The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-07-26
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Mr.. Chairman, if Christianity teaches the
brotherhood of all men, and the breaking Of
every yoke, what sort of "a God do these churches
worship, and what sort of religion inspires
them? How much better, in the light of these
facts, is our boosted Professionalism, than the
Romanism we are so eager to DESTROY? How
much worse is the Catholic priest of our coun
Try, or even the Pope himself, than our Protest
ant clergyman, who could send his own mother
or brother into Slavery, in testimony of his al
legiance to the lower law, or write such a book
as " The South Side Tieuo Of American STA
Ue7yF' And how is il, sir, that the zeal of oul
Northern Know Nothings wakes SO strong
against BabyloDian denominations" whilst
here we have a Native American Babylon up
held by our Protestant sects, whose internal
sway over three millions and a half of human
beings, for whom Christ died, makes the corrup
tons of Rome dwindle into perfect insignif
canoe, whilst it strengthens the arm of Despot
ism, and stiles the voice of Freedom, through
out the world?
Sir, submit that our Professionalism should
perform a lustration, to purify itself from this
transcendent wickedness, before it attempts
any new assault upon an outward foe. II
should be ashamed to raise the alarm at the
spread Of Popery and false doctrine, whilst il
first lesson Of Christianity. It should slacken
its zeal in building up its power until it ceases
10 fill the ranks of infdelity, and turn religion
itself into scorn, by its revolving espousal Of
" the Eilest system Of oppression that ever saw
the sen" it should not strain at the gnat of
American Catholicism whilst it swallows down
at one gup the huge camel of American Sla-
very. In a word, it should speedily enter upon
the work of a thorough repentance, by faith
fully applying its own professed principles in
the care of its own sins; and its example, as !
have already insisted, will radiate an influence
far more potent, in checking the power of Jesu-
iiism, than any organized secret machinery
can possibly WELD.
Ia the next place, / oppose this new Order,
on account Of its prescription of foreigners.
The whole number of these now i'm the United
States is only about 100000 and the whole
number Of foreigners and their descendants,
from the year 1890 to 1850, is only about
100000. The entire foreign vote of 1850
was only go, f30. This political and social
element among us, so alarming to many, is
mingled with our native population now num-
bering, say 25,000000, and spreading over a
territory reaching from the Atlantic TO the Pa
cife. Experience has shown that we need the
help of our emgrants IN developing the phys-
cal resources OF the country, and building up
II.
whilst they need the opportunity we tender
them of becoming owners of the soil, and valu-
able citizens of the Republic, instead of the
starving vassals of foreign despots. Let them
come. Trodden down by kingly power, and
hungering and thirsting after the righteousness
of our free institutions, let them have a well
come on these shores. Their motive is a very
natural and ut the same time an honorable
one, that Of lettering their lot. They prefer
Our country and its Government to every other,
however poorly enlightened that preference
may be. /" The foreigner" says Gerrit Smith,
has given one great proof of possessing an
American heart, which our native could not
give; for whilst our native became an Ameri-
can by the accident of birth, the emigrant be-
came one by choice; whilst our native may be
an American, not from any preference for
America, the emigrant has proved that he pre-
fers our country to every other" To prescribe
HIM on account of his birthplace is as mean
and cowardly as to prescribe him for his reli-
gious faith or the color of his skin. 1t is the
rankest injustice, the most downright inhuman-
ity, and can only be defended by the most
dwelling sophistry. The celebrated Dr. Lie
Der, IN late letter, commenting on the falacy
that adopted citizens are less American in feel
ing than our natives, uses this language:
Among the most eminent or most widely
been, and are to this day, many born on the
other side of the Atlantic The same will be
found to be the case. if you examine the list of
great advocates and of American statesmen
throughout the land. The same il true of
teachers, authors, philosophers, of physicians,
OF editors and artists, merchants, artisans and
farmers, OF navi gators and architects, Of manu-
facturers and inventors"
lie insists that throughout all history, an.
Gent and modern, we will find among the most
devoted and patriotic citizens, names of foreign
birth. Hear him adduce his facts
Has any mind shed greater lustre on Illus
trious Athens than Aristotle? Aristotle was a
foreigner, and came to Attica when seventeen
years old. Has there been any Spaniard more
Spanish than Columbus? Columbus was a
Genoese. Has there been Frenchman more
French than Napoleon, and Cuvier, and Con-
slant? Napoleon was an Italian Culver, by
birth and education, German; Constant, a
Swiss. Who carried the Netherlanders through
the direst war of independence on record, and
who founded the Republic of the Netherlands
William OF Orange, German. Has England
ever had q more English King than William
iii, the Netherlander? Has Germany ever
had a more German leader than Eugene of
Savoy? Who was Catharine of Russia, that
made her the great Power? She was a Ger
man woman. Has Oxford ever had a greater
professor than Erasmus, of Rotterdam? The
very country in which the Know Nothings now
revile the foreigner was discovered by Cabot,
n GenOese, in the service of England. The
proto-martyr of the American Revolution was
Montgomery, an Irishman; so was Barry, call.
ed the father of the American navy: and Paul
Jones, the bold and early captain. was a Scot.
Were DE kalb, Lafayette, Hamilton, Gallatin.
no Americans? Mark the list of signers. and
see how many were foreigners The hue and
cry against foreigners belongs to Pagan an
tiouity, when one word served for foreigner and
enemy; but not TO Christianity. The very word
Christianity rebukes Know Nothingism.'
Sir, the creed that tries men by the latitude
and longitude of their birthplace, instead of
their character, and honors or degrades them
accordingly, is not only Pagan, but monstrous
Ii insults common sense, and confounds all dis
tnction between right and wrong. The Divine
Founder of our religion teaches that God is no
respecter of persons that nationalities are of
small account; that all men are brethren; that
the accidents of humanity are nothing, and
man is everything. Native Americansm dis
cards all this as the foolishness of preaching /;
and whilst it clutches its cold blooded dogmas,
and stabs Christianity to the heart, whines sane
Enormously over the growth of the Papal pow
eri And, stranger than all else. thousands of
Anti Slavery men, who have for long years
plead for the elevation of the African, on the
ground of Christian brotherhood of all, are
now fighting under this Infdel banner, and
thus aiding a movement which completely just
i6es the enslayement of the negro, and every
other form of despotic rule. Do they not see
that they are numbering the cause of Freedom
by such conduct? Can an Abolitionist en-
bark in such an enterprise without fatty con
tradicting the very first principles of his faith
Cen ANN man iustify II? Is the foreigner to