Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1854-11-08

Wy hlAl W t"hlbs NuNNt lDulltIS III HIS own
hands. II the Catholics commit overt acts
by interfering with the civil or religious
liberties OF others, or otherwise violate the
laws, let them be punished as citieeaS, ac.
cording to law; but nothing can Justify
their opponents in assaiIing them on &C.
count Of their religious sentiments, or TO
attempt by force Of arms to prevent them
from building houses of worship, and from
assembling Peaceably to worship in their
own way, Proestanls that do or allow
these things, disarm themselves of the
most eilectual weapon they have against
Popery; for what force will be found in
their arguments, pointing to the history Of
the Catholic Church, that she has uniform.
! ly prosecuted Proiestpnts, if the Protes.
tants do the same thing in return whenev-
er they possess the power At best it will
be but an affair in which the litgants may
mutually balance accounts. If the Cotho.
lies shall, by fair and lawful means, even.
tuaIIy obtain the majority in this country
over all other denominations, why, then,
according TO the fundamental law of the
land, it will be their right 10 govern, and
to change that law, too, so far as to remove
every impedimont in the way of carrying
out their cherished views.
But this government must be subverted
and the whole face and organization of
society, before such u result can take place
and by a glance at the statistics Of the
churches in the United States, which we
compile from the report of the seventh
census, It will be seen at once how utterly
absurd ard chimercal is the idea that such
a result is probable, or even possible, upon
the principles Of hnman reason. "All
things are possible with God, and should
He give up our nation 10 judicial blindness
and suffer them to work their own destruc.
ton, then the worst apprehensions might
be realized. But we hope better things
than that, as wicked as our people are, and
that there are still enough of the righteous
seed left among us TO preserve the nation
from such dread calamity.
There are in the United States, inclu.
, ding the District of Columbia and the
Territories, thirty.six thousand two hun
dred and twenty.one churches, by which
we are to understand houses Of acorShip,
and thirteen million nine hundred and
siXty.seven thousand four hundred and
lorty-seven under the head of"aggregate
accommodations" by which is meant the
I total number of seats for individuals, or
, the congregations in the aggregate, in.
cIudng the members of the churches prop.
er and all that attend worship, or that
, can be accommodated with seats. In this es.
, innate there are one thousand two hundred
, and sixty.nine Roman Catholic churches,
, and seven hundred an five thousand nine
hundred and eighty.three seats, leaving
1 for all the other sects, which NAV prop.
, erly come under the head of Protestant
, thirty.iour thousand nine hundred and
:, fitty.two churches, and thirteen million
two hundred and sixty.one thousand four
> hundred and siXty-tour average accomo.
datons. These embrace about twenty
q denominations, among which the Baptsts,
: Congregational, Episcopal, Luthcrn, Meth.
odist, and Presbyterians, are the largest.
Compared with the Catholics the Bap.
/, fists outnumber them in churches about
, seven fold, and in their congregations
four fold; the Methdoists, in their church.
es, about nine fold, and in their congre.
q cations six fold; and the Presbyterians,
in their churches, four fold, and in theil
congregations about three fold. The
Congregationalists exceed them in the
number Of their churches upwards Of foul
hundred, and about nine thousand in theil
q congregations and the Episcopalans
exceed them abouttwo hundred in THEN
}, churches, and nearly equal them in theil
= aggregate accommodations. 1t must be
n borne in mind that by the acquisition O
1 New Mexico Territory there was an ac
r cession made TO the numerical strength
, Of the Roman Catholics of one hundred
, and iorty.sx churches and seventy.sil
4 thousand one hundred members, which i:
/, embraced in the estimate given; and, a.
they now stand, all the other denomina
r tions combined (and though they difiel
among themselves, yet they make com
mon cause against the Catholics) exceed
the Catholics in their churches twenty. sev
, en- and half per cent, and in their con
: gregations eighteen and three.Gourths
aud with these data before US, how car
any sane or reasonable man harbor
the thought that we are in danger from
Catholic ascendency? Rather we should
, Judge that those who have raised the hue
: and cry against the Catholics, under ex.
= isting circumstances, have a squoinlina
towards an alliance with the State, anC
: would do the very thing they affirm is the
design Of the Catholics. AT all events
, we think it advisabe--as perpetual vigil.
ance is the price of Iiberiy-to watcl
them as narrowly as we do the Catholics
> for if we are to have a Stqte Religion, We
would as soon be under the holy motie,
as any Of her daugtterS.
CEFFive ocean steamers have been los