The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-04-25
The Progress of Infidelity.

The Progress of Infidelity.
The hostility evinced in various
quarters against the recognition of moral
principles as governing political action,
should alarm all lovers of freedom
This spirit of hatred to all that rccog-
nizes revelation and immoi tality, has
everywhere gained such boldness that
it openly dcnounccs the introduction of
any illusions to moral or religious du-
ties into political discussions as evi-
dcnces of intolerance and bigotry; while
they arc the onl Y safeguard of liberty
and essential to the existence of poll
teal purity.
On this subject. the Now York Jour.
nal Of Commerce observes ~
1t is most earnestly to be deplorcd
that so few who are born in this land
and love American traditions are aware
Of the raLid hatred Of Christianity aud
its concomitants which inspires the
vast numbers who are yearly increasing
onr population from the continent of
Europe. We do not speak of the con
victs and paupcrs that are smugglcd
into our ports from Genoa, llambnrg,
and Trieste but Of tie tens of thous-
ands of Germans who from wear to
year come from provinces Of Europe
comalctely panthoiscd. and with whom
freedom is considered SYNONYMOUS
with the downfall of the Kingdom of
the Redecmcr. Large numbers have
come of late years to this country who
are disciples of the anarchist school of
llcinc, according to whose creed there
can be no true freedom until Christ-
ianity is bloodily abolished" j. c. until
persecution by infdcls of Christians
is instituted, with ends similar to those
of Dioclctian or Saror. Elections have
been made to turn upon the single
point whether prayers should be offered
to God in our Legislatures, whether
the Lor'l's day should be kept and re-
ligous oaths be maintained. Some of
the most influential German papers in
New York published simultaneously
articles warning the better class Of Ger
mans, Of whom there are so many in
thaSscity, against encouraging these
eXccsscs.
\ late anniversary of the birthday
Of Thomas Paine has afforded an oppor.
tuuity for the public announcement IF
,,,nr;,l,e hoe, IL. t5 \ t;.,,, o,,J 1 4,,.tl
ThcGcrman language constitutes bar.
rier which prevents the most of our
people from imagining what takes
place behind the screen of that un>
known tongue. The Tcutonic dialect
insures the existence of the Anti Chris
tan lcgions, whose large numl crs are
reinforced continually from abroad, as
a vast secret society to which none
can have access who do not 90 through
an arduous pains>taking arp cntice-
ship of stu ly, which in the end leaves
them, when initiated, only among the
first class of noviccs. Yet its members
are easily naturalized, become as speed,
lily as possible citizens of these states,
carrying Atheism to the polls, and rc>
ceivins the homage CT demagosue
politicians to obtain few miserable
sufra9cs.
A few of the "reforms" demanded
by the "Freimaenner,"-so they call
themsclves-who have set up Thomas
Paine as their apostle, and who strive
to gain strength to revolutionizc our
free Government by the establishment
of tho tyranny of anarchy. are aboii-
ton Of the laws for the observance of
the Sabbath abolition of oaths in
Congress abolition Of oaths upon the
Bible no more prayer in our L0gisla.
lures; abolition of the christian systems
ofpunishment ;abolition fthe Presidcn.
cy, of all lawsuits involving oxlns, ;
the right of the people to change the
Constitution when they Ikea reduced
term in acquiring citizenship, &c.
These things are not sought after as
mere shadows, nor are they the dreams
with which visionaries amuse them>
selves, but which do no harm they
are seriously inculcated, principles.
earnestly instilled, for the propagation
of which there exist several chief and
many minor societies to which hundreds
of thousands of foreigners are affiliated,
who are beginning to be felt in every
corner of the land, but particularly in
the West, where their efforts are great.
ly aided by the growing lieentiousness
of Abo!itionism.
In New Orleans this class ofadopted
citizens made demands upon the candi-
dates of the people just previous to the
late election, to pledge themselves, to
oppose all attempts to close coffee -huses
on the Sabbath, or to interfere, by
police regulations, for the suppression
Of excess on that day.
! We cannot but admire the bold and