The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-09-15
From the Ohio State Journal
The Secret Political action of Rome in
America.

We refer all who may have implicit faith
in partzan leaders and partizan journals, and
/ who can see no danger TO our American in
stitutions in the infatuaton with which such
leaders and journals are now appealing %
! the foreign vote and un-republican pref JUDGES
to the series OF articles published in the Ohio
Statesman and Democrat, aad addressed to
young member of the secret order of Know
Nothngs, and also to the editorial paragraphs
that accompany them. ... -s --.
The writer ofthis article, is not member
OF that order. He had, however, understood, !,
until Of late, that in this land of freedom, the
sons of America might boast of their birth
i as Protestants, and take such steps for, its
maintenance as the prestige OF the past, the
exigencies of the present, and hope for the
future, might require. In this lie does not
claim aught for the order referredto, nor does
he know its creed, but the ar ices in iques-
ton call attention to different class. oi a.
genCies, and to secret political organization,
which, existing in our midst, acknowledges
a foreign head, and ramifies throughout our bo-
dy polite. .-'
Its members number, according, to the
Hughes. Archbishop, three and a half mil
| lion-accordng to the Bishop O'Conner, Of
Pennsylvania, four million. In 1890 they
were represented by 40 priests-now, by
1914. Had this increase been as the popu-
! lation,, their present number would be 800
They have secret associations and colleges
for sworn brotherhoods, whose Ties embrace
political as ell as religious clements, and
where An erican citizenship is wholly subor-
dinats TO primary allegiance to a foreign
prince. .. ...-...
In 1874, 81 dioceses; l apostolic vicar-
ate; II bishops; GIT priests; Gil churches;
46l stations; 10 ecclesiastical insttu:ions;
IL colleges, and iS female academies repre-
sented their outward activities. ''"7r
In 1854, they comprise 7 archbishops; 80
bishops; 1864 priests; l7l2, churches; a di-
! oceses; apostolic vicariates; 20 incorpora,
| ted colleges, with 2247 students; 30 theolo-
gical seminaries, with upwards OF 400 STU
dents, and ll2 female acadamies.
The accessions of priests to this country
during the year 1853, was upwards of $50.
We quote from the Metropolitan Catholic
! Almanac, and Laity'S Directory; -
"From 1884 to lS45, the personal and ma
terial force of our church in the United States
increased 100 per cent. During the last ten
years, the number of Churches and Priests
has increased about ITO per cent
The boosted essence of this system is ga
practical unity, subJection to one common
head, and that head foreign psince." II
is perpetual inSuccsSSiOa, secret III its action,
untirng in its ambition, uncian3iag in its ui-
tai essence, but adaptirs in its practical and
| political workings. 1t claims infaHibitay
and to be the only church of Christ; but it
authorizes its members to assume political or
religious cloak to accomplish its secret ends;
and claims that such dissimulatons are legt-
innate in the enlargement of its power over
"kingdons, nations, governments and com
monwealths." ... r rat
1t is systematic in its opposition to gener-
al education, and the diffusion ofthe acknow.
lodged word of God, and where its power
prevails, these are under formal and most
solemn prohibition. ...... ...... %.
To this general outline, which varies from
the skeleton furnished to the readers of the
Statesman, we only propose to add a few
comments upon the articles contained in tina.
sheet, and transcripts from the formulary OF
the Roman Order, as sworn to by the iunc
tionaries referred to.
The second letter of "Vivat Respublica,"
pursues with ridicule the idea that the Ro-
msh Church has power to weaken American
nstitutions-and dilates upon the mischief OF
secret societies. Sufficient answer to this,
lies in the facts already cited, and the report