Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-05-25
Religious aspect of KnoNV-No thinglsm

the lovers OF Wel-regulated CIVIL ana reIlglous
liberty there is something appalling in the progress OF
this new party. We stand a-hast at the bare posi-
blity of its getting control of the government for if
its action in the Massachusetts, Legislature is any In
dex to its probable action in the halls of Congress,
we may look for deeds of blood and tTeachery not
unworthy of the Spanish Inquisition. Knowing from
sad experience that t was dangerous to blend Church
and State-poitics and religon-togeher, our tore
fathers wisely ignored an established church-left
truth and error TO combat upon an open feld-and in
the Constitution guaranteed to them all the rights to
worship God as suited them best; not worship him
at all, if they saw proper. Since that time, politics
and religion have been kept distant, and the political
parties of the country have been content to battle for
the supremacy upon strict political issues. But a
''changeihas DER the spirit of our dream' and
one that may well awake the keenest anxiety in the
breast of the Christian Scarcely three. quarters o.
O. century have elapsed since the adoption of the
Constitution party springs up appealing to the
worst preiudices and most ungovernable passions OF
mans naule, and proposes to change the whole fea-
ture of our government Its avowed aim is to crush
the power of Catholicism, and raise the Protestant
church triumphant DER its rulns-but as we will
show this is all masked lie. In my Judgment, the
Nothing party is but band of willy assassins
marching forward under the assumed garb of reli-
gous politico patriotism, with drawn daggers, to
strike deadly blow at the Union, the Constitution
and the rights of the South Look at it's compost
ton and then tell if its loud protesations in
favor OF State rights the publication of the ballot.
box and of the Church, do not sound in your ears
just like the Devil preaching to saint It's strong
hold is in the abolition, wing, ree-soil and inf
del States-we say infde, for it is we'll known
that the theology of New England is unsound. Now,
for section of this Union where deny the obi
cation Of an oath 10 support the Constitution, and
where atheism infdelity socialism, and every other
religious flourishes, to rise up and their
object 10 be the preservation of the Union and the
publication of the church, is sheer impudence and
| ha n Of fhn
of political parties in its composition to be sound
either in its religion politics; hence our people
should shun it. The wings, freesoilers and aboli.
tionists have each and all been striving for rany
years to get control of the country and shape its
polcy-the whig, to engaft upon it protective tar
if and national bank-the abolitonist, to abolish
slavery or dissolve the Union-and so with the free
soiler. But time and again have they been defeated
and so utterly were they routed by the democratic
party in the last campa gn, that they despared OF
ever achieving the victory under old names and is.
sues. Hence they fraternized-set to work to found
a party, with name and new issues, in order
10 win over the masses from their instructive adhe
renee to the democratic party And 10! thence came
the know nothings, made up Of the defeated and dis
affected of all partes-wth all religions and oftener
none at all and appealing to the low down feelings
of Native Americans and Protestants." Is it no,
plain that this order has been founded for political
purposes-and that its avowed principles are mere
Uoe traps? Its grand ann is to defeat the democratic
/ Y
violation of constitutional compacts, and caiole
Professionals into forgetfulness of the Catholic princ
| pies of their master. What base deception and
damnable hypocrisy. Can the South find safety in
its embrace Do not visions of dscord and civil wal
rush upon her sight, in view of the triumph of know
nothingsm.
Can Protesants consent to torsake the Bible the
agency of the Holy Spirit, the pulpit and prayer.
book and undertake to crush the Catholics by power
of law? Is it not insult to God for them to dc
so? Does God require his church to be propagated
by legislative edict? Not at all. What denomina
ton, then, of Christians will sanction the religious
feature of know.nothingism The Baptist surely
not; they have suffered persecution enough in Eu
rope and America to fill them with the milk of rei
gidus freedom. The Methodist oh no they can
not have forgotten the early struggles and persecu
tions of Mehodism-how its ministers, with hymn
book in pocket and saddle-bags on their arms
wandered from place to place, despised and perse
cuted race. The Presbyterians God forbid thei
history is sufficiently dark with prosecutions already
So repugnant is know nothingism to Protestant
ism, that they ought not and cannot agree 1t ii
revolving to every Christian of liberal mind, anG
must meet with heavy condemnation. More anon
! Anderson Gazette.