The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-21

corchlng blo'S that marks Servetue' name, and
he indelliblfi disgrace of TIE British test acts.
Nor was fanatic persecution confined to Eu-
rope The prosecuted reformers who fed for
refuge to- America found on this continent Sc
curity, sut with it power and opportunity for
vengee nee. Adv, rsity had taught them forti-
tude, courage, manliness, but not one spark Of
toler ance. The annals of New England show
to t his day that whatever the Puritans suffered
pre- vious to their exile, they avenged with com
pc and inter st upon those who differed from
Il em in America. The lists Of Quakers who
' sere banshed or hanged or tortured for their
opinions by the clergy of New England is
enough to make the cheek of each Of the three
thousand reverend petitioners Of to-day glow
with shame.
Thus. there are not wanting historical prece-
dents for the violent and vindictive denuncia-
tons of the clergy of New York and New Eng
land. They are treading a path which their
predecessors trod before them when they inter-
fere with the proceedings of Congress, and
throw the bitterness of religious strife into y
controversy that ought only to be settled by
statesmen according to the principles of the
constitution. Like the priests of former times,
ference of opinion on secular matters that does
not involve eternal damnation for one party or
tie other. They know no middle term. The
Church of Rome has its purgatory; but the
Protestant clergy, as they acknowledge no mid
die place between heaven and hell for departed
spirits, SO in earthly affairs admit of no alterna-
tive but obedience to their Dictates or everlast-
ng punishment under Divine curse.
Their fate will be that of their forefathers
These fell though public opinion was feeble and
the press had not begun to WELD power. Now
public opinion is omnipotent and the press is
free; and the clergy who throw off their cleri-
cal garments and descend into an arena devoted
to such men as John Van Buren, and Captain
Rynders are deubly sure of their need of dis
respect and loss of character.
Reaction I'm Central America-Its Tendencies
and Objects.
The state OF affairs in Spanish America af-
fords cause for thought amongst all rejecting
men. InMexico we see Santa Anna breaking
down the last forms of republicanism, and
crushing out the few sparks of its fire which re-
MAINS restoring the despotism of the Church,
and almost reinstating the Inquisition. In Cen
trail America the same tendency is visible.
The aristocratic oligarchy of that country,
chiefly concentrated in the seat of the old vice
regal court, Guatemala, who sought at first
by intrigue, and afterwards by force, to incor-
porate the whole of Central America in the
ephemeral empire of Iturbide, are now in close
correspondence and entire accord with Santa
Anna. They seek to realize the dreams of rank
and power which the fall Of Iturbide dissolved,
and are openly directing all their energies to
this end. But to accomplish their purposes it
it necessary to follow the example set in
Mexico, and annihilate the liberal and repub-
lican sentiment of the country. This being
promised, the dissensions there, of which we
Honduras alone, of all the States of Central
America, has always adhered, as she still hero
ically adhcres, to the republican cause. Henct
the quasi war which is waged upon her by Gul-
temala, the hot-bed of the soi-disant nobility.
and the "city of refuge" for the Jesuits OK
PEELED from South America for crimes and gross
political intrigues. The instrument in their
hands is an Indian, named Carrera, who com
menccd his career as the leader in a war o.
castes bearing as his banner red flag deco
rated with skull and cross bones, and in
scribed, death to whites, foreigners and
liberalsW
This Indian leader, whose course has been an
unbroken series of murders and assassinations,
at the outset was q mere tool of the priests,
who sought, through him, to revenge them
selves on the liberal government, which had
the monasteries, expelled the Jesuits,
and decreed the abolition of tithes. They let
down letter from the roof of one of the
purporting to come from Heaven,
and commissioning Carrera, who was
afterwards impiously called the CANCEL
Rafael" to exterminate all foreigners and libe-
rails. When his power became established he
was adopted by the monarchists and bigots as
the executor of their designs and he is now the
instrument with which they hope to effect their
consolidation in the new empire of Mexico
The prospect of brilliant vice royalty is con-
stantly held before him as his reward In the
event of the success of the scheme
Nicaragua and San Salvador, which, until re-
Gently, adhered to principles of national unity
and to liberal institutions, in concord with Hon
duras, have fallen into the same policy with
Guatemala. The first named has expelled near
ly all of her leading citizens under the pretence
that they were concerned in revolutionary
schemes, of the existence of which, however. no
proof has been adduced. Their real crime con-
sisted in their unyieldins republicanism. As an
appropriate sequel to this arbitrary act we find
a constituent assembly called, under the pretence
OF revising the constitution, but really to estab-
lish dictatorship on the plan of Guatemala and
Costa RIGA, which shall serve to pave the way
for the final and complete overthrow of the very
semblance of republic. Our Leon CORES.
pondent informs us that the government sub