The next and third branch of the inquiry is, " Whether
any and what society, or portion of the people of this State,
or any of the United States, have introduced religious issues
into the field of political agitation?" This inquiry has al-
ready been partially answered, in responding to those which
immediately preceded it, but its importance still demands for
it a separate consideration.

This minority have no evidence to show, neither have they
heard, nor do they believe that any issues of the character
indicated, had been to any extent deserving serious notice,
introduced into the field of political agitation prior to the rise
and organization of the Know-Nothing or American party as
it is sometimes called. With that party, it is well known to
be a leading principle to proscribe by exclusion from all po-
litical places or offices of all grades, all persons who are mem-
bers of or connected with the Roman Catholic religion. They,
the Know-Nothing party, profess to be a political party;
have been shown in the previous part of this report, to have
been organized with a view to political results, and to have
certain peculiar and singular principles, practices and modes
of procedure, by which they have endeavored and are endeav-
oring to obtain political dominion. Among those principles
and practices, religions proscription—the purpose to exclude
from all participation in the affairs of government, all mem-
bers of a particular religious denomination, stands in the fore-
ground. This has been so long and so generally admitted,
even by themselves, that particular evidence of the fact can
scarcely be necessary. But let a few passages be quoted from
the forms of oaths before quoted at length, which should be
regarded as authentic, because they have long since been pub-
lished to the world, never authentically denied, and many of-
fers even made to establish by legal and competent proof,
their authenticity before the select Committee, which offers
were declined.

One of the obligations in the oath taken in the first degree of
that society is, "that you (the member) will not vote nor give
your influence for any man, for any office in the gift of the people,
unless he be an American born citizen, in favor of Americans
ruling America, nor if he be a Roman Catholic." In the
second degree oath, besides a re-affirmance of the previous obli-
gations taken, is the additional obligation assumed by the mem-
ber, " when elected or appointed to any official station conferring
on him the power to do so, to remove all foreigners, aliens or
Roman Catholics from office or place in your this) gift." By
the third degree oath these and all previous obligations are re-
affirmed. Can any thing more be necessary to show the intro-

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