Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-01-23

L 2 q I'M, 49, On = tR5inta.
/ IN e on RON i, f
Papa6y 6 ana il 81
e ps With 81 ~ 81 i,S4i
Nothing princill 81 siis e
oqs tne country. And when asked n III t,ey "a
! " tnisf and whether they do mot pteslriEe 4 4
E'Oa Iest aS qualification for Office? the Know Nal
eehy that they prescribe any man on accom-.
" nus religious belief simply But say Ihey, aths,S
.te some catholics, whom they designate as Romans
,s"' who believed in the temporal power Of he
ops and are therefore nmiCal to the constitution
sao government ofthe United States +zhiIe otbees
10 not And make this distinction for the latt5E
are IS freely admitted into our councils as any or
CT native born Americana New let us tst Che tr1,t
TINS position. Let zee how this distiaetiou B
20 oe made? Suppose for example that two Catloz
nc subjects of:he pope Of Rome were to make apt.+
c@flon to become citizens ofthe United States Ai
et US suppose for the sake Of argument that thee
does exist such distinction that one of them is !
-homanist' and that each takes the oath secuirSt
the laws of naturalization. And in the langpa,a
Of that act :" renounces forever, absolutely and s.
nFely, all allegiance and fidelity to any forei9r
prince potentate, state sovereignty whatever Ana
EaTteatGTty hy name, the prince pOtentat5 &C. ybe
OF such alien may at the time be citizen or subet
that IS Te"0WNeeS oTeTeT, absolutely and entirely ~
aeteg'ance and fidelity to any foreign prince pofenLG
9e and particularly to the pope Of Rome ON soleun
oath, in the presence of his God; and ssyea.s sls
ne will support the constitution ofthe Untee tatss
The Know NOthngs suppose that one of these aliens
believes in the temporal power Of the pope and that
ne has not therefore, renounced all allegiance there
TO In other words that he has wilfully, ana delib
erEtely PuEjured himself for it amounts to this
but how are they to discriminate between them
no" IS It possible for any human being to acquire -
aaffh hot, .
mind ofanother, except through his acts, or by his
"ordSf But the former they do not wait for, ana
the latter they will not believe since they pre-sur
pose that one of them has pnrjurcd himself tey win
not of course take his mere statement aftsrvards-
Now where Is the line of distinction to be drawn
BY what criterion are theyto discriminate? Ani
who are to be the judgss2 The Know NOthfnga--
1helr own caprice or fancy makes the distinction1
and their own omnipotent will is the sole cniterioa
by which they guided And thus by setting
themselves up selconstitutsd judges OF thu inter-
ma! phenomena of the mind of man, which none but
himself can know, they strike fatal blSw at the
liberty OfconscieuCe ITSELF and endanger st cuce the
very existence of all human rights. They lay dow
Eule, which says, you shall not acknowledge the
temporal power of the Pope" they judge of its in
fraction and proceed at to execute the penalty
which they themselves have prescribed, by depriv-
ASSESShSSAS
zens of the privilege of holding Offices, either un-
der the State federal governments Of the United H
States. They themselves the accusers; they are
the Witnesses they are judge and jury; and having
made the law and prescribed the penalty, they pro-
coed at once to cary it into execution contrary to
every principle oflaw and equity; contrarv to every
precept of CONF. justice in violation of tbs Con.
sttuon ofthe United States in violation CT te Con-
situations OF nearly all the States of the Union set
ting at defiance sacred Bill oFLGights, as we'll as
the statute law of Virginia.
By the same rule and upon the same principle they
may enact again, in America all the horrid scenes
OF te Jacobin reign of terror; and prescribe ia
all the sects of every denomination erecting upon
their smoking ruins a gorgeous temple of human J
bones where the furious and flaming bgets Of a ia
Vored few, may riot and revcl in the warm blood of
their victims, sacrificed upon the altar ofinolorance
while the ghosts of anaticsn stalking abroad howl
forth their anthemas of vengeance agaiast human
rights, aud human federation Once Acknowledge
tfe principle which gives the right to prescribe
rule faith, and control the conscCuces Of men,
however specOus the pretext however plausible the
excuse, and all our liberties gone Let hut the
principle be admitted, and the InquSitions OF
Spain and Portugal cease to be objects either Of rid
icule or of abl'orreHce- Once put in power men
who advocate such monstrous doctrines, give hem
all the offices of government legislative Judiciary,
and executive, aud let thcm put into practice the
principles they advocate and what are ia expect
what have to hope for then?
prescription which deprivcs class ct our cit
izens of part of their civil rights, may With tho
same justice, and upon the plea deprive them Of
the rest. Ifone degree of persecution may be just
fed, another degree of it, under different c.:cuH
stances, may be justified also The causes which
bring about revolutions in the affairs of men al
ways gradual in their development Who knows
how soon pampered and bigo;ed clergy, ct az es-
taLlished church, may lord it over the lanl2 The
FIRST step has already been TAKEN who tell but the
last may be also7 How may we hear oD this
side of the Atlantic the cry, No P0Pery! Tie church
is in danger We have already heard, No Pop |
cry the Union atngcr ~ Persecution and OPP
preston have always had their pretexts and excuses
in every age How like the apologies of the learned
commentator upon the English laws, for British per-
secution are those of the Know Nothings of the pres
ent dayI " As to pGpists," saysh he, "whathas been
said of protestant dissenters would hold equally
strong for general federation Of them prorided HeE
separation .cas founded upon difference of opinion
religion aud their principles did not ertend also 10
su6Uersion of the Girl gorcranent But tctLe heyae-
k,ro,c!edge foreign Po,cer superior to the sovregnty
ofthe kingdom they cannot complain if the laws of
that kingdom will not treat them upon the footing
of good subjects" ave do not prescribe them on
account oftlietr religious opinion" say they "but
because they believe in the supremacy of the pope
and their principles tend to the subversiOn Of the
Union" The same pretexts, apologies, and excuses
for persecution which were heard hundred years ago
in England form the burthea Ofthesoug ofths Bnew
Nothugs of to-day. Aud the monster Intolerance
has been banished from England. France, Prussia,
and nearly all the civilized nations Of the earth but
to raise again its gorgou head in America TIE flu
ture is dark before us. A gathering cloud sxliaed
from the hot beds of abolition corruption already
darkens its horizon, aud hangs heavily over US,
with threatening and portentous aspect; It's rhad-
ow falls upon US like pail of death, SLING with
vague and awful apprehensions, and palSying our
v.ry souls, for on it is written in letters Of lnsid