Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1854-11-29

| fee, or public trust under the Unitet
States. Fhe State of Virginia has, from
her earliest history, passed the most lib
eral laws, net only towards naturalization
but towards foreigners. But l have sale
enovgh to show the spirit of American
laws and the true sense of American
maxims.
Sd. Know-Nothingism is against the
Reformation and of Professionalism
What was there to reform
Let the most bigoted Protestant emu
merate what he defines to have been the
abomnationsrof the Church of Rome
What would he say were the worst O.
The secrets of ofJesuiLism, of the Anto dG fe,
of the Monasteries and of the Nunneries.
The private Penalties OF the Inquisition' S
Scavcnger's daughter" Prescription,
Persecution, Bigotry, Intolerance, Shut
ting up the Book Of the Word. And do
Protestauts now mean to out-Jesuit the
Jcsuits Do they mean TO strike and not
be seen TO be felt and not be heard ?
To put a shudder upon humanity by the
Masks Of Mutes Will they wear the
Monkish cowls? Will they intlict penal
ties at the polls without reasoning togeth-
er with their fellows at the hustings p
Will they proscribe'? Persecute ? VIII
they bloat up themselves in thet bigolry
which would burn non.confocmists p
viii they not tolerate freedom of cousci-
encc, but doom dissenters, in secret con-
claye. to a Forfeiture of civil privileges for
a religious difference Will they not
translate the Scripture Of their Faith .
Will they visit US with Dark Lanterns and
execute us BY signs, and test oaLhs, and
in secresy?
Professionalism forbid it
II anything was eyeropcn, fair and free-if
anything was ever blatant event was
thc Reformation. To quote from NIGH
ty British pen: 1t gave q mighty i'm
pulse and increased activity TO thought
and enquiry, agitated TO inert mass of ac-
cumuta!ed prejudices throughout Europe.
The effect of the concussioa was general,
bat the shock was greatest in this coun-
try" (EnGland.) IEtoPplcd down the full
grown intOlerable abuses of centuries at Il
blow heayed the ground from under the
feet Of bigo,ed faith and slavish obedi
cnca ; and the roar and dashing of opn-
ions, loosened from their accustomed
hold, might be heard like the noise OF an
angry sea, and has never yet subsided.-
Germany first broke the spell Of misbe-
gotten fear, and gave the watchword but
England joined the shout, and echoed it
back, with herlsland voice, from her thou
sand cliffs and craggy shores. in longer
aud louder strain. With that cry the
genius Of Great Britain rose, and threw
down the gauntlet to the nations. There
was mighty fermentation the waters
were out; public opinion was in a state
Of projection Liberty was held out TO all
to think and speak The truth mems
brains were busy their sPisits stirring ;
their hearts full; aud their hands not idle.
Their eyes we,c opened to expect Tho
greatest things. and their ears burned with
curiosity and zeal to know the truth, that
the truth might make them free. The
death blow whioh had been struck at
scarlet vice and bloating hypocrisy, loo
sened tongues, and made the taiismAns and
love tokens Of Popish supers!iIions with
which she had beguiIed her followers and
committed denominations with the people,
fall harmless from their nccks.'
The translation Of the Bible was the
chief ngine in the great work. It threw
open, BY secret spring, the rich treasu
les Of religion and morality, which had
then been locked up as in a shrine. 1t
revealed the visions Of the Prophets, and
conveyed the lessons of inspired teachers
TO the neancst Of the people. 1t gave
them common interest in a common
cause. Their hearts burnt within them
as they read. It gave a mind TO the peo-
pie, By giving them common subjects of
thought and feeling. 1t cemcnted their
Union of character and sentiment it Gre
ated endless diversity and collision OF
opinion. They found objects to employ
their faculties, and motive in the magni-
tude Of the hec6nsequences attached to them
tosexert the utmost eagerness in the pur-
suit Of the truth, and the most daring in.
trepidity in maintaining it. Religious
controversy sharpens the understanding
by the subIlety and remoteness of the to-
pics it discusses, and braces the will b.
their Infinite Importance. We perceive
in the history of this period nervous
masculine Intellect. No leVity, no feeble
ness, no indifference or, if there were
it is a relaxation from The intense activity
which gives tone to it's general character
But there is q gravity approaching to pi
ETY.. a seriousness Of impression, Il consci
entious severity of argument. an in
habitual fervor Of enthusiasm in their me
thod of handling almost every subject
The debates of the schoolmen were sharl
and subtle enough ;sbut they wanted in
tcrest and grandeur, and were beside
confined to few. They did not aHec
the general mass oi The community. Blu
the Bible was thrown open to all rank
and conditions g 10 own and read,'' wit
its wonderful table cfconteuts. from Gene
sis to the Revelations. e Every village i
England would present the scene so we
described in Burns g Cotter's Saturda
Might" How unlike this agitation, thi
angry sea, this fermentation, this shou
!. and its echoes, this impulse and ACTIVITY