Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-07-27

filled even the smallest office. This is the
case in this city, and in every considerable
place. Individuals, as the phrase is, are not
popular, either from habit, close pursuit Of
business, or positive distaste for Office. But
should an occasion arise that would question
the right Of one Of them to hold Office. the in.
dlviduai and the community would be swifl 10
vlndlcate this right. Citizens Of foreign birth
come into this category. We are merely sta
ting facts. The prejudices against them are
50 great, and their ways SO unlike the ways
Of the natives, that they are here seldom elec-
ted to Office. While they have a right 10 be
candidates, their fellow citizens, also, have
their preferences, and will exercise them. Tn
this respect the native and foreigner stand on
precisely similar footing.
These considerations will account for the
fact that citizens Of foreign birth are rare
| y elected to office, How many mayors and
aldermen, or selectmen, or incumbents Of the
the smallest local Offices, have been foreignersl
10 go from local Offices to the law making
power Of the three hundred and thirty
towns Of Massachusetts, how seldom is it that
any return citizens oGforeign birth as represen-
tatives. 1t would be q curious fact % ascer-
tain how many foreigners have been in the
Legislature since the adoption of the cOnstitu-
ton. They would be few and far between
1t is perfectly idle 10 talk Of foreign influence
in this body. The same remark holds good
as to both branches ofcongress and the cabinet
The constitution requires but one Office should
be filled by native born, the PRESIDENTIAL
Yet the citizens of foreign birth who have been
elected to congress have been comparatively
very few; and these cases where extraordinary
merit has overcome the prejudces Of race
Must not every candid person, not blinded by
passion. not guided by demagogue zeal, in
in view of such considerations as these, regard
the popular cry that Americans should rule
America void Of point! Americans always
have and always will rule America,
Again it is said that We shall be oyerrun
with foreigners; that they will rise upon ma
tive citizens and oyerPnwer them; that Cath
ollci%n will prevail and deprive America Of
its Liberties. These have been reiterated so
often that thousands really fear such results
Take the former apprehension, and let facts
50 far as they bear on the question Of physical
force, say how groundess the fear is. In tho
first place, for the whole time we have been
a nation, II is fact that no such attempt has
been made and ifit ever should be made,
such is the admirable working Of our institu-
tutions, that the rule Of mob is utterly out Of
the question. Permanent success, even when
the foreign population outweighs the native
population, is an impossibility for the whole
force Of the country would at once be invoked
to suppress such a rule. I'm the next place,
consider the utter folly, want Of foresight,
and suicidal policy Of such an attempt, if it
should ever be made. Of our now thirty mil
lions of population one million only IRE from
Ireland ofthe thirty-eight thousand churches
which the census Of 1850 show as being in
the country, the Catholics are set down at
1921 and Of the 81 millions OF church prop
ertv the Catholics have nine millions. Now
cannot this immense preponderance of Profess
tanism and Of Americanism take care ofiself!
Il is due, il is but bare justice, 10 our for
eign population to say, that not only has there
been no attempt al rising, but their conduct
save only in cases when heated by liquor or
otherwise excited-has been almost invariably
that of peaceabe citizens, submissive to the
laws. They have right to have such Ger,
tlhcate, as 10 the past, 10 stand in their favor
and when we consider their position among as,
we believe there is no more danger Of their
rising than there is Of The falling Of the
stars.
But there is another fear felt, 10 wit, that
the spread Of Catholicism in our conniry will
be dangerous to Cur American liberties We
have no fears on this scDre neither We do
moi discuss in these columns theological ques-
tions. 1t may be well to remember that,
with unparalleled sagaciIy, with wisdom
which the world had never before seen, our
fathers as To national matters secured perfect
freedom {: religion. Congress-, the federal
constitution says, shall make no law respect.
ing an establishment Of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof The great object Of
this clause was, il has been said, TO exclude all
rivalry among Christian sects, and 10 prevent
any national ecclesiastical establishment, which
should give an hierarchy ihe exclusive patron
age of the general government In comment-
ing on this clause, Judge Stury remarks
The Catholic and the Protestant, The Calvin
isl and the Armenian, the Jew and the in6del,
may sit down al the common table Uf the
national councils, without any inquisition into
their faith or mode Of worship. Ia what way
is il possible for American liberty 10 be de-
stroyed with such guarantees, by the spread Of
any sect We believe this fear, too, to be as
i'll founded as the apprehension That the Irish
will rise
One view Of all this prosecuting, ProscriP-
tive, an,agonstical policy, the part Of those
who pursue il, is worth considering. What il
surer 10 increase sect than 10 persecule u!
Is il not perfectly proposterOus to suppose for
4 moment that the Irish Catholics will ever
attempt to rise,' as the phrase is, with
i such an enormous disparity against thems
v RI III, NRhe history of churches standing feStl-