ho in direct conflict with the 19th section ould have- sagacity enough to dia of. weBill.of Rights, which prohibition in . uTk.c .11 .. n.i..i .h.i nn. this article, he would at the same time -. alienable right to worship Almighty Gudaccording to tha -UicUWs of their own conscience." Mr, F. said, for his part, he could not see this conflict this incompatibility; The 19th sectiou of the Bill of Riuhts . secured toall meirhrTight God according to the dictates of their own "conscience the 32d Article does' not deny this right, nor take it away nw uoobta wi I vanish, for in this ha it does not prenribe any mode of will see a full recognition 7 of Chris. 1 wonhip, or any set of religious prin- tiamty. - Then, I ask again, shall wo Ciples it only declares, that pers-ins ?Pun8e lh only Article that recog. who deny the" being of God, te. shall .n,"4t mr U,"ionl auA leVfr ml ' not ba ca'pable of. holding civil office gi.we Articles which ; appear rather ; within this State. Now, to show that to discountenance it? If we had now. the 32d Artkle conflicts with the 19th ft to tnke out the whole, he did not section of tha Bill of Rights, gentle-.know that anj greatevils would follow' men must first prove, that it is neces- fronLd,Hn? ,0 'ad no rear" for' ' sary for men to hold civil office be- t,,e Cliristian Religion. It had spread . Tore they can worship God according to what it now is, against all opposi. to the dictates of their own con--;ton - U ftrew p in despite of oppres- . scien:e. , W'ilt anynertse up here ,0,) and flourished under perse. , -and say, that you must first be in pos-, cu,12,,,,l W "ave B"ll,,ng ' -er for , session of a civil offiein North Caro- ,ts ,fina' triumph but we have no Una, ' before yon cao. exercise the lmc'1 Pow'er. "d as the subject stands r freedom of conscience? Nof'no one balamed in the Constitution as it now . wilt say sik The Turk, the IIin-ia.0.e doo, the wild Savage of our own for.J,,ue' r?, ?. other. i : ; - - ests, can come among us and worship; Ma a,ccortitng to-tfte dictates of their consciences, and there is; nothing in our Constitution or laws to harm them, or make them afraidi lihey cannot --6K--I y wo tateii wofidiiCloiHwewothele of' ' ei of the1rowircunscTeiice7bUt they" Po' .shall. bx.ca'wblof-hihijrig - -j" acquire all the civil, and I politi- any oCice, prplacw of trust or profit in ' may al rights of native-born citiaemi they are protected . In their - persons and wa.t:f, -uu -1 HK!- peipte--cnoofle to vote for them, they may occupy seats in the Legislature, and become law makers themselves. Tlie . S2d Arti cle deprives them of none of these rights, .either, civil of religious, but it forbids them from holdinir civil office. to long a$ the; may deny the being. of uoa, or me ouier-truuis reierreu to in that' Article. Surely, there is nothing so very cruel and prescrip tive in this, as gentlemen would seem to make out ; Mr. F. said, it appcarr ed very strange to him, while-gentle men were.so bitterly denouncing the S2d Article, tliat the 31st should have entirely escaped their noticed '.'If the 32d Article . excludes. Atheists-and Deists from civil office, does not the 31st go much. farther for it excludes Preachers of tha Gospel; from Seats in tho Legislature? 4 Will gentlemen contend that . the doors ; -to civil office" shall be- throw n open to Atheiats and Deists, and that the Teacher or the Christian Religion, shall be shut out from our Legislative halls? If it ' is a violation of principle to exclude the A.tocisi anu uetsi irom uuicr, 1a n not equally so to exclude the Preacher of the Gospel from tire Legislature, and r .,r;;i ',1: - irom seats in me wouncii 01 oiaier But the sympathies of gentlemen seem to be with the one class, and not-with the other. A Preacher of Mahomc danism may come among as, build his mosque, collect his congregation, and preach; to them, and, if he has the ' civil qualifications,,; may be- elected -.. . to, and take his seat in the Legisla ture, while the Teachers 'of ur own " Religion of that Religion on which all our institutions stand, are denied the like privilege' and yet gentlemen- -" who talk so mudi about liberality and the march of mind have not uttered a single whisper against the 31st Ar- tide! ' ' ' ' MrTTrsaidriie wouldl now state what to, his mind was a very Irong argument against itriklng out the S2d section.. It , we take up Uie Consti tution and esam'vna it, we will find .tliabteAia-fwaAw .which hayft refereueani tlwChristian'"' - Religion that is, the 19th section of the Bill of Rights, and the Slst. S2d. an 34th sections of the, Constitution. - Thrt$o( these would seem rather to discountenance, or throw aside the Christian Religion, while the other one alone, namely, the seem to recognize it Now sir, shall we, a ' Christiat) people, living in a Christian country .-expunge from our fundamen tal law, the. only Article which recog- nixes Christianity, and.lea.ve remain Article of theBtll of Riahu, from JKLlIieialatwrv "f the Koran are not so forbidden thus lar no wouidseethat the Constitution . mora uyoraoie to Mahomedanikm ,i'co,vr haV a jealousy exists rgainst "RiSiouXlhur(;hea..tWrak. - alto- - -, Sr ? w,u nothing against , l,,e religion of the 1 urk. but an evident "Passion against the Christian Re- ."g'onand so far as he an judge fromj whether.we aiehmtians, -But now wfore himthe S2.t Article, and alt be unwilling to expunge on But, said Mr. F. let us take tip .tha ; : jsta section itseti, examine its parts, 'nd see if it be so very objectionable ' ' las soine w ould inake i out to bo. The '. -- first tlausc is In" these words "That the eiviM -part m eh fwithin this Go y ernmint" ? Nnw Sir, is tins so very m-a-Chi rttT eimmffnrtyr to exctuitaf' "' from civil office the man who denies the being of Gtd?-the. wrktoh who -can took up at the glorious sun ga.i on tlie starry heaven. Mhe spacioua firmament on high.V wlio can look a . broad oh the face of na tu re, or tu 111 . hi eyes irr on his own bosoni. and yet deny the being of God,' If jt is bigot, ry to witiihold civil trast, or moral con- ffdence from such a wretch,' then Sir, " for one, I am willing "to, be written down as-a bigot. Some gentlemen, hawerer, tell us that there are no such persons as V?ie', that is, no person -who deny the being of Qod. - If they -intend tliis assertion as an argument why t fie clause in question ought ,to ba stricken out,' then I meet it as followa- , There are either suth persons as Athe-, isti. or . there are not Mf.thpr K such p'crsons, tlieif they poghi net! to be trusted .with .office, -;of. vith,anf , 1 thing'clse and, "if, there be Jiosueh persnils, then this elause in the tni- -, tution is at most b'it lurnlus.isp, and. , as it takes up but little room, it.iuayaa ,' well remain as an evidence or the hon est pi ecaution of our forefathers. But, Sir, I (liner with gt-niieraen, when - they say there are n such persona as Atheists. I cannot ny. reinaiked Mr. F. that I know any surh, but we hava . hearil of Ibei'ii. ;W"e read Iliat during the French Revelation, tihtion tri nmohed in alt Fraocer-We read that the Natioual Asa: robly,exutl!ei Chris.