Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-01-18
Clergvmsn iu Politics.

VI the new mc1nEerS electeQ 10 the U1aSSa-
chusetts Legislatureby Know Nothing infiu-
ence siaty are clergyaaen. Forty-eight of
these are Methodists. four Presby yterians. four
Baptists, two Lutherans, and two Universal
lists. Is not this a startling fact? Over
one-sigth of the Legislature of Massachusetts,
composed Of clergyiien, and those clergynien
almost entirely of the Methodist church. To
what does all this point, ifnot to thereal truth
that the fountain head of Know Nolhingism
is in that church, a.d It's purpose to obtain
possession of politicaipower I Why else would
forty-eight clergyme1 leave their pulpits, and
enter the Know Nothing lodges, accept of
nominations for the Legislature, and thus sink
their holy calling in the unholy and bIasphe-
nous rites of this anti Christian movement /?
There must be some propelIing force4behind
this crusade. 1t was not chance that nomina-
ted and elected these forty-eight Methodist
clergymen to the legislature of Massachusetts,
nor was it chance that introduced the name of
Judge Mclean, the head of the Methodist de-
nomination in the United States, into the Ma
tional Convention of Know Nothings at Gin
cinnati The dullest intellect cannot fail to
see the concert of action necessary to produce
such effects in different portions of the Union.
The truth is the Methodist church is to be
disgraced by its ministers, and its organization
made to carry forward deep-laid plot against
the liberties of the country. In our own State
nearly all the clergymen of that denomination
are leaders In the Know Nothing order, its
active partizans, and unscrupulous pioneers
The Methodist College at Carlisle is nursery
school for the dissemination of Know Nothing
doctrines, and one of its Professors the chief
officer in the order in this Commonwealth -
And thus it is In every State. The same re-
Hgious denomination, whose directing fingers
can be seen in the politics of the Old keystone
Commonwealth, has left the saliva of its pro-
seription and bigotry upon the track of every
political contest both State or municipal. The
same clergymen who with affected horror
weekly declaim against all Jesuitical attempts
to make the State subservient to the church,
are nightly meeting in the well secured rooms
of the Know Nothing order, and there plotting
for the purpose of doing the very thing against
the Constitution, and that equality of civil and
religious rights and privileges which are the
corner stone of ouI free form of Government
Is not this fact well sustained by the fearful
number of clergymen returned to the Legisia-
ture of Massachusetts,? Undoubtedly, and
we ask, is it not time for every sincere clergy
man, and all who feel an interest in the great
cause of religion, and who are undefled with
worldly contact, to take the alarm, and nip
this alliance of politics and religion in the bud?
IF our halls of Congress and State Legislature
are to be turned into Missionary schools to
carry out the proscriptive and bigoted views
of Know Nothingisnl, and the scheme for uni
ting church and State is to be made the order
of the day, let the fact be promulgated to the
country at once, that every man may act un-
derstandingly when he again deposites his
vote in the ballot box-Natioaal argus.