As a temporal prince, or in his political character, the members
of the Catholic church, in all other parts of the world outside of this
Tittle principality, have no more to do with him than the members of
an Episcopalian or Methodist congregation in Maryland have to do
with the household or plantation of the minister who officiates in
their church, or with those of the bishop who presides over their
diocess, nor even as much. Nevertheless, this Bishop, or Pope,
is recognized in his ecclesiastical character as the head of their
church, having, some degree of authority in matters purely and ex-
clusively of a spiritual or religious character, and affecting men in
that future state of existence, in which they believe and hope for
happiness,—to him they owe the obligation of deference. Now
then it is seen that this 5th section covers and includes them, and all of
them, (the members of the Catholic church,) whether native or of
foreign birth, certainly and inevitably under this exclusive and pro-
scriptive provision. "No person shall be selected for political sta-
tion (whether of native or foreign birth) who recognizes any alle-
giance or obligation of any description to any foreign prince, po-
tentate or power." The Catholics of America, as well as those of
the rest of the world, do owe an obligation of some description, as
above described, to the chief pastor of their church, who happens
to be at the same time a person who is interested also with a polit-
ical government in another country, and by other people with
which and with whom they have nothing to do, nor any connection
whatever. Therefore it cannot and never will he denied that Cath-
olics do owe an obligation of some description to their chief bishop,
who is also a foreign potentate. It follows, that they are more
completely proscribed by this fifth section than they were by the
former eighth article, and the pretended exemption sometimes talked
about of American Catholics, has thus eventuated in a complete and
inevitable proscription of both native Catholics and those of foreign
birth.

This does not "blot out the blot'' which one of this new Ameri-
can party stated on the floor of Congress, the eighth article of the
platform of June, 1855, had placed upon the American character,
but only makes that blot deeper and darker!

Nor can it be any longer pretended that this American party do not
propose and intend to apply tests of a religious character as a qual-
ification for office—we have their own words for it in their tenth
section of this same new platform, which reads thus :

"10th. Opposition to any union between church and State, no
interference with religious faith or worship, and no test oaths for

Office EXCEPT THOSE INDICATED IN THE FIFTH SECTION of this plat-
form."

This minority beg leave respectfully to conclude this report by
saying, that although in their judgment secret political societies of
the kind and description they have endeavored to describe, are of

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