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of the fifth section of this new platform, which is in these words :
"No person should be selected for political station (whether of na-
tive or foreign birth) who recognizes any allegiance or obligation of
any description to any foreign prince, potentate or power, or who
refuses to recognize the federal and State constitutions, each within
its sphere, as paramount to all other laws as rules of political ac-
tion."

In this new article, this minority think no one can fail to perceive
the proscription of the members of the Catholic religion, intended to
be inculcated by the original 8th article, is extended and made more
explicit and positive. The 8th article of the platform of June,
1855, proposes to elevate to office of any kind " those only who
do not hold civil allegiance, directly or indirectly, to any foreign
power, whether civil or ecclesiastic." This does not in terms pro-
scribe that class of persons, though having and intended to have that
effect, and impliedly charging them with owing civil allegiance to a
foreign potentate, in the description of the means they prescribe
for resisting "the aggressive policy and corrupting tendencies"
of their church, which that article also charges. Now, these
charges being both unjust, and that which is implied against the
members of that church having no foundation whatever except in
the errors of ignorance and the false assertions of prejudice and
bigotry, might have been gotten over in time, except for the
force of the oaths and obligations taken in the lodges. &c, which,
lying at the bottom, govern all the order and proscribe all Catho-
lics, directly and independently of any charge.

But the words of this 8th article of the platform of June, 1855,
taken of and by themselves, would have allowed of their escape,
whenever it should appear, as is the fact, that they owe no civil alle-
giance to the Pope, or any other foreign prince, potentate or power,
civil or ecclesiastic. But this 5th article of the new platform an-
nounces their law to be, that " no person shall be selected for politi-
cal station (whether of native or foreign birth) who recognizes any
allegiance or obligation of any description, to any foreign poten-
tate or power."

Now all the world knows that Catholics, that is, members of
the Catholic church, do acknowledge the Bishop of Rome, who is
styled the Pope, as their chief Bishop and head of their church,
and also acknowledge, as residing in him, some degree of power
and authority in expounding religious doctrines and directing mat-
ters of church discipline, not interfering with nor in any degree af-
fecting their civil or political duties, rights or obligations. This
individual, whoever he may be, the Bishop of Rome, or Pope, is
by virtue of his office and of the civil laics of that country, also a
temporal prince and sovereign of that part of Italy known as the
States of the church, the city of Rome included, all of which make
but a very insignificant principality!