Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-07-20

OGDUl 10 IG hriiCI HSCu HDJ De CllOfcBu bN
argument on this point The history of the
world for two centuries is replete with Incl
! dents demonstrating the wisdom of this doc
trine.
Religious liberation may be looked upon as
J the fruitful parent of the infant colonies-and
the rights Of conscience and of worshiping
/ God according to its dictates, may be consid-
! cred the corner stone of our republican insti-
/ tutions. The Puritans and Catholics of Eng
land and the Iugenots of France fed from
the perseo urioEs of religious intolerance at
home TO the wilds Of this Western world, in
order that they might enjoy that liberty here
which was denied them in the land of their
birth This land has l1rIi the lana ..,1,Jst. al
others of religious and political toleration-a
liberation Of all sects and creeds so much in
harmony with our republican institutions
1t Is true that here and there at the early set
tleInent of the colonies, a contrary spirit was
/ sometimes manifested, but it gradually sub
sided and the beaven-born principles promul-
gated by Lord Baltimore in Maryland, Rog-
or Williams in Rhode Island, and William
Penn IN Pennsylvania, have hadt heir health
ful sway in the policy of this country, being
engrafted in the constitution of the general
government, and in the constitution of the
several States. The Quakers and Baptists
were once prosecuted III New England, and
the Puritan preachers and Dlssenters from the
Established English Church, in Virginia.
but who would dare now TO avOw publicly.
sympathy with such intolerance? Who would
have the hardihO0d now to propose an amend
ment to the constitution of the Union or of
any of the States, that person born in for
eign land, or protesting any particular reli-
gious faith, shall be excluied from the rights.
privileges, and im!nunities of an American
citizen. Thanks to the spirit of the age and
IN dyerTUl!ng and ever wise Providence, the
idea of he rights Of conscience has eventually
prevailed and been permanently established
and peace has been introduced among men
under the sanction of our government and
laws, on subjects which had long led 70 cruel
and bloody wars.
We are not defending the tcncts Of any
particular sect, but the rights of all to enjoy
their own peculiar views without molestation,
without prescription and persecution, In this
lies the safety of all. for the powerful of to
day may be the 1:eak Of tomorrow. The same
oppresions and crualtics, visited by 4 domi-
nant religious sect upon their weaker breth-
rrn of opposite religious views, may be re-
turned upon themselves with ten-fold fury
i, the ebbs and flows Of parQ and po i,a'
feeling. II such questions are to be tolerated
at all IN political discussions, The poisoned
chalce may be returned TO the lips of those
who would force others to drink the hemiCck
We feel r.g..t sure. t'at tho 7l-c~sar"s of rhe
past in the history Of mankind, will not be
'ost upon the good sense Of the American p-o-
pie, and Iat all religious persuasions may be
permitted to carry cut the pure and holy mis-
sion OF propogatng the gospel and difiusng
a sound morality among men.
Let not then, fcllow-citizens, the sealed
fountains of religious controversy, be opened
to'deluge with bitter waters this happy coun
t-y Let not then the unmitigatCd evils Of
religious fcu2s be scattered broad cast over
the land. 10 be more loathsome than the Ice
ana frogs OF Egypt. let us not be divided
in political matters, by reason OF diversity
of sentiment on religious subjects. where no
difference can exist in the eye Of the law on
such subjects and where all sects and crceds
are alike protected. Let Us live together in
au.ity and love, with no sectarian, bigoted or
intolerant views upon su' jects about which
men never could and never viii thiak alike;
each conceding to the other the risht to con-
suit his own conscience i'll matters OF religion.
because such concession secures his own right
to DO likewise.
Let Us also avoid the contracted view Of
human rights, which denies the privileges of
citizens to those who have been born ON for
eign soil How few Of us but can trace an
cestors. not remote who first saw the light Of
day beyond the blue waters of the Atlantic.
And how it CRATES upon the American ear to
hear it announced as has recently been done
by the new Mayor OF Philadelphia. that a dis
tinction marked and manifest Is to be made
among the people of that city, not by reason
of inequality in intelligence or true worth, but
by reason of the accident of birth. The adop-
ted citizen is no longer to be considered an
equal, but an inferior. Hecan pay his taxes,
enrich by his labor his adopted country, and
if need be defend her flag. her honor, her IN
terests, on the field OF battle, but he must not
enjoy the emoluments of Office, must not oc-
cupy positions of public trust, or even exer-
else the right of suffrage except through pro-
tracted years and much tribulation. He has
cast his lot among us, made his home in our
midst, is identified with us in feeling and in
terest. and by all the ties which love of coun-
try can entwine around the human heart, but
vet according to this modern doctrine, he be-
longs to prescribed, degraded caste.
We have for long, long years, invited the
oppressed of every cline to our shores, ex-
tended to them the hand of fellowship, offer
ed them the protection of the broad shield of
our constitution, to secure them in the rights
and immunities of American citizens; but all
this is now to be changed. a new standard is
to be erected outside of and beyond the con-
stitution, and stronger and higher than the
fundamental law of the land. The great
charter is to be treated as a dead letter, 50 far
as it recognizes the equality before the law of
adopted with native born citizens, and pow
er alien to the constitution and laws OF the
land is to be hereafter the rule of action.
1t was assigned as among the reasons OF de-