The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1855-07-27
THE CONTEST

the people to ponder the issues involved with
more than the usual degree of interest and
attention, before casting their votes into the
bal!ot-box. Since the last Presidential cleo
ton, new party has appeared in the eoun-
try, and, like all movements fraught with
great results, from small, it may be, an oh.
scure beginning, 1t has moved on and on,
gathering and accumulating, until il has now
assumed the character of n mighty flood,
sweeping over every obstruction and threat
ening to absorb and wipe out all former po-
itical organizations, parties, fragments of
parties, factions and cliques. Though this
party was born as it were of yesterday, the
causes which called it into being are not Of
recent origin, but were in existence even in
the earlier and purer days Of the republic
Washington saw and felt their insidious
workings in his time, and warned his coun-
trypen against them-Jeffcrson's far-seeipg
eye detected the cloud no bigger than a
mans hand, and he called upon his country
men to beware Of foreign influence, and pray
ed that an ocean of fire might DO rolled be-
tween us and the source of so much future
NATURALIZATION, too, lifted his voice, and
the solemn words of Andrew Jackson, Ten.
nessee's own hero, speak to us from his grave
at the Hermitage. If these great and good
men could sec. cause to raise The notes of
warning when the evil was but young plant
just peering from the ground, what would
they say could they be among'us now that it
has attained to the monstrous proportions of
the giant oak, with its branches extending in
every direction and threatening to throw its
baneful shadows over the whole land.
But it is unnecessary 70 dwell on these
warnings. The evil complained of is so pal
pable, has attained to such magnitude, but
few can fail to perceive it, to feel it is pres
emf, and where perceived and felt all admit
that it loudly calls for remedy. The issue is
no ordinary one-no mere contest between
wings and democrats-but a contest for prin-
ciples, pure, unadutered American principles,
on the one side Mt least "Bewale of foreign
influence" and "Americans must rule Ameri.
cal" This is the battle cry, and here is the
issue. Thousands of foreigners enter our
country every year-a few of them adapt
themselves to the spirit of our institutions
and make good citizens--a large majority of
them otherwise. The first we would cherish
and protect-the last we would protect our
selves from. We would not prescribe them
because they are aliens to the soil, but We
would prevent them, surround them with re-
strants that will keep them from prescribing
native. born Americans. They claim tho right
tovotc MS soon as they land upon our shores,
and the right to share in the offices of the
government, to the exclusion of natve-born
citizens. We would feed their hungry,
clothe their naked, throw the protection of
the law around their persons and property,
but"Americans must rule America Nineteen
twentieths of them are the blind and devoted
followers and subjects of Church whose
very faith and every practice is at war with
the principle of civil and religious liberty
For blot out Professionalism and liberty dies
forever-make Romanism predominant and
Professionalism will be prescribed with the
dungeon and the stake, and the Bible no lon.
ger be family book. We would prescribe
no man on account Of his religious sentiments.
but we war against the temporal aspirations
of that Church which seeks to prescribe all
others and subvert all governments which fa.
vor civil liberty-we would prescribe that
monstrous feature which would drive the Ri.
Bile from our schools, and deny to our chill.
dren the right to read its sacred pages and
which forbids man to approach God except
through tho medium of mortal rs sinful
and erring as himself. The Catholic Church
aims at temporal power in this country, and
| political demagognes, to subserve their own
purposes, are aiding it in its designs-against
these designs the American party war. The
European governments claim the right to
east their worst population upon our shores,
y" '0'''S "P'" "u' Puo''0 i"Ius, tne heritage
of your children; to interfere in our elections
and determine their results, to claim the lions
share Of the Offices, to create anarchy md
confusion. with the ultimate hope that the
government will be finally subverted, md n
despotsm spring up on its ruins. Against
these the American party war. The opposi.
ton tell us there is no danger from the Cath.
ollie Church-that there is no danger from
foreign influence and foreign Immigration
But there is danger. Look at the history of
that Church-wherever it has obtained the
asccndency, liberty, civil md religious, has
dropped, withered and died. Look Mt the
hundreds of thousands of immigrants yearly
landing upon our shores, already ontnumber.
ing the native increase. They are false sen.
tinels who tell you there is no danger. Does
the gardener when he secs the noxious weeds
sPr'nging mp among his healthy plants wait
until they have matured and shed their poi.
son oil around, and shall we, when we see
dangers threatening our country, fold our
arms and cry, "Ars Well" Patriotism for.
bid ii!
; This is the first timo that the issue has
been directly made in Tennessee, and on next
Thursday we must vote upon it, Upon this
State the eyes Of .he friends of American
principlcs thronoho,t tha II,;o. -. 49,.