The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-15

therefore accessible to any intrigue, but they very
Speedily acquire special aims Of their and
their support Thus the German farmers ia
Western Pennsylvania have entailed the dis.
grace and loss Of reputation upon the mer
chants OF Phiadeiphia; and the system Of common
school education the keystone Of the social fabric,
has been endangered by the plots which, by ma
nauvring the Irish voters, the Roman Catholics
have Teen able TO frame.
The greatest advantage, however, of democracy
Is, that when az evil becomes evident to popular
opinion, II tends to bring about its cure. The
decision Of some important and sharply contested
elections, by means of foreign votes, has alarmed
the native born citizens and the Colts who crossed
the Atlantic because they could not get Ireland for
the Irish, find their ears deafened with the cry Of
America for the Americans" The vaunts by the
Catholics Of their progress the exercise OF pricsty
power 20 repugnant 70 republican usages; s1ch for
instance, as Cardinal Bellini forcing school children
to knee Lefore him, and the exceptional glut OF the
labor market this year the seaboard Cities
qnent on the commercial depression. have all given
We know not to which of the leaders Of this
agitation the idea Of q secret society sag
gesed itself, Perhaps was borrowed
and there may be some pretext for in the excuse
alleged by the Know Nothing lodges in their mani
festo that without secrecy in ity early formation no
young independent party. with Independent objects
can survive the attacks and alurcmens OF the old
parties with their selfish objects. Nevertheless we
believe that there is something in the nature Of
democracy which gives an especial attraction to
cret societies. There is in them an appearance OF
exclusiyeness, an imitation Of aristocmcy, which is
allurng. However this may be, the success OF this
movement, though now apparently on the wane, has
been wonderful. When Dir. Robertson was in
America more then year ago-the Know
Nothings were only just heard of; their lodges now
profess 70 number many hundreds Of thousands Of
voters through every State they are contestag,
and, until lately in Virginia, generally carrying the
elections whether for Congress, State Legislatures,
or Governorships; aud If they can agree upon o
candidate for the Presidency there is strong pro.
liability that they may secure his election. So
impossible without some real principle were involved,
and, indeed, there Is principle asserted by this
new party, than which none can be more
important viz, the principle OF nationality. The
Americans are still so English, that as Englishmcn
cannot but rejoice over this assertion OF Ameri.
can cling; and Professionals, il is pleasant for us
TO mark a manifestation Of Professionalism. Never
thelcss there two evils incident to the movement,
to which we cannot but allude. The secrecy Of its
organization may have been expedient ia the forna-
ton of the society," and il may be congenia to the
character of the peoples but surely II IL rcpugnant
to be responsible 70 his fellows for tie fulment Of
his citizenship. Nor can we believe that the dcs-
poc government to which every secret society must
be submitted, and which we understand n in this
case most stringent, will long. be submitted to by
men SO unused to dictation. Already we see symp.
toms of growing insubordination the lodge mem
hers will not always vote az they are ordered; and
the sympathy Of those outside supports them against
the threats and ofprcbrum Of their fellow members.
The secrecy, however, may be got rid Of; not so,
we fear, the religious intolerance which seems to be
inseparable from the principles Of the movement,
In tie manifesto above alluded to- this intolerance s
indeed denied nevertheless there is abundant proof
OF its actual, not to say viiuent activity. By the
second article of the constitution Of the Order, each
member must he a Protestant, born Of Protestant
H. IN
united to Roman Catholic wife, i" he is not eligible
to any Office The third article defines the object
Of this organization to be, ~ resist the nsidoas
policy OF the Church Of Rome and other foreign in
fiuence against the institution of our country, by
placing IN all Offices in the gift of the people, by
appointment none but native born Protestant cil-
7ens." The oaths are most solemn every Know
Nothing binds himself, therefore, to exclude a
large number of his felow-citizens from all share
In the administration: the exclusion from all share
in the government-that Is, the deprivation Of the
fianchise--wili be natural consequence. 1t would
be well, however, if political disabilities were all
of the RaCr Nothing, or american CRUSADER, q
Boston paper. which processes to be the most
influential organ Of the Order, and which boasts
Of its 10000 readers. We defy Ireland TO
slana; and even ! The Tatiet" is not more intoe
rant, while it is far less vulgar 1t is full of exhora
tons TO exclude all Catholics from companionship
and all Irish from employment and this iarrigo OF
fana.cism and selishoess Is made attractive by tales
describing the abOJninatiOns of celibacy, with pru-
riency which only be equaed In England by
Beynolds's Mysteries OF the Court" The effect OF
this teaching Is evident enough In the style and tenn
per OF the correspondence which il inserted both in
prose and verse; II IL most sad to see America thus
entering upon that course OF poiemica conflict which
has been the cure Of Ireland, and England also. Oar
experience, instead Of being warning, appears to
excite them to emulation. aud the result viii be the
same: the cause OF Romanism will be aided not in
fnr Roll tpr 6.. MOTT vvn hiatt rav.t
the influence Of the Isomsh Church there follows,
and always must follow social degradation and ma
tiona subsefyency, mourn this spirit oil per-
seeuon, not only because i Is an imitation but be-
cause it will be an aggravation OF n0manism
The fear OF priestly power in the States,
though perhaps not unnatural, ia unreason-
able. The Roman Catholics are indeed abb
soiutey increasing, because of the foreign
immigratons but the are relatively diminishiag
by the conversion Of many OF the immigrants. The
Irish, as they improve in circumstances, notorousIy
.ease, either themselves or their children, to be Ca
thoiics. Archbishop Macfiaie breaches In Con-
nanght against the exodus because OF what he
calls its irleligious effect: and according to the sta
tistics Of Mr.. Mullen. American priest, the mum
Ter OF Roman Catholics in The States IL hardly two
millions, instead Of being, az by natural increase It
should have been, about four millions. The faith
which Protestant ascendancy" and territorial ty
ranDy bad wound round the Celtic heart, becomes
ZOOS, ned by the possession OF republican equality:
1.-THE Pedestrians OF America enact the penal laws
of Ireland or exhibit its Onngism, and they viii
quickly restore to the priests their influence. Per
secution is game ny which Romanism is sure TO
gain.
Returning, however, to SUBJECTIVE. the
foreign policy Of the Republic the influence upon
il Of tbis new agitation seems 10 VA likely to be
beneficial. Both the two great principles " the
" Know Nothinps," Or ~ they cali themselves, the
American party, are antagonstic to annexation, or
rather 10 such annexation as has lately been in agita
ton Their feeling Of nationality including a. Il does
a pride Of lace indisposes them 10 admit Mesicans or
Spanards, or Indians, fellow citizens their Fro
lestantism makes them to form States out IT
Cube or Mexico the representation OF which IN Con
gress would probably be Romanist. Moreover both
the assertion Of nationality, and the destruction Of
the old factions parties and personal coteres, il
advantage. 1t is easier to deal with nation than
clique: doubtless il il the necessary for TO
treat the former with due respect and consideration
above all with straightforward openuess. But If
We do so, We have right 10 expect that Il will show
Iespoct to itself Mr.. soules French birth would Of
course place him under the ban 81 the Order; bu,
lxpu a Ame