Meigs County telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy [Ohio]) 1848-1859, 1854-10-03
From the o. S. journal.
Some Of the Causes.

. IA 4
The Albany Register, one Of the most s,aid
and conservative journals Of New York, has
an article on the religious feuds and rios
connected with sec,arian feeling, thar are SO
iprevalent all over The land ai the present
',ime. We read j. with profit. and feel dis.
posed TO copy portion Of it for The benefi.
sof our readers:
We have seen the Catholics Of this coun.
Try uniting in political views, but upon a
common faith, carrying their religion into
politics and makind that the motive Of their
union. We know, and every Intelligent
ssman knows, that the Ca,ho.,c portion Of our
population as whole, are very far from be.
ing The most enlightened or inlellgen, class.
We know, and we admit with pride as we'll
AS pleasure that there are among them, men
'of enlightened views and patriotic SEMI.
mems, but tho fact remains iha, the Calho.
lie population Of This country are as whole,
e sf. hssg The most enlightened OF in,eli-
hyperion of The people.
They are TOO, in the main, OF q foreign
birth. In this state d. least, itmny be safely
said lha, eighs..enlhs of.hem were not born
or educated under our institutions. They
came 10 this country, some in pursuit Of for
tune, some fleeing in refuge from tyranny
ihatpressed hard upon Them, some ou. ol
admiration for our foim Of government and
"a love for our institutions, and some because
their kindred were here. Whatever their
smoliyes were, they brought, with ihem much
OF their prejudicts, o(counWy and class, bul
tmore ol their pr-judices, ruth compls US 10
say Of their peculiar religious faith. With
them came their priests and spiritual guides.
The Roman priesthood are in main Of "a for
eign birth. We know not wha, proportion
ARE alien TO The soil, but in this Stale, among
the whole number, there are bu,.veEy few
who were not only born but educated in for.
eign lands. Another truth is known 10 every
Sinleligenl man, which is, thai there is No
sect or class in this country, SO subject TO the
control Of their spiritual advisers as The
Catholic people. This. whether right OIL
wrong, is a fac, which results not only from
the peculiarly ofsheir creed, bu. from .heil
education. s
The great influx Of Catholic people intc
shis country from abroad, and their being
through The benign and liberal policy Of oul
naturalization laws. made citizens, and enli.
'.led 10 vote their numbers became an impor-
tsan, element in the political contests Of the
country. In,Ihe equipoise Of parties il was
discovered thai il they could be CONSOLIDATED
rand their vote thrown in body, they could
Sbe'made 10 control the results ef The cleo.
lions.
Theirprejudices of both religion. and birth
'sheir faith in subseryiency 10 their spiritual
advisers, their proneness to go together un
sder The influence ol wha, the American sen
i,imen. regards as bigol.y were seized upor
iby designing and unscrupulous politicians
and they were banded togeibor, and har
messed into service OF parly. Bishops wer,
courIed, priests were propiiia,ed. their lead
ling men we're faRered until Catholicism
erecled itself into a distinct political entity
and the foreign vote became great stake
for which political parties played. and e
gain which political aspiranis must sacriic,
aheif American instincts and their ndepen
dence Of speech In This. Catholicism wa
as much sinned against as SHINING, MOI 4
have accepted ihe brbes rendered TO inducl
lis isolation would have been more than hu
man No. 20 have fallen under The templa
AiDns which bessi Il, would have falsi6ed th
whole history Of sectnriaKism, since hi
word began. Catholicism kept itself isola
tated exercising an influence no. in proper
lion 10 lis own numerical strength, bui BY 90
ing always together, and thus holding th
.kf- ho,. -, n ~,