Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-11-16

gave the people the Bible. Napoleon the First
succumbed to popery, and established it as the
religion Of France with princely revenues and
endowments Louis Philippe assumed the
protectorate Of the Holy Roman Catholic
Church, and compelled the helpless Tahitans
to admit the Jesuits and French brandy. And
now the Emperor, elected by the people of
France, keeps body of French troops in
Rome to protect his holiness" from the in
dignation Of an oppressed, enslaved, and starv-
ing population. Where, we ask has Roman
ism the ascendency in any country in which it
has not crushed out every feature and SEM
blance of civil and religious liberty? But if
this cannot be shown, is il not idle to contend
that this systematic hostility to human rights
is not inherent in the system, and will, il per-
mitted, do the very same thing in our now free
and happy country. Indeed, the purpose has
been openly avowed by the papers Of the Ro-
man Catholic Church, which have kindly fore
warned us that whenever the Roman Cath
olics obtain q sufficient numerical majority OF
the population of the United States--as they
are destined to do--there will be an end to
civil and religious liberty" that is, we shall
be governed by the incumbent of st. Peters
chair, whoever he may chance to be. The
oath Of every Roman Catholic bishop and
archbishop binds him to absolute and unques-
toned obedience, not only to the present Pope,
but to his successors, and to "oppose and per-
secute" all who do not submit to his a,l-
thority.
Was it not time to take the alarm, and to
combine to resist the secret association which
already threatened us with the loss of all that
freemen, and free Christians hold dear on
earth? Yet the fact is, that even this did not
produce any associate resistance or counterac-
ton. We waited for some overt act Of the
Romish hierarchy to rouse us to opposition; !;
and, encouraged by the ever-swelling tide Of
Romanist immigrants from abroad, the priest
hood ventured to enter upon an open field of
combat and everywhere assailed our public
was, we think, in the city Of New York, by
Bishop Hughes himself, who applied to the
city council for one-fifth of the annual amount
of the school tax, for the education of Catholic
children, alleging that the Bible, and other
books offensive to- the Catholic conscience,
were read in the public schools The council
appointed committee to visit the schools, and
ascertain what books were read in the schools
and whether there was really anything in them
which could reasonably be objected to by any
religious denomination. In the meantime, the
public-school society had done much to appease
the Romanists. They had blotted and defaced
many of the books in use. Some whole pages
We're obliterated by being stamped with prin-
ters ink, on other pages only paragraphs were
expunged, and other pages were pasted to-
gether, thereby obliterating two pages at once.
The committee from the council entering upon
their mission most mischievously took it into
their heads to visit the Roman Catholic free
schools, which were of course under their ex-
elusive management and found there these
same books without any deliberations whatever,
whether by ink or paste, showing that the OBJ
lection to them was mere prctence, after all
the professions made of conscientious scruples.
But the committee found no Bible there The
Bible had long since been placed in the indep
erpuryatorious, and was, therefore forbidden
book to all Romanists, unless by special per-
mission of the bishop. We have now large
collection of the expurgated books, and find
that most of the passages obliterated are his
torical and indisputable. So that, in fact, the
demand upon the public school society was to
falsify history for the accommodation of the
Romanists. We are sorry the society complied !;
but 1t was done to appease, what they supposed
to be, conscientious uneasness on the part of
denomination whose children most of all,
required the benefit Of common frce-school in
struction. Nothing was gained, however, by
the sacrifice; and as the bishop could not pre-
vail on the council to grant him the money, he
carried his grievances to the State Legislature.
But neither could the General Assembly be per-
suaded to let the bishop put his hand Into
the strong box yet they did what was cquiva-
lent, going far toward destroying the best pub
lic schools in the world law was enacted
by which the trustees were made elective, and
the disinterested and able supervision of the
public-school society was superseded in some
Of the wards by men Of very little education
some could not even read, and kept og-shops
at that If any one should inquire why the
governor should recommend, and the Legisla-
ture enact such measure, we reply the papsts
had votes at the command Of the bishop and
the politicians were in the market
After this the opposition TO the Bible in the
public schools was carried into every part Of
the United States; and even where it succeeded
It did not appease the Romanists. The sworn
enemies Of knowledge among the people, moth
ing short of the destruction Of the whole sys-
tem Of common-school education could satisfy
the Romish hierarchy 1t was now that the
Known Nothings" effected an organization, and
aroused the people everywhere to sense of
their danger, and showed that this danger was
imminent notwithstanding the Romanists were
in minority; for the majority were divided
iuto IWO BTtat paIues, eaCn catering IOT inc
Catholic vote, which was ready everywhere,
under the direction Of the priesthood, to be cast
in favor of whatever party would most favor
the pretcnsions and claims Of "Holy Mother
Church" We conclude, therefore, that IL Sc
cret party associations are an evil, yet the or
ganization Of the Know Nothings' Is neces.
sary one--necessary to the salvation Of the
country from the despotic rule Of the Romish
hierarchy; to the preservation Of our civil and
religious freedom, and hence should be not only
tolerated but encouraged
That the public safety cannot be entirely
trusted to either Of the great political parties is
evident from reason and experience. Nor would
any good arise from the destruction of these
parties and the substitution Of new ones; for,
while the contest is only between political par
ties, held together by the hope of public Office
or emolument they will bid high for the infu-
ence Of the Catholic priesthood. Any counter
action Of this sinister influence must nccessari-
ly come from those who, rising above party ties
and compacts, make the countcraction OF the
secret society which threatens the public lib
crty an exclusive, all-governing principle, in
the exercise of the right Of suffrage.
Tba t,,A,,o,co oc tho Rom ar,ieta IN, n,.r no