Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1854-09-16
PULLING DOWN AND DESTROYING
CATHOLIC CHURCHES.

tuFneu 10 De Iehiseu III the oHly lEuc AePUoiiC
on earth, where all are invited to worship God
or Idols, as they think proper? Forbid il, Ame~
%ricans! Lay your hands against your hearts
upon your fire-locks-grasp the hits of your
swords-and swear before high Heaven, that
Worship shall be free and uprestrained in this
country, and that any attempt to desecrate or
despoil religious edilices, shall be met by that
doom which the incendiary and the traitor
must expect when arrested in their nefarious
designs. Religious intolerance, fanaticism and
persecution, have been the precursors to the
downfall of every Government whose nation,
allties at this day are known only to the pages
of history. Is this great Republic thus to be
swept also from its political existence!
The Delta, in its account of the disturban-
ccs in New Orleans on Monday night last, said
that a report prevailed at one time in the night
that ST. Patrick's Church was to be attacked
and as that journal, in its account, frequently
alluded 10 the "American party" (Which we
may perhaps consider the Know Nothing par
ty,) as those who were antagonists of the
"lrish' in the not that was progressing, we
may reasonably conclude that if there had
been any truth in such report, (Which the Della
even doubted,) that it was the "American par
ty" which was to have made the attack and do
the work of destruction.
This kind of Observation-Disclosures
wing the work of bigotry and despoiism, which
even disgraced the dark and u%nenlightened
ages of the worlds history--has lately been
p~racticed in Boston, in Chicago, in Cincinnati,
but a few days since in Newark and we
are told was threatened to be done in New Or
leans last Monday night.
We are an American by birth and sentiments
with no peculiar religious tenets to guide US;
but as an editor and an American, we protest
against such lawless and revolving acts as have
disgraced the above cities and cast q stain upon
the American character.
At those places where Catholic Churches
have been destroyed, the world has been given
to understand that it is the "American Protes.
tant Party" which has done this foul wrong,
and cast upon our country a fadeless stigma
and a lasting reproach. But we think it would
be discovered, if the truth could be reached,
that Germans and Irish Orangemen formed as
great force as the Americans in those scenes
Of violence and bloodshed.
We wish it to be clearly understood, that
advocate the rights and interests Of Ame-
ricans by birth in a political sense only, for the
reason that we believe those rights have been
foully outraged. We advocate the Order call
ed Know Nothings, because we believe that
aims are TO purify the ballot-box, to put
down demagogueism, to free the country from
party prostitution, and 10 keep out of office
dishonest and incapable men. We have yet to
earn that its aims are otherwise than political
but should those who constitute the Order,
20 farther, mix themselves up with religious
matters, and aim, as intimated, al the destruc-
ion Of the Catholic s~ect--at laying ia ruins
heir affairs and their edifces-we would as
Don encourage the incendiary while applying
he torch to the Capitol of the Republic, as to
Iphold any such designs. No! when the time
rrives that Americans are waging a war of
determination against any description of reli-
ion, merely upon religious or bigoted grounds,
glorious government structure has COM
1ensed in earnest to crumble to the earth.
Our Constitution guarantees 10 every man,
'om whatever land or cline he may come, the
ght to free and unrestrained worship of any
every description; and every American
no loves his country and hopes for its per-
~'anence, should stand sentinel over this sacred
ledge--the neblest and Hottest declaration
'hich our Constitution contains. 1t gives of
self assurance of a free country and a brave
eople.