The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-09-04
Roman Catholic Disabilities.

Roman Catholic Disabilities.
When the Snmntes had surrounded the Roman
army at the Caudine forks. an aged Senator Of
approved wisdom, the father OF the Somnite gen.
eral was called on for his advice as 10 the proper
disposition 10 be made OF ihe conquered enemy
dismiss Ihem," said he, 'unmolested and unran.
,omed' This being strain of generosity TOO
high for the cOnquerors, he then said 'exrerminate
them TO the last man. AsIonishrd of the seem
ing condition in the counSel & Iyen, the Somnite
general requested explanation. BY my first
advice said the old Senator which was the best,
recommended 20 you TO ensure the everlasting
gratitude OF powerful people by my second,
which was the worst | pointed out 10 you to pol
icy OF getting rid of dangerous enemy. There
il no third way. 'Tertium nuklunt cOnSiliun.
When asked il a middle course would not do, and
whiuher the Romans should not be suhjrcied to
hard conditions and dismissed unhurr, he said,-
Lstl ghidcm Senfe,fia cd est, qua neqae AMIGOS
zarat. ncguc 1nimic0S tOHH.'
The SON. unhapp.ly for his country, thought
hims Elf wiser than his father, and adopted The
middle course, passing The Romans under the yoke
and sending them home irreconcIlabe enemies
1'his incident, formerly applied to the Catholic
question IN Great Britain, applies equally well 10
;he same question here.
We have party who fancy that the Romans
are IN tie, Chuulne IOrRS, ana, u0napplIy IOT our
country, thinking themselves wiser Than their
sres, propose 10 pass the enemy under the yoke.
This eLstyltd American party represent to us
that the Roman Catholics are powerful enough to
6e dangerous, and propose TO wound, but not to
slay thcm-to make them ineliglbls for Office, but
10 leave them in possession of The elective IRAN.
chise. The great instrument Of political power
Those Catholics who, from talent, wisdom or
worth, would probably be elevated to office are
degraded and insulfed, while the inferior portion
are left untouched. Can it be supposed that the
influence Of the Catholic leaders over their follow
ers will he impaired by ineligibity 10 office? Will
there not be, as now, the ties OF a common reil-
gon, and, TO some extent of a common peIsecu-
lion! They are to be Irrtated, but not dsarmed.
Their followers are left to them, armed with the
elective franchise. And this powerful weapon is
TO be welded at the command of injured and IN
dlgnant leaders. From loyal citizens they will be
melted to become traitors What love rever.
ence can they bear TO a Constitution which de-
presses them below ;he common level and.stlgma.
tlzps them unfit to be trusted p!
il they be enemies, and are powerful enough TO
be feared, and we have them in the Caudine forks,
let US cxermitnte them politically dismiss
them 'unmoested and uEransomed.' '1ertt"nl
n"LiWnG ConSiktiUan.' Let them go, or deprive
them Of the elective franchise, nH ke them lnelIgI-
bic To Office lake from them the education OF their
children, abolish Catholic schools and colleges
disqualify them for sitting on juries serving in
the army and navy, and. is they still gain upon
u<, deport them as the Moors were deported from
Spain.
The latter course is a logical deduction from X,
Nothing principles, but, willing to wound and yet
afraid to strike they shrink from such monsrous
consequences and content themselves with mid
Jlc course, which serves no other purpose than
20 show their maIiguiry and 10 rouse Catholic
lIte
II is the fashion to speak Of The men who de-
TiSed the anti Catholic laws Of Great Britain as
ierocIous bigots. and yet, compared with The in
ven'ors OF kuow Nothngsm, they are great, lib.
sral-minded, patriotic statesmen. They had some
excuse for their enormies. They lived when
The agonies and struggles Of the Reio:mation were
at their height, and " hen England bnge DIVIDED
aIIegance-one part OF the patton adhering to an
exiled Catholic family and the other maintaining
a reigning Protestant dynasty. There vas some
excuse for fearing Catholic predomnance when
men were hanged for believing in the p"pe, and
burned for denying him. a Catholic was terrible
IN the days of continental wars between the CaIb-
llcs and Protesiants, Of Spanish Armadas, of gun
powder plots and Popsh conspiracies. When the
lies Of Oates, the murder of Gndfrey, and the
Highland army of the Catholic Pretender, frigh-
tened The nation from its propriey. Catholic was
'heh synonymous with traitor. But, (said Canning)
as treason was naturally concealed while religion
was more readily avowed or ascertaiued, tho test
OF The suspected politics sought in the profess
ed creed. 1t VAS necessary to discover The Pa.
Pis,s who wished 10 restore the exied family, and
the oath oil iranSubstanIlatun was devised to de-.
Itct them.' When those times passed away, the
odious p"naitieS, 10 which thsv had given birth,
vanished with him. Thirty-lour years ago, Tie
British House of Commons. the mernora bic
night Of April q, 1921, by vote OF GIG 10 81.
swept them from the statute book, and made Cath.
u.ics eligible TO Parliament.
Who can turn, without deep modification, f'om
The history Of the fearful times hch all bat ex.
cuse the Catholic disa 5;ies and the magnanImiiy
winch suLS6 quenliy removed Them, 10 The unpro.