Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-06-13
LETTER No. II.
. TIE RELIGIOUS 1851

come TO the consideration OF this branch OI
the subject, with unaffected distrust and appre-
hension. If among the many advantages which
have been yourhsated TO US in this country, one
hitherto has stood pre-eminent for ito intrinsic
good, it was the happy exemption we enjoyed
from the religious contentious which, IN other
climes. have furnished the gloomiest pages to
their history. How strongly marked the con.
trast between our country, and the undisturbed
endowment by each of the faith which commend
ed itself 10 him, and that terrible nntagonlsm
which, elsewhere, with more than the violence
of frenzy, forgot The. reverence due to age, the
protection due to youth-dealt with fellow be-
ings in spirit of cruelty, that, exhibited to-
wards the brute creation, would provoke SYM
pathy: and with increase of appetite from its
bloody repast, seemed 10 emulate the wish OF
the Roman tyrant, that its foes had but one
head, that opposition might with one blow be
ouieted. We seemed to have been purified by
the fire, through which our progenitors had
passed; and from the distance, to have contem-
plated with so much of proper adherence the
cruelty Of such scenes, as to have made it 4
part Of the organic law of our country, that the
absolute prohibition to the supreme legislative
authority Of the entertainment of any question
of Religion, should be to all n continuing guar
anty against the re-enactment of such scenes OF
blood and terror. But the Order. whose princi.
pies we are examining, seems to think other
wise: and has among its members pledge,
that no one who is a member Of the Roman
Catholic Church, shall be permitted to hold
office in the United States, if the strength of
the Order can prevent him.
With the announcement of such PROPOSE.
ton, we instinclively turn to our Constitution,
and read in it, that Congress shall make no
law respecting an establishment of religion. or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and 10
that other provision, that "this Constitution,
and the Laws of the United States which shall
be made in pursuance thereof; and all treaties
made, or which shall be made, under the aulhori-
ty of the United States, shall be the supreme
law of the land:" and the question forces itself
upon US, whether the spirit Of religious toera-
tion that presided at the formation Of our Con.
stitution, has departed from US forever.
And from the Constitution, our Magma Charta,
we turn 10 lis trainers, men bolder aud better
than the Barons at Runnymede, and again we
ask, whether Charles Carroll, who stakcd more
ir the success of the Revolution than any other
man of his day, sat in that body which declared
our independence with IN air OF conscious guilt /;
and whether his associates felt that his presence
tainted the pure atmosphere of freedom they
had then created!
We repeat, then, that We come to the Discus
sioR Of this: branch Of the subject with distrust
and apprehension. That so many, as are now
understood to be enrolled in this Order, should
be willing 10 enter upon crusade of religious
intolerance in our land, may we'll excite the
most painful emotions. But our distrust and
apprehension does not extend to the argument
of this question. Of that we experience Meth.
cs. For We believe that the basis Of the princi-
pic thus assumed as one of cardinal Importance
10 the Order,is utterly untenaIle.
Nor can we understand how it has been pos
sible for men who read and think, TO suffer them
selves 10 become at this day, the empty echoes
Of sound, which ut one time was Of evil iu-
port. but which has died away in those places
where once it was so loudly raised. Do they
forget that this same question for years excited
the worst contentious in the Legislative bodies
of Great Britain! That large portion of The
Parliamentary history of England is devoted to
the discussion of the question, whether at all,
and, if so, how far, the profession of the Roman
Catholic Religion should disaualify any one for
the enjoyment of civil office! That at time,
the profession of this religion was crime! Its
practice eutailiug punishment in all cases; in
some cases extending 10 life! That slowly,
very slowly. but still surely, the. cloud of misty
prejudice which hung around this question has
rolled away? One after another, the grounds OF
objection have been abandoned, or removed
Penalties were relaxed-then not enforced
then repealed. Step by step the Roman Catho-
lie was restored to his proper position; and The
Parliament of England the continuation of the
same body which, centuries since, denounced
heavy penalties on the teachers of this faith,
not long since, under the led of its Minister,
increased the grant to the College of Maynooth.
Are there any who are yet to learn, that it, ID
any part of The world, the principles OF The
Church of Rome are so much feared, as 10 be
most grossly misrepresented, it Is in England!
If their exercise could any where bc prohibited,
j, is there? And if the pains and penalties OF
other. days could have been any where retained,
with The seeming of justice, it is there! And
is there not reason for its being so? There,
the Church establishment is part of the govern
ment-the overthrow Of the Established Church
is the overthrow Of the Government But 10
that Church Establishment there is rival
power. It's foundation is laid upon the over
throw eS the Roman Catholic Church in that
Kingdom. A struggle between the Churches,
is struggle Then between Church and the
State; for The other Church is the State. And
therefore it is, when u Statesman in England
exclaims that the Roman Catholic Church IS
dangerous to the State, he means to that State
in which there is an established rival ChHreh,
which is connected with the State. Can any
thing then be more plain, than that no matter
how strong may be his reasoning in place
where there is an established rival Church, it
can have no force in a place whore there is no
connection between any Church and the State?
But therein Great Britain, to whose states
men and cuntroversialists you must refer, for
the most Jealous examination Of the dangerous
political tendencies of the Church of Rome;
and for the ablcst arguments to be advanced in
opposilion 10 any recognition of them as proper
or even safc there where the advocates of this
proposed disqualification must resort TOR wesp-
ons suitable 10 the warfare in which they are
about to engage; how great should DC their
surprise, when approaching that ;armory' they
find no sentinel at the gatc-the door unoarrea
and open-arms in pr0fusion, but rusteo ana
thrown aside as useless England, after trlal
which lasted through centuries the only power
in the world that from its Constitution had
plausible pretext for the exclusion of the Roman
Catholic, has abandoned the contest, ana her
subjects, whether Protestant or Roman Catholic,
became alike entitled aud admitted to her pro-
lection.
No ono, ever battled more strongly, because
with more appearance of fairness, against the
removal of Catholic disabilities than did Sir
Robert Peel. Yet be admitted, that if he'
thought the concession would produce quiet he
would vote for it. believing (says he) thot
the admission of Catholics to Parliament, and