The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-07-24
The NY. Express and the Catholics.

lNO 1N Zap Obo uA"
II astounds every candid reader to peruse tn
federal Journals, and to note what intrigue and frau'
upon the people, they are willing to commit, ii
order to obtain the control Of the political destinie
ton springs up in the country, they are willing tt
unite with It, il by that means they can succeed II
gaining power. Witness their various unions will
the Anti Masonic, the Native American, the Adolf
tion, the Anti Trent, and other parties-and all fol
the purpose Of defeating the democratic party
But in all these unions of the wings with the vari
ous factions of the country, we have never, unit
lately, aeen an appeal to any Of the religionists tc
unite with them, in order TO triumph over theil
opponents. Such an appeal, however, has lately
been made by the New York Express, one Of the
leading whig papers Of the United States. The
Express calls upon the Catholic population of this
country to unite with the wings in order to put an
" end to this useless and unjustifable scar, by thu
constitutional action of elections" The Catholics,
says the Express, " are able to put an end and
prompt end to the conquest Of .Merico."
If the Express whistles to see a return Of those
Q1yS Wueu IHCu WCiCp iCoStioca thV iCiiSiOus
belief and burned at the stake, lot him and his par.
y make a few more such appeals-let them excite
the religious prejudices Of the people If they can
glory in such scenes of riot, and church. burning,
and pillage. and bloodshed, and murder, as we sec
sometimes exhibited in our Eastern cities. Let
them array the Catholic population of this coun.
try in favor Of a particular candidate for president,
il they can. and then how long will it be until we
have the Protestant population arrayed against
them? Who wishes to see such a state Of things!
God forbid it. For our part we hope the day is
far distant when any religious controversy will be
drawn into our difficulties with a foreign nation,
Or in our presidential campaigns; for then may we
look to see civil war devastate our fair land. Who
does not ~recollect the excitement of the campaign
Of 1910! And would not any man tremble for his
country, if a large religious community would ar
raw themselves on one side under such an excite
ment!
The Express may attempt to cover up his de-
plorable and traitorous conduct, by calling it an ap-
peal to the Catholic population to exercise their
civil and undoubted rights at the ballot box. But
10 it not in truth and in fact an appeal that gives
laid and comfort" to our enemy, by holding out
tho idea that the Catholics Of this country are in
heart and feeling with Mexico, in their views of
the war?-a war, too, which has no more to do
with their religion, than had the war of the Revo.
lution;-an appeal calculated and intended to unite
the wings and Catholics in their opposition to the
present administration and the war.
The Express says:
"Disguise this war as the administra-
ton may, it is nevertheless clear, that
in its results and consequences it is a
war for conquest of territory first, an
Of tho Roman Catholic religion in Mex
leo afterwards. This very natural i'm.
pulse, or wish, Of the Protestants of
the United States, ought not, however,
TO bs without its effect upon the Ro.
man Catholic population here. They
cannot but see and feel that the con-
quests we are making are Protestant
conquests; and the volunteers who 60
there as invaders, are Protestant vol.
unteers; and that the inevitable conse.
qusnce of such invasion is the subjec-
ton 0 fthe Mexican religion to the Pro-
tsstant religion Of the invaders. The
Mexicans and their religion, it is clear
will disappear before u settlements,
as chaT before the wind, whenever we
settle in Mexico. What Texas is in
religion and feeling, all Mexico will
become. Just as it has been with the
French Catholics in Michigan, in ILL.,
nois. in Missouri, just so will it be in
the Mexican States which we conquer
and keep. Only a vestage Of Roman
Catholicism will be left for that religion.
The men Of the west and Of the south
who are now c%onquering Mexico have
no sort of respect for Roman Catholic
customs and ~prejudices; and the first
thing in tho conquered territories that
will disappear, will be the Roman Cath
ole priesthood, whose places will be
flledby Methodists, Baptists, Presbyte-
rians, or others of the numerous Pro-
testant sects of the United States,
which are alive to such missionary en-
teTPriSes. |
"We,"(whigs) further says the Ex-
press, "are opposed to this war as un-
CONSTITUTIONAL" and the "Roman Cath
o,ics OF the United States are more es-
pscially 70 OPPOSE 1T, when, us
now, the unavoidable result of the war
is the subsection OF their religion to its
Protestant INVADERS"
We have neither the time nor the inclination to
give this subject the attention that is importance
demands. We cannot see the reason Of the CHARGE,
except in the recklessness Of the Express. that the
s'result Of the war is the subjection' of the Cath
olic religion. The Express labors to impress upon
the Catholics this beiief-and why' In order that
they may be induced to unite with the wings in