Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-05-09
BRowNsoNsAND KINKEL


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have been iu denouncing the Know Nothing
order. It is n-Christian, because it seeks
to revive that which our Saviour came to
break down, the ancient and odious national
egotism which made Jew, and Greek, and
Roman, look upon each other with haughti-
ness and disdain. 1t is un-Democratic, be-
cause it strives to destroy that equality of
rights and privileges, which is the foundation
of all Rcpublicanism, and which withholds
nothing from virtue and talent, beneath what
ever sun or sky they may have originated or:
matured. 1t is despotic, because it works not
in the open day, but beneath the cover of mid
night, and binds the conscience of its adhe-
rents with fearful and illegal oaths. Never
theless, while thus denouncing the Know
Nothing fanaticism, it equally deyolyes upon
us to vindicate ourselves from the charge of
supporting either Political Romanism, or Po-
litical Infdelity.
Of Political Romanists, such men as
BRowNsoS, of the Quarterly, and BAKEwEIL,
of the late Shepard of the Valley, are the rep
resentative men They are renegades from
their early creed, and ike all other renegades,
preach with the utmost zeal the EXTREMIST doc
trines of their present faith. They talk and
act like men of the Middle Ages, born out of
due season, into the nineteenth century
Their ideal of the Church is that of the days
of Hildebrand, when the barefooted Henry
stood suppliant at his gate, for three days in
the winters cold. They take pride in preach.
ing the temporal supremacy of the Pope.
They curse these degenerate days, when such
claims are not recognized, as devoid of rever-
ence and faith. They are opposed to popular
enlightenment. They teach that the common
people should not be taught to read and think.
The Church should be their sole instructress
Freedom of thought and inquiry among the
masses. might lead them to deny her divine
authority, and so cause their damnation.
They are opposed to the union of Church and
State, because, say they, the Church SHOULD
be supreme over the State. 1t should rule
the State The Pope has a divine right to
absolve su bjects from their oath of allegiance,
and to depose Kings, Emperors, and Presi-
dents
How many Catholice believe in these insane
rawlings? Not one in ten thousand, we COM
pute Their creed contains no such articles.
Here and there Catholic periodical, such as
the Catholic Mirror, of Baltimore, protests,
against them And there are hundreds of
thousands of good and true men, such as Jo-
sEPH r. CHANDLER. who only need an oppor-
tunity, such as he had in Congress, to declare
that if the Pope were to land army upon
our shores, they would be the first in arms to
oppose him. 1t is the same way in Europe
No Catholic nation there, acknowledges the
temporal supremacy of the Pope. Even in
the most Catholic times. the most Catholic
countries such as England and France, asser-
ted iercely the independence of their National
Churches. The old English statute books
prior to the Reformation, are full of acts Par
80 -
legates. And the Gallican Church fought
long and hercely, until it obtained concession
ef = rharties
Sucl, men as BRowNsoN and BAKEwELL,
have done the Catholic Church In America,
incalculable injury They have done it the
more, because they have written under high
eceleSiastical sanction, and because they have
the Catholic press chiefly in their hands.
They have stirred up bitter ennity against
millions of their innocent brethern, who would
rather die than aid to carry into execution
such doctrines. Such fanatics do by no means
express the belief of the Catholic millions.
They acknowledge the Pope as their spiritual
head, while we feel assured they would be a.
mong the foremost to rebel any aggression of
the Papal Power upon our beloved land s.
Our German american citizens are in like
manner cursed with set of men who assume
to be their organs only to misrepresent the
views of an infinite majority of them They
are principally men who have found Ger
many too hot to hold them, since the re-ac-
ton which succeeded the Revolution Of 184S.
They have come to this country cherishine
the most leveling ideas. Because an unjust
government has opposed them, therefore all
governments are odious in their eyes Be-
cause the laws have unjustly condemned them
therefore all laws should be- abrogated Be-
cause Kings and Priests have unjustly des-
spoiled them, they affirm there is no ri ght of
property. and that all property is robbery
Because they have lived under corrupt form
of Christianity. therefore all religion is a sham
and adelusion. Atheists, without a God, or
Pantheists, holding themselves to as Gods,
they deny all moral accountability. They
20 for the abnegation ofall government, all
law all religion, and all social institutions.
They wish no rule, save that of the individual
will. What is all this, but relapse into bar
barian savagery, where the strongest rules,
and each brawny HERcULEs, is kingl
These men, by force of little writing tai
ent great ambition, have control of the Ger
man press of America. Through It, they
pour out their venom upon all institutions, hui
man and divine. Their inf1unce IS limited
and prevails in but few Of our great cities
chiefly in Cincinnati and St. Louis. Thenum-
Der who believe in their anarchic doctrines, is
comparatively few indeed Out of the two
millions of Germans in America, we do not
believe there is one IN ten who holds their doc
trines, Their. only followers are those who
come from the Fatherland. already imbued
with them. And the scales are fast dropping
from the eyes of these, under the beneieent
influence Of our American life and civilization.
They are fast learning that all Christianity is
not fanaticism and hypocrisy. and that all gov