Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-15

their leading rait, abandon "A Inv mnst do tho doc
rlne o sudden conversion, and become the followers
either oi Gavin or The Bnp,istsi And whut would
the meek and unotfsnding, peacs-loyiuv aud Deuce
proclaiming followers of Fox, the msml.r, Of lIat
Society of Friends, whose leading yirtm arJ charnc
terisiir was hostility 10 onhs-f,r which ,ov y.re
pcrsecuted--who, even now. when Summoned TO
appear before Inc lnal"aiy of tho Inv TO testify
between man and man, III presence OF n Judge.
deem il proane 10 swear, because As they doc,,rr il
was the command Of their great Master In his Amos
Ties that they should swear not u-wLut wnuld
they aav should they be required rcounc. all thc;
tencts-to swear like other rncn-ma,le to render
due obesance 10 power by being compelled to TAX.
up srlns when conscience tells them they should Law
them down, Would they say that this wns iruelom,
this liberty Of conscience, this WAS ustice My
it be possible that they will yield themselves up
with their peculiar principles tho first and great cha.
raoterrric of which ! hnvc said, is hostility to
oaths to society that first grarprs ts victim and,
then binding him by secrrt oaths. dtprirer him
I" the rg and the power To think to act for him
SELF whatever the emergency may be i'll which he may
be placed
Cour. Of Justice in behalf perhaps, OF limo, cncr
nnd violated law approve of that society, of whose
leading traits is oh alter "ath, admnsteredin in secret
with"u; the authority nt law, by mtL who have no
privilege 10 administer IN oath 10 any one for the pur
pose thereby of cnhrnng the mind and the Will AMI
the conscience of the victim in durkness-who can
wonder that serious apprehension should be felt III ro-
gard To its results!
My countrymcn whether you be Wing or Demo.
crn "r Know Nothing, i'll the name nf TINT country
which Is common 10 all which vet awhile, nj lcl-t,
hope we all love and all would So 9c-whilc make
10 profession of religion, only 10 snv, with
renee, that hope am sincere believer IN the Chris
tran rollgion-whlle would not ret myrclt UP "
the guide and ud =" "i any mani appeal to you 10
cNpel from yurr midst tho party wn!ch would thus
uproot the very fou'daton Of society. pour gall into
the hearts of children and of parents, set father
hsnin1 child and child against father apply the torch
I" the temple of religion, and dcsecrae lis atars
with political hands. If this party, which is
nov seeking the control of tho country, were actu-
ated by sincere but wild, religious tanntIcsm and
honestly in pursuit of pure religion hcy should Dc
denounced, A5 | have said. for the reasons anu IN
view OF tho consequences which | have depiccd.-
You should shun them and avoid them, and, instead
Of investing them with power expcl them from II, II
they already possessed it.
But whit nrc Won 10 sav--what ought YOU Ia think
what Judgment ought YOU 10 pronounce upon that
party which has not in the midst of al ts errors the
excuse or justification nf sincere fanatcibn,
and which, actlacd by no other motive thnn lesirc
10 gain political power and with it the spoil, will
lin. to involve the country in all the dangcrs that
must attend tr mo-t cruel hn terrible religious war!
will not trust myself Ia charncrrLs such party,
nor 10 cav what should be the Judgment which you
should pronounce upon them; because, as have sad
believe ther. many upright, Gs honest, nT
patriotic ne who suid tu be either members o
tho Order. or sympathising with H. but who DO not
regard it "a do.
but will proceed to provo that tho description
which | gave Of il i'd true; and TO you, my country
men, shall leave the judgment which Is to BE- pro-
Hounced upon t!Irm.
