Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-09-01
THE RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
By RTTCHIES 4 PRYOR.
THURSDAY MORNING., AUGUST 30.
KSOW-NOTHINGS.

THURSDAY MORNING, AUGUST 30.
-NOTHINGS.
The position of the Enquirer, and, we arc happy t"
add, of large majority OF the Democratic press, upon
the principles rs fur they are known of this new
party, has not been cquivocal. We have been' anu
are, out and ont, opposed TO them Ill principle III Tic
application of their principle, in their secret "rGnn'
zation and in their aiilation with our own or any
party. We regret TO see them coun'euanced by any
man of any party, because believe theyare moved
and governed by prejudice and passion and false
doctrine at war with the very foundations of "ur po-
tical fabric and all the ma1ms taught by those who
erected our systems Of polty.
1t is said, that of their fundamental doctrines
is opposition to Catholics and the Catholic Religion,
and determination to apply this as test OF fitness
for Office We are no advocates for tho Catholic Re-
liyon nor are we advocates for the Jewish faith. We
are no advocates for Mormonism. 1t is impossible
that any man can be possessed of a belief in all the
crccds Of all the various religious sccts at the same
time. If he believes i'll one he may be said TO bc
opposed to all the rest. But the principle the unda-
mental principle Of our Republican SYSTEM that prln'
cple which of NIL others marks it Us distinctive, Is re-
liyious toeration How beautiful, how gloriously ii
has been asserted in our act for establishing religious
freedom. Let every kmow-Noth'ne once more re-
fresh his mind by reading this wise benecent act and
ponder over its truths:
"Whcrcas, Almighty God hath created the mind
free that all attempts to influence it by temporal
punishment, or burthens by cra interpretations,
tend only to bege habits of hypocrisy and meanness
and are departure from the plan Of the Holy Author
of our religion, who, being Lord both Of body and
mind vet chose not to propagate 1t by coerci"ns on
either as was in his Almighty power to do that the
impious presumption Of legislators and rulers, civil as
we'll az ecclesiastical who, being themselves but ai'
lible and unnspred men, have assumed dominion
over the faith of Others setting up their own opn-
ions and modes of thinking the only true and infal
lible, and as such, endeavoring to impose them on
others, have established and maintained false re-
gons over the greatest part of the world and through
all time"
Is il not plain to any man Of sense no matter to
what denomination he belongs, that themolnent ma
ior:y undertakes tn prescribe any one sect ana are
successful in prosecuting and suppresslg that Sect II
that were possible, that they may, by means "i the
same :secrct organizations and the same appliances
commence crusade against another sect, aud so or
until all are put down cone and that that one may
be made the predominant governmental sect, tyranni-
zing over the Others Who is to be the judge of
which is right and which wrong Who does not
see the truth and force of the other principles an
nounced in that same net of religious freedom:
THAT our civil rights have no dependence on our
religious opinions any more than our opinions IN
physics or geometry: that therefore the prescribing
anv citizen as unworthy the public confidence by lay
ing upon him an incapacity of being called 10 offices
of trust or emolument unless he profess renouncc
this or that religious opinion, is dcprvng him nuri-
ously Of those privileges and advantages to which, IN
common with his fcllow-citizens, he has natural
right that it tends only TO corrupt the principles o'
that religion it is meant to encourage, 10y brhlng' WIFI
monopoly of worldly honors and emOluments, those
who will externally profess and conform to it that
though, indeed those are criminal who do not with
stand such temptation, yet, neither those innocent
who Law the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil
magistrate 70 nrude lis powers into the field of opi-
ion. and 10 restrain the profession or propagation oI
principles supposi;ion Of their Ill tendency Is
dangerous faacv which at once destroys all religious
liberty because he being of course Judge oil that ten
dcpcv will make his opinions the rule of Judgment
and .nproye or condemn the sentiments of others only
es they sha square with or differ from his own"
We are told that thg Catholic religion Of all others,
il Objectionable, because the Catholics recognize the
poe es supreme, and that the foreign Catholics know
NOT the theory Of our government aud might under
.oL. IN SAD its foundations But there are native
Cuho,ics rs well as foreign How will you distin-
,,p;sb between them! Is the Chief Justice Of the
United States Judge Taney, lie prescribed because
he is Catholic Are nnturali<ed foreigners to be
prescribed, because in sacred matters they believe
the Pope tho head Of the Church, when they cannot
become nnturalIcd unless they take al oath renoun-
cling forever all allegiance und fidelity to any foreign
prnce uotcntate state or sovereignty whatever, and
particularly by name the prince, potenate, state or
sovereignty whereof they may at the time be citizens
or subjects If opposed to the Catholic religion, OPP
pose it us you would any error, not by political pro-
scripton and persecution. Oppose it by reuson and
argument oppose it by consistent display, by your
faith and works. of better faith In the language of
the same act before quoted "Tru,h is great and will
prevail if left to herself that she ig the proper and
sufficient antagonist error, and has nothing to fear
from the conflict unless by human nterpositon dis
armed of her natural weapons free argument and de-
mit,ed freely to contradict theu."-The same appl-
cation of force that would prostratc the Catholic,
would set up Mahommedanisn, or any Of the vilest
ism, that have issued from that hot bed Of indel'y,
Northern fuuaticism.
We hnvo thus spoken upon this principle of the
Know -Nothings, because we believe ii OF dangerous
tendency and vital stab to our liberty, subvcrslre
of all the constitutional guarantees upon the subject
of religion provided for the National and each OF the
State governments, and a return to the principles
which have been the opprobum OF the governments
of the old world and to fee from which so many for
eigners have sought refuge in this blessed country.
We content to rest our conviction on this point,
upon the reutablc clause in our bill of rights, which
rights do pertain to the people and their poStery as
the basis and foundation of government:
"rhat religion, or the duty which we owe to our
Creator, and the Of dischargng it, can be
directed only by reason and conviction not BY force
Or violence and, therefore, all men are equally en
tied In the free exercise of religion according to the
dictates of conscience and that it is the mutual duty
of all, to practise christian forbearance, love and
charity towards each other"
Upon the other principles as avowed by the Know
Nothinss, we have heretofore expressed our unqua-
fed dsapprobation, believing them to be, as the one
we oppose, utterly untenable. But for the pre-
sent, our time and space us to desist. Wo may
recur 10 the subject again.
TIE STATE OF SUPERIOR.
IN the New York Tribune of the 2Sth inst, is au
editorial marking out the boundaries of new free
State which the pous and moral editor of that super