Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-03-01

other nations suffered violent dc aths on account oil
her adherence to the Christian Church.
The prosecutions of psgans, however, have new
er riyaled those of the Christians themselves says
learned author, Submitting all that history has re-
corded, or devotion figured, on the suesc. =.
martvrdoms. it must still be acknowledge, inaN
the Christians in the course of their intestine oViS
ions, have inflicted far greater seventies On
other than they had experienced from tne Heai v
in6deIs" Passing over the dark ana Sioenay 80 60
turtles intervening the fourth and saVente1u.n "
Christian Era we find the government o! ID i'~,h
acting the most terrible penalties, against az WY
should dere to worship God IN any OuI '.,e t.
Gsbed" yay. TIE Dssenters of the British En- |
nire were treated with the utmost rigor, sovereign
lords and commons uniting to deprive them oil all
their social political and religious rights, and re:
duce them to state of the most AFFECT vassaage.
In ireland, Scotland and Wales, the torch OF per-
secuton was lighted, and the bright, beautiiushore
of Albion was once more stained with the plood o,
martyrs. For the last two centuries, the ancestral
home of Sheridan has presented picture OF desoia
ton and wo unparalleled in modern times
Rude were the chains for sons Erin wrought,
Damned for thinking what their fathers thoughli
starvation stalks along The Shannon's bank,
And naked myriads close the winter rank
While Russeil's plans, and dead O'ConneuS' sA'"
he deep damnstion OF poor Erlnswo'
The doctrine of American know nothngism
reached high state of perfection IN BRITAIN III the
latter part of the sixteenth and the beginning OF the
seventeenth century. The Purtans were hunted
like dogs until they flsd the country, and took re-
fupe in the wilderness of New England The only
crime alleged against them was that which the
kpow-nothings allege against the Cathoslcs, that
thew nrolessed different religious creed. Nhen
we look back and behold our "Pignm Fathers,
bidding a final adeu to the land OF their blrtr,
crossing in rude fra bark, the stormy breast Of
the Atlantic and taking up their abode, IN edepl
Of winter, upon stern and roeK-Dounu coast
separated by three thousand miles OF ocean, from
the civilization ofthe old world; and when we re-
fleet that all these sacrifices were made by the pu-
| ritans in order that they might be able to worship
the living God according to their own ritual we are
| amazed at the arrogance of British statesmen and
sages no have dared to claim for their proud isle,
the practice Of that godlike charity which makes
nation great but when we behold the little band OF
| the May Flower erecting Druid affairs upon the IN
| bospitable shores of New England, and sacrificing
British victims to the false genius of Christianity,
we are astounded at the weakness of the human
| mind, and the terrible wickedness OF the human
| heart!
| "Not as the conquerer comes
| They the true hearted came,
| Not with the roll of the stirring drum,
! And the trumpetthat sings Of fame
"There were with hOary hair,
| Amidst that pilgrim band
| Why had they come 10 wither there
| Away frsm their chdhoods land!
| "There was woman's fearless eye
| Lat by her deep loves truth;
| There was manhond's brow serenely high
| And the fiery heart of youth
| ''What sought they thus ATARI
| Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas? the spois of war;
| They s0aghtd tditEs pure SAsinsP
How wonderful that the New Englanders were 81
short time in forgetting those very lessons ofohar
ity, under the violation of which they had suffered
so many grievous wrongs! Hardly had they feleC
the primeval forests and paved the way for the fu
ture empire of New England when we find then
putting to death all who differed with them in ref
erence to the least important articles of the Chris
tan religion. The Baptists and Quakers mitigatec
the cslamities which they suffered at the hands O
the Puritans, by fleeing to the woods, and taking
refuge among the savages and wild beasts
We can look with some degree of allowance
however, upon those who lived in the perous time
of which we write; we can find it in our heart Il
forgive our "Plgrm Fathers" the enormous crime
of which they were guilty; we can see reason
which should soften the verdict of abstract justic
upon the bloody ecclesiastical policy of Ellzabet
and Henry VIII Of Britain; we can pass in silenc
the iron reign Of Cromwell though Clarendon
thought him guilty of ''crimes against which dam
nation is denounced and for which hell fire is pre-
pared, we can look with comparative coldness an
unconcern upon the green sod which covers tn
bodies of 2 0000 900 lrshmen starved by the eccle
siastica virtues Of England and buried in pauper
graves we can drop tear 10 the memory Of the
beautiful woman of royal blood, who stepped proud
ly forth upon the scaffold prepared by her murder
ers, and protesting her own innocence, forgivip
her worst enemies, and commencing her pure spil
it to the God that gave it. offered up her young Iii
, upon the altar Of humanity; we can turn in NUT
horror from the spectacle of the dying Emmett an
wonder at that remarkable Providence of the A
mighty that suffered periured Williams hired wit
, gold to cut the fbers OF his heart, and brand hi
J soul with iufsmy: but we can conceive Of no forr
of dissipation, no party in politics, creed in re
llglon, no school in philosophy, in which homes
/ man can find relief from the narrowing reflection
, that there is beneath the surface of American sc
ciety, black stratum of humanity engaged in elat
Grating vial of wrath from the suiferings an
crimes of ages to pour out in blasting drops upo
the lofty civilization OF the brightest of time
The hour is arrived 70 Americans to awake fror
their profound slunber, and look to the immediat
decision Of questions which involve the interests
q world There Is in our midst a class of me
who have determined IN secret Conclave, that a
who may be born beyond our shores and all VIII
profess the religion of Alexander Pope, shall n
longer enjoy the rights which are guaranteed ther
| oy the Consttu OF the United States, and tn
humane policy advocated by the best statesmen c
the country. They look upon all foreigners as Grim
inals; have taken solemn oath to wage agains
them war of determination: they have gone s
far as to advocate system which shall reflect upo
their ancestors, and operate upon all their posterity
they have invaded the secrets of the family recort
and prescribed not only the victims of their imme
date contact but all against whom, by possibility
they could bring their internal machinery to bea
advocating policy in regard to their enemies, nc
unlike that Of Calvin, they
"COnsign their unborn souls to hell
| And damn them from their Mothers womb"
Now, we call upon all in whom reason is nc
dead, in whom humanity is not extinct, to exam
inc this matter rigidly and see whether we are no
treading upon dangerous ground. Why all this fea
of foreign influences2" this dread of "Catholi
domination" 1t is not possible to tell how man,
foreigners are landing upon the immense Pacific an
Atlantic coasts Of our country but we will suppose
for the sake Of the argument that five thousand ar
rive each day. Now first, what are the religion
phases Of this mighty ocean of humanity poursg
/ al. l. Il