And here let III" remark, tla, the celebrated ritual
Of this party, which hrst brought before you III
this hall, and which has ncvcr been denied, but irn-
plicdlv al sItpd, tx the work, mnncsy, not OF
Christian, but Of Dcs', and, verify believe, was
framed in Massachusetts, where the Unitarian rc!l-
zion prevails anIust exclusively. "
Know. Nothing the fellow who proposed IT. ioi'
APPEAR he did not know wha; ir"t"n'an;T wc'"
when he undertook to speak o them, and ~
uor,d the very existence of the Saviour ni mankind
Ycu will find thnt in the second article oi me Constr
tuition of the Grand Conucil, qualifications ot mcH'
h,rs 10 the Order are given in these words:
uAny ncrson to become member oi any Subord
u,t,. Council must be u wears Of age, lie must be
licvc in the existence of Supreme Icing, IL the ere
ntor and pr"sery-r pf the Universe: h" nIst be lia
tivr-horn citizen, Protestant bonn, OF PT";'ht"nt pa
rents reared under Protestant influences, AMI no
united i'll marriage with Il ROinan Catholic: provided
invariably TINT in that last respect the State district
their respective Constitutions, Rs shall best promote
the nerrs,s Of the LIS 10 Il 10 !? ? IN thr
several Jurisdictions; and provided moreover, ihn
10 member, who may have Roman Cathol'c VIE
shnlI bc eligible Ia any office III ms or'lrr'
Tn. design of that article, malicst!y, r!rnd'
Catholics and include all others and b"caIse,ns have
said the ignorant Trainer uf II supposed tlht every
runn WIS Protestant who was not catholic he ma
excluded from all the privileges u! citizenship III Inn
country or the right tn hold Office, every Jew "S wei
as every Catholic; and yet strange in say, nm ron
.hni there ara Jews who not only synpaihse VIII
the Order but have entered into II, Aiid taken I'D
na,hs not being at the time thbt they were WON
ting one of its Fundamental articles by their admission
into IT, Well indeed did such uparty assume the name
nf Know. .No,hipr. Thus YOU perceive then that
while mnn is required 10 cay that he IL NOT snch
fool NJ not to believe in Supreme bcug ~ Tie Urea
tor ard prcscrvcr of the unverte he not ohy ID ho'
required TO express any belief III Christ or hs rril
ginn. but, by implication NJ lcust, he IA expressly ~"
thorzed To ignore him. because he ia required 10 De-
lirye in nothing more than II Supreme being. nave
sud that for this believe that paper was pre-
pared in the Stnc Of Massachusetts,, where oeiItVe
Ned Buntlinu lives and where the hi'ariah rrilH!oi
most prevails But i'll addition t" ihat, cal
vnnr n,,rnti,n TO the fact TINT at tho head
of the Constitution, found these w"rdS"nu4Pie
June Eth 1851 tho anniversary ol ihc bate oi pun
kcr IIill." WHY Bunker Hill Why not the Cow
pens, Guiford's Court House. or l"rktowni-
Why not the national day 'h' ,u o"''n u; '.
l11G, il it is the american party IL " th"t
the men who prepared this document were men
,vi,h whom thc recol!rrtiUns ot Bunker llh were
more familiar than any other VINO perhaps were s"c'
innocent know.Nothngs, that they did n"t know %
there ever had been suc battles as those OF !ul'or
court House the Cowpcns, or Yorktown. Who can
lnnk uuon these pharnsaical prctensions AMI c"nUl
notions Of men, nominny processing nll inlth, ana
men without any fnith, to purity ana Prole't Inc
Chr;.,iun religion, and NOT say, nm sails,
f.d that the Iay il not far distant, when II will
o 10, such rrbuks nj the hand Of the really rclI-
,,;nus riylt minded and patriotic pe"pl. {" the c"u'
rrv as will cxterlnnnte it! To the Jews | appeal
mid nsk, how do YOU think that you will be spnred'
o,tcr th. Catholics Hre stricken down Upon your
o,on rests the sin it is said by those who der from
vou. Of cructyug the Saviour for opinions sake.
Think YOU that the men who have set ont npon
thjs crusndc, whether they be interruptions political
pharsees, honest religious fanatics will spare you,
The children of Israel after they sha have destroyed
the Cnhol;cs Injured the country to those scenes OF
prescriptions If not Of blood and acquired the power
to execute their will upon you Can you live in this
country and enjoy the freedom that You ENJOY no
whcro else, if this crusade shall be successful! IAN
YOU, for whom an especial law has been phssea I"
iroect your conscience and permit YOU to Celebrate
your own Sabbath suppose that YOU will be permitted
n,ig tn enjoy that privilege. and that you VIII NOT DC
rcuuired tu violate your r"iiscrnccS by tiiiS a@hst
ts convictions upon your own Sabbath, hhh 'h"[cDy
also LOSE two DAYS Utcvery week. wHlic hc rc' VI 'e
community los. only one !
tn NIL men OF every acct md every creed, who have
any conscience, appeal. III the name "i tru'h aha
Justice and ask them Are you willing that the great
wrong should be inflicted upon you It IL proposed 10
infiicr upou the Catholcsl The answer, am sure,
will be "No-not for all earth's power will | surren-
der to man the privilege Of worshipping my saviour
according 10 the dictates of my own conscience. -
And then a.k, if ther, be no justice i'll his M
turr no charity no mercy in his henrt! ls ne inca
pablo Of appreciating those beautiful lines which
Teach me 10 feel nno:ier's wo",
10 hide rh. fault ! see
That mercy TO Others aho'e,
That mercy show 10 rue'
Does n. rerudate that Divine maxim of Justice, which
,aucb.s II. to "Do unto others as YOU would they
should do unto you!'' Can he expect to find pardon
from his God, or respect from hi. fellow man, when
no repudntes that principle OF honesty, as well AZ
Justice and avow his determination not 10 de"! with
'yn,hnr. ns he would have them tn deal with hm!-
Worse than the fai,hle.s steward who buried his
talent, will he not only buy his. but pIunder bis
neighbour and expect mercy and forgiveness!
One profcssed canse Of this hostility TO the Caiho.
liz. i. their connection n, time with tho order Of
.,i,. and the pretended horror Of tho principles OF
that orisr Bear with me for II little while, and |
think will show YOU thar this again is pharisaoaI
urptence, that they combine in their creed and
proposed practices all the very worst principles oil
these much nnd justly ahhorred Jesuits.