Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-13

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1856.
HrsRy &. BAscKEa, 400 Broadway, 10. u. A.
Rooms, IL our authorized Agent to receive sub
ssriptions and advertisements in the city Of New
York. 5 M sl 8tta taH
The Higher Law.--The Hon. Reverdy
Johnson " Secs Nothing In II TO Alarm
Us.rs5 sg. ! 4ai s
This honorable orator has recently written
in condemnation Of what no is pleased to term
" tho political hostility OF the American party
TO the Catholics" lie says:
"In justification Of this political hostility to the
Cutholics, it is alleged that they owe paramount
allegiance to the Popish See. Suppose they do is
there anything in that to alarm us"
We avail ourselves of this occasion to repeat
tho position of tho American party, as well
for the information of Mr.. johnson as Of 9th
crs, who make misrepresentation of that po-
sition an excuse for opposing them. The Anne
rican party has no political hostility to the
Catholic religion. Its opposition is to that
Catholic tenet which establishes the British
doctrine q once subject always q subject"
which teaches that the Pope is the supreme
master of the opinions md actions of the Ca
tholic communicate, and that all human gov
eminent is binding or not upon his allegiance
according as the supreme head Of the Romish
Church may adjudge that government orthodox
or hereticak in its origin and authority. We
know very well that several branches of the Ca
tholo Church dissent from this.doctrine, as also
that France, and Others overnmentsin which the
Catholic religion is the predominant and even
the established faith, do not admit the arrogant
claims Of the successor of ST. Peter Above all,
we know that there are thousands Of Native
Americans who repudiate any such prcten-
aions aud, whilst they worship in the faith Of
the Pope, acknowledge no political allegiance
u him whatsoever.
1t is, then, against those only who, in ac-
lsnowledging quasi citizenship in the United
States, reserve more binding allegiance to
higher authority, that the American 0rdel
directs its condemnation. This class includes
few bigots amongst the American peopl,
and the entire mass of imported Papists, to-
gether with tho higher-aw fanatics and Oh,
nulifers. We have heretofore commented
upon that portion of the Philadelphia Platform
which relates to the Papists. It was the pur-
pose of that convention to rebuko Popery by
advancing ''to all political stations-executive,
Legislative, judicial, or diplomatic-of thos
only who do not hold civil allegiance directly
or indirectly, to any foreign power, whether
civil or ecclesiastical, and who are Americans
ny birth, education, and training"
Our exposition of the platform 1t is unneces-
sary to repeat We will give very plain illus
tration of the position. We do not believe in
the Unitarian doctrine; It's repugnant to our
faith and reason, yet We regard the Rev. Theo-i
dore Parker, who belongs to that Church,
very dangerous man, because he teaches that
every citizen is bound to read the laws Of the
country with the Bible in his hand, and II he
finds that the law OF man comes in conflict
with that Of God, according to bis individual
opinion, he is not only cxonerated from any
obedience TO that law, but is in conscience
bound to resist IL
There was party in South Carolina which
avowed the doctrine that State had right
10 review the Federal legislation, and pick out
such laws as she choose 10 submit to, and null
lily such as she did not Each law was to be
thus subject ofspecial treaty with each State.
This doctrine having been discarded in the
south, has been recently taken up by Masss
chusetts The American party condemns this
doctrine because il is dishonest and produces
the effect without possessing the dignity OF
open revolution. The doctrine Of the American
Order may be then summed up thus:
II excludes from membership all citizens Of
the United States who reserve an allegiance to
any power paramount to the Federal and State
governments OF the United States, within the
separate and appropriate sphere Of their respcc-
live Jurisdictions, as cxpoundcd by their judi
cial and legislative authorities respectively.
We ask the Hon. Mr.. johnson, or any other
honorable and patriotic man, If any objection
can be made 10 this doctrine?
Yet Mr.. johnson says, suppose mon cove a
paramount allegiance to the Popish See, is there
anything IN TINT TO alarm usf"
we believe this gentleman has always sided
with the South in It's destcstation Of that higher
law which Is maintained by Seward, Wilson,
Chase, and Giddings, which has been expound-
cd from the sacred desk by Rev. Theodore
Parker, compelled by lawyer Wendell Phillips,
and put in practical action by those who muir
dered Gorsuch, Of Maryland, rescued Jerry
from the hands C the law, slew an officer in
the Boston riots, and passed tho Niger nulif-
cation law Ct Massachusetts, Now, IL some
one should proclaim, within tho hearing Of the
Hon. Mr.. johnson Suppose Theodore Par
ker, Wendell Phillips, Mrs. Stowc-with the
Rev. Beechcr annexed-with Messrs Seward
and Wilson, backed by the whole Black Ro-
publican party, al acknowledge paramount al
legiance 70 the law Of God as they understood
II, over the laws Of the State and Federal gov