The American patriot., 1855-08-11

v"SNCOA DOuVCE6t. ueT0ver tOcy nave NOM.
mated candidates thay have taken the larger
number from the Democratic ranks. Judge
Cone Of Georgia who reported the platform
adopted at Philadelphia, is an old line Demo-
crat. He was member of the Baltimore Con.
vention in 1644 that nominated Mr.. Polk, and
reported the resolutions adopted by that body
as the principles of the Democratic Party.
How stands the case on the other sidep Mr..
Wise confessedly owes his election to the
Wings. Mcssrs. Toombs and Stephens, Whig
leaders in Georgia, arc at the head Of the anti.
American party, and so with Mr. Preston in
Kentucky. Every where you find Wing lea.
dcrs among the bltterest opponents Of Ameri.
can principles, and if it is Whig trick they
have been long time finding it out
There is another branch of the question
which approach with more reluctance be-
cause am afraid with more prejudice than
will enable me to consider it dispassionntely.
Without belonging to any church grew up
in the Methodist persuasion. 1t was the faith
in which my Mother lived and died, and l
could not change it ifI would. Among tho
earliest books which fell into my hands found
accounts Of Catholic prosecutions Of the early
Protestants. Of men, women and children
thrown into dungeOns-stretched upon the
rack, tortured with thumb screws, and finally
burned at the stake for the crime Of worship
ping God as reason and conscience dictated.
Then came the "order of Jesus" with the In
QUESTION in it's train,- For centuries every
page of history is blackened by the iniquitics
Of that Church whose Pontiff arrogantly claims
to be the immediate representative of the Al
mighty, and who has not hesitated at all times
to exercise powers in accordance with that
claim. Subjects released from obedience to
their legal rulers-murder perjury--inccst,
eve'y crime made vcnial Of it tended to the
advancement of the church. know it ia
said these powers are not now exercised or
claimed Where has it ever been abandoned
when they had power to enforce itg What in
the use Of the Confessional if the Priesthood
do not still claim the power of forgiveness for
sins committed or to be committedp havo
searched in vain for any authentic document
which shows that they have ever abatcd ono
jot or title of the pretcnsions which character
lied them in other years, and characterize
them now in other lands. have visited two
countries in which the Catholic religion ia ca.
tablished by law, and found in both the same
intolerance, the same bigotry, the same hatred
of the Protestant as yore. Even the dead
bodies of Protestants are denied the right Of
burial in Catholic graveyard. The masses
are taught to believe that the rottng corpses
of the faithful would be polluted by the neigh.
borhood Of q Brother who held in life differ.
ent creed In Spain an assemblage OF more
than fifteen Protestants for the purpose of re.
ligious worship is declared All unlawful assem-.
bly,, and all the remonstrances ofEngland have
failed to ameliorate this detestabe tyranny.
What we see existing elsewhere, what we know
has always existed wherever Catholics had the
power, We may surely dread for ourselves
without being liable to the charge of excessive
timidity, particularly when We see the rapid
strides they are making to power and influence
among us. From 1910 to 1850 the number Of
Catholics in the United States doubled and
now they exceed two millions of souls. At
that rate it will not take them long to acquire
all the power they want, and when acquired
they will not fail to exercise it. In the very
nature Of things the Catholic must be pcrse-
cutor. When he believes that every Protest
ant is on the highway to hell-when he be-
lieves that it is charity to torture, and pity
to murder those whom he looks upon as enc
mics to his God 1t would be absurd to expect
mercy, or look for liberation.
| Another great danger we have TO dread il
the prevalence of the mischievous dogma that
the Pope is superior to the Constitution, and
can absolve his flock from onths to support it,
l know how bitterly this is denied; but il
American Catholics do not acknowledge it
they are widely different from their brethren
elsewhere. History is full of instances of
Kingdoms laid under lnterdict, Monarchs OK
communicated, and whole people doomed to
| Purgatory for some real or imaginary fault Of
their rulers. We all remember that a King of
France was assassinated by Priest at the bid.
ding of his superiors We all remember that
King Of England was compelled to walk
barefooted, in sackcloth and ashes, to tho
tomb of Thomasa- Beckett, and that the great
Bruce wandered for years an outlaw, hunted
by assassins and blood-hounds, for daring to
punish traitor to his country within the pre-
cincts Of catholic church. The best way Of
Judging tree is by its fruits, and these fruits
are familiar to us all. 1t is objected however,
that the Constitution secures to every man the
right Of worshipping God as he pleases and
that in prescribing Catholics we are guilty Of
violation of that instrument. Not at all.
The same Constitution which gives to them tho
rights of conscience, secures to me also the
right of voting as think best 1t does not
compel me to vote for Catholic any more than
It compcls me to vote for an Abolitionist. Ono
may be Just as sincere in his belief as the
other, and both be equally dangerous to the
I country. OF that each voter must judge for
himself There is no proposition to change
the Constitution, none to pass a law inconsis
tent with it. The American party undertake
to show, precisely as the Whg and Democra-
tic parties undertake to show for themselves
that it is safer for liberty, safer for the Union,
safer for religion to place none but American
Protestants in office, and they leave it to their
countrymcn to decide upon reason and argu-
ment how far they are right or how far they
, are wrong. We do not propose to disturb
their public worship---we do not propose to
, declare an assemblage Of Catholics unlawful,
: but we claim the privilege Of voting to suit
a ourselves. I can see no difference in the evil
3 tendency of the higher law of Mr.. Seward, or
4 the higher law Of Archbishop Hughes. do
Q not choose to vote for either, and he who at.
: tempts to force me to is guilty Of the very
j. prescription he condemns.
!. | wish | could have devoted more time to