convictions, that no intelligent American Catholic can be persua-
ded to the recognition of an allegiance above that he owes to his
Country; or that any foreign power could control the conscience
of such a citizen in a question that brought up a conflict between
his duty to his Country and his obedience to the visible head of
his Church. There is no member of the American Party who may
not, and we presume none who would not, in a proper case, bestow
his vote or confer official appointment upon a Catholic citizen who
held no civil allegiance to a foreign power, as freely as he would,
upon any other class of citizens in the State.

We are proud to appeal to the History of our State for bright
examples of patriots, statesmen and warriors of that faith, whose
names are associated with the glory of the past and the gratitude
of the present time. We rejoice to be. able to make this public
avowal—which we are sure will be repeated and sustained by the
House, as a refutation of a calumny which was intended to sow
dissension amongst those who rightly understanding each other,
have every motive to be friends.

To Catholics of foreign birth, the principle of exclusion will
apply only as it finds them. The question of their conflicting al-
legiance has been variously discussed between themselves and
others, and they have classed themselves on both sides of the prin-
ciple. Our trust is measured by their own avowals. But holding
all pretensions of a higher law in the regulation of a question of
allegiance to our Constitution to be utterly inadmissible, we com-
promise, upon that duty, with no citizen, whatsoever may be the
complexion of his religious opinions.

We are not aware that in the indulgence of such sentiments as
these, any citizen of Maryland is open to the denunciation with
which the Governor's Message has visited him, much less that he
can be made amenable to the penal legislation of the State exer-
cised upon him for their suppression.

The Commute are, in great part, themselves the witnesses for
the American Party, so often referred to in this report, and can
speak authoritatively in denial of the Executive accusation. They
are the friends of civil and religious liberty; their attachment to
this principle is the natural offspring of their veneration for the
land of their birth, and its Institutions. It is strengthened in their
breasts by education, habit, precept and practice. They claim to
share in this sentiment with the same earnest appreciation as the