Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-10-13
CONGRATULATIONS.


great Know Nothing deep are broken up the wa
Sers have subsidized, and calm succeeds to the
storms of its cid party wrath, winch leaves the od
Democratic party not entirely anmnllateo IN Tue
" Old North State. +" / propose to takeea short re-
view of this Know Nothing American, dA@s oe-
sfunct Wing party, and give some reasons why we
shall not fosake the principles OF DemecTacy' anu
1 shall ,ffer no apology for penning my tnoughts,
for if they are not received remember that II mas
been wisely said that we should not wlthho1 our
actions for the fear Of encounterng malicious cen
sures." Facts, and not theory, shall be my afsu-
rnents; and truth, when supported oy e'!ueloe,
should be received from whatever source IL may
emanate It is certain fact that an honest man
looks upon all his fellow beings as radically, equally
patriotic with himself and he is ready and wiling at
all times award truth and honesty OF purpose 70
al his professions till proven the reverse So 1t
is REMARKABLY characteristic of the honesty OF the
American people to allow, sinceean fundamental
principles of government must arise from ana De
sustained by them, that all measures protesting 10
puard the interests and the ultimate veal oil
our common country are just and good until con-
ira conviction is brought in force by knowledge
of their corrupt fruits and evil tendencies. ana
while they thus trusting to the hlgh-Dorn sentl-
ment of selfgovernment, and sincerity OF brotherly
patriotism new secret party, which makes its prln-
ciples subservient to the dire policy OF se-adVance
ment endeavors to beguile itself, like the serpent
did to our first mother, Eve in the garb OF Protec
ton into the affections of the American people, TO
overthrow their peace and prosperity but an argus
to watch and power to save is found in Democracy
Now we do not claim that all movements relating
to public affairs should ought to have precedence,
or that there is nothing good that is new. rms
would be absurd but we do claim, and it is self
evident fact that old, tried, and established princ
pies that have proved themselves the stay and pro-
cressive principles of the country, should not be
abandoned for opinions that not supported by
reason or merit but scattered over the country more
by contagion and inconsderate deluslon than any
thing else. What are those opinions? They pro-
pose to dsqualify all Catholic citizens for ONCE
WhyP Because their creed is repugnant to repub-
licanism, and they allegiance TO foreign po-
tentate above that they acknowledge to the Consul
tuition and laws of their own country. Such is the
idle sophistry shallow pretext Tor which they ask
the support of the American people: Gou 1orolo
that we should lend voice in vindicaton of the
course pursued by the Catholic Church Indeed,
we blush for the horrors of Catholic empires; but
the time may come, and fear even now approach
es, when may reserve our shame tor our own
Protestant land
We do not Judge from own knowledge OF
Catholic creeds, but existing facts present them
selves Brownson in his Reviews Crom whom the
K Ms so well love to quoteO says: 1.-The Catholic
does indeed allegiance to the Pope as visible
head of the Church, but not as visible head OF the
State" Of the fugitive.save law, he says Now,
as the law is necessary to secure the tulhlment OF
the Obligations imposed by the Constitution, we are
bound obey the law, and could not, without re-
sisting the ordinances of God and purchasing to
ourselves damnation, refuse to Obey it. Here is
Northern Catholic defending Southern Protestant
rights 1t Cathoilcty come IN competition WIFI our
republican institutions, would it even be supposed
that Il man of the highest acknowledged Catholic
authority in the country would thus openly favor
them with his appreciation, and offer his influence
in their defence:
Then, why deprive them of their liberty of con-
science? A papist says DR.. johnson, May, like
other men, think himself safest IN his own religion,
and if liberty of conscience be natural rlght, we
have no power to withhold it, if it be an indulgence,
it NAV be allowed to papists while it is not denied
to other sects Here in this land of boosted liberty
the atheist may, unmolested declare " there is no
God" and the Mormon be protected IN the right OF
his ninety wives yet the Catholic is prosecuted be-
cause he is not willing to depart from his long-en-
loved mode of Worship 1t cannot but be admitted
that independent freedom ceases when privileges
extend not alike all. But, the adherents OF this
new party say that they do not prosecute Catholics
on account of their religion. So it was custom
among pagans to deny that they prosecuted Tor re-
lgious opinions; but for matters OF State-treason
or such like: and X. n S say the doctrines involved
in Catholicity derogate from the interests OF the
State and thus virtually make the Catholic religion
treason. We might refer to our own honored and
revered CASTOR whom Carolina is proud to call her
own, and whose words stand pre-eminently above
contradiction. And here, too, recurs to our mind
the loyalty and patriotism of many Catholic heroes
of our revolution. We remember, too, Catholic
Maryland which fought as bravely for our indepen-
dence as any other sister State, but we forbear. We
have said tbs not our purpose to defend Catholicism,
but the Constitution of proud confederacy guar
antees to each of its citizens the inaenabe rghtto
choose his own religion and the Word of God COM
mands us to choose whom we will serve but does
not saw either this or that way. And rcpudate
the insignificant doctrine that any political party
nay party whose rashness is equalled only by the
injustice of its end should arrogate to itself the Judg
ent of mans religious belief Better far, would it be
deprive of the rg gifts of property than to let
ter the mind and throw barrier between him and
his eternal happiness for every man, provided he
does not interfere with his neighbor if he abuse his
religious liberties is accountable only to God These
are liberties fathers batted for-they liber
ties we should battle to maintain. We come now
to the dread apprehension of foreign danger; and
here truths of the chest interest claim serious
consideration. Though averse to the doc
trines of higherlawism, when incompatible with the
ayowed public will (Which is the sovereignty in this
country and the established law Of the land, yet
we Weld support to that law which has its radi-
cal foundation divine authority, and certainly the
trainers of Constitution had these facts in view.
God has said that lone law shall be to him that is
home-born and unto the stranger that sojourneth
among you" Again "Thou shalt neither
stranger nor Cypress him. for ye were strangers in
the land of Egypt" Again: 1.-The stranger that
soourneth with you shall be one born among
Il" Cursed be he that pervert the judgment of the
stranger. fatheress and widow" And our Saviour
said I" Till Heaven and earth pass away one jot or
little shall in no wise pass from the law till all
be fulfilled" But Scriptural truths our new party
friends seem not to comprehend, because ignorance
is both incidental to and concident with Know Moth
ngism-thus verifying the prophecy that "seeing
they may not perceive, and hearing they may not
But why this sudden fear Of foreign
rule? No foreign foe threatens to invade our rights.
No Pope has ever impeded the progress of our lib
q