The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1854-06-30

American Common School System" and
'epmity to all who attempt TO carry out tho
principles Of forei.n Church or State" and
other propositions of like character. While
we have very little fear that Catholicism 10
the form in which Il exists in the old world
will undermine the liberties Of our country,
and while we would be tolerant OF oil sects'
we would disoouutenapce all attempts to
fasten upon the country supremacy OF .ect-
To our mind much of the dissatisfaction which
exists in this country respecting the influence
of foreigners is attributable 10 the course OF
the foreigners themselves in claiming privi'
leces which canno, and ought not to be &C
corded them. The claims Of the catholics
for example, to have separate schools Tor
their children, or that the Bible should not
be read in the schools is as absurd as the
granting OF their request would be contrary
to the principles upon which Z" the common
school system is based Then again, the
clanish spirit which the foreigners some
times manifest, aud which shows itself IN
military organizations, is Objectionable aud
tends to keep up a wall of separation be-
tween the natives and foreigners. 1t leads
10 suspicious iealousies and hatreds which
ought to be avoided. So long as this spirit
is manifested, so long as foreigners will not
assimilate with US, they must expect to be
the objects of suspicion and jealousy. In
looking over the creed Of the "Know.Noth.
ing" we see nothing that clashes at all with
I" religious liberty" in its widest extent
On The contrary, the only inference which
can be drawn from the propositions relative
to thi, Important subject, is that the prioci'
pcs of foreign Church shall not be allow.
ed to check real religious liberty - or to
speak more directly, that Catholicism il al.
lowed to exist here shall become American.
lied, and shall accommodate itself to the
spirit and genius Of our institutions, and that
the attempts of its pre'ates, bishops, and
priests 10 connect it politically with foreign
Church or State shall be resisted, and that
like all other sects it shall DE protected by
the same law, but it shall moi seek 10 mako
laws to insure its supremacy" We do
not regard this as unreasonable, and while
we a,e not convinced that any necessity ex.
lists for measures founded upon all the prin-
ciples asserted in the creed we are quite Ger.
tain, tina, true religious liberty would not be
infringcd by the general adoption of the
principle referred to, and we know of no
reason why the mos, Jealous catholic, un-
less il be true as some assert, that he owes
allegiance to u foreign power,l as vel! as a
good. protestant, can embrace it Remark.
ing in conclusion, that We have no belief that
the American people. as whole, will ever
evince proscriptivo illibcral spirit towards
foreigners, but will always be willing to &c.
cord to them, or to those OF them who sym.
pahi1e with our institutions, all the privile-
yes which they can justly claim. We close
these comments with another extract from
the Know. Nothing" which will throw a
little more light upon the subject. 1t is as
follows
I" Ifforeigners come to our country and
: behave themselves : if they act like Amer.
leans like Patriots act as do the sons OF
Washington, loyal, true and good, we are
the last to utter single uufriendly word.-
We welcome such to our country. We open
our ports, our arms, our hearts, our institu.
tons. We throw around such The pro.
lection OF our laws. our Constiiution-give
them the spirit OF liberty all that we pos.
scss. and which it has cost US so much
blood, time. brain, everything to obtain.-
Bur, when they come here for different
purposes-when they Introduce elements for.
eign to the laws, constitution, government
of The country-.whcn they shape their course
so rs ultimately to subvcrt our orpaniza.
tion-when they become The instigatoIs Of
riot and disorders Of every sOrt-when they
abuse American citizens in our very streets
and at noonday-when they insult, malign,
corrupt, our social, moral, political fabrics
when they become hostile to Rcpublicanism
and Democracy-when, in short, they pro-
claim themselves The enemies of the country,
THEN, and THEN ONLY, do We oppose them.
Then do we, rs we now DO, make war upon
them, and shall not cease to carry it on"
We see nothing remarkably bad in the
above. =.