The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1854-08-05

- A'3 OoO LII OANOLlNA, y
i g many professors of religion for our populs-
well fnrnished T as lin any country; and piety
and religion nowhere has more reverence and
respect than in the United States.
Mr.. Jefferson, whose name is inseparably
united. and must SO continue through time,
with free governmept---ho yho penned that
great Declaratiop--was President Of the Uni.
ted States-the father of tue Democratic party
-nnd the great apostle: of republicanism-he
who spent long and eventfnl life in the ser.
vice OF his country, when the weight of years
pressed sorely upon his tottering frame, in tiia
quiet solitude of his own Monticello, calmly ral
viewing his own history-he selected three
tgreat achievements to carry his name to poster
ity, and directed this inscription upon the gran.
ite ooelsk that should mark tho spot where he
lies 'erhomas Jefferson, the author of the Dec
laration Of Independence, tie author of the stat.
@ mey :. ptrg,nia establi1tiug religious freedom.
aud the father of the University of Virginia. =
lCheers- He considered the establishment of
religious freedom nm achievement worthy to be
classcd by the side of the Declaration Of Inde.
pendence. He knew the enormitics growing
out of n union of Church and State He knew
That such junction was at war with peso
| liberty as well as with true religion, nnd time
| has shown that tho State prospers best indie.
| pendent of religion, and religion ~ospcrs best
Independent of the State. Wemu keep them
separate confine each to its sphere, if our flu.
ture is to continue bright and prosperous as our
past
There has recently been some commotion on
the political boards. growing out Of it is id.
new secret politico- religious association. |
y ro,0 nothing" of it's faith or its hopes. GChcer-
y and laughter among the democrats 1t is
sssposed that its purpose is to supplant the
Catholic religion, aud to ostrncise every person
NOT h0r A,,,ar 4
cry one whose father was not bern here. Now,
this is a different policy from the one our faith.
ers pursued; they invited here every foreign.
er to our shores. and Patrick Henry was indig-
nant when it was proposed to exclude such as
turned tories even and fled tho country during
the revolution. 1t i assumed by this associa-
ton that the priests Of the Catholis Church ex-
ercse political influence over their members
This may OF may not be 80. do not profess TO
know. have no affihities with the Catholic
Church. was reared under the teachings of
the Shorter Cntechism and the Westminster
Confession of Faith. There are not fifty Catho
lies or one hundred naturalized or unnaturalizcd
foreigners in my congressional district and
hence my perfect exemption from any personal
considerations in forming judgment with ref.
erence to tins new association. Suppose it true
that the priests meddle in politics, We sA unfxe
IN eondenn,ng IT for we think Church ande
State should be kept separate; but this new
organization proceeds to politico-religious as
aociation, secret, holding its meetings caudes.
timely, to counteract the priests. The end, then.
is to justify the means; but two wrongs will
not make one right The "know nothings" do
the very thing which they complain Of the
priests for doing. do not perceive any differ
ence between Catholic Jesuitism aud Protestant
Jesuitism-both are intolerant. But in this
country protest ngainst secret political or
ganization which fears to nvow its principles
which shrnks from their discussion. and which
makes its members, by secret pledge, spies in
every household. There is no excuse III this
country for secret political societies. Every
measure in the Federal and State legislatures
-undergoes public scrutiny and debate. No cit
izen is or ought ~ be afraid TO nyow his polItis
cal sentiments and tie seorssy which marks :. The
proceedings Of this order shows TINT thoy do or
say something which they are afraid or ashamed
for the world to know. II is time that the eyes
of the country should be turned towards them,
and their schemes discoun' enanced until they
INST off the veil. 1t is violntive of the genius
and spirit of our government, aud will bear
bitter fruits for our country IT, it. is not sup
planted. 4;l ~,
It Is said that tlieir forces in elections pplit-
ical elections--where all go together. regaf less
Of principle and consistency praeticaa guar
rilla war, fighting on the side promising the
best pay. II this be true, what is their stand.
|.ard Of morality3 call the attention Of my
democratic friende, however, to the fact, that
in all the municipal elections that I have Oh.
served where tho "know nothings' have tri.
umphed, it has always been q toliig elected,
where the Office was one of any Importance or
real value. -
organization, or thoy will find themselves EN-.
lbraeod in the arms Of whiggery. native-Ameri.
csnism and all tho other isms that infest the
land. ECheers.1
| There can be but two great parties in the
country: These temporary organizations may