The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1855-05-12

MA late number Of the Baltimore Ar.
gus contains an excellent article, from
which we cannot refrain from making q
few extracts:
Such old Wings remember also that
Webster, not only in those lessons ofwisdom
which fell from him in private life, but on
the more public occasions in which he ap.
peared, was accustomed to speak the same
truths. They recollcct the speech deliv-
cred at the public dinner in Buffalo, 1851,
when. in speaking Of the great increase Of
foreign immigration over that which the
founders ofthe nation had forcsecn, he said,
"Lct them come. Gentlemen, this emigra-
ton is not to he stoppcd: we must keep
things as thew are. We must inculcate up
on all who come here the necessity Of be-
coming Americans. Wcmu teach them.
We must endcavor to instil American SEN
timcnts into their bosoms." Webster re.
mcmbered the letter of General Washington
to Robert Sinclair in Scotland written on
the 9Th May, 1892, advising him to perse-
vcrc in hisproicct Of bringing Highlanders
into this country. rather than the counsels
of the narrow-minded and misguided men,
who were striving even then to close the
gates Of our country against the people Of
other lands.
But the religious elements, which has
been introduced into this controversy, is
one of its worst features We do not care
how strict man NAV he in the maintenance
of his Protestant faith, neither the law Of
God as he understands it, or the law of the
land. instifes him in setting q mark upon
his fellowcitizen of another faith than his
own. II is not less persecution because it
is accomplished by the use of means which
the letter of the statute does not prohibit.
In this country, and in this State especially,
are many Catholic families who have resi-
dcd in it since it was colony. Their pro-
genitors were among those who gave life
and vigor to our earliest struggle in behalf
Of freedom. They and their descendants
have, in the past time, filled public Office
and station with advantage to all the inte-
rests Of our commonwealth. Because the
children have seen fit, following the dictates
of their own consciences, to adhere to the
religion of their fathers, shall any man, or
set of men, undertake to place them under
ban, and to deprive them of that share of
the confidence of their fellow-citizens, which
they should enjoy as well as any? And there
is no better reason for discrimination be-
tween the foreign Catholic and the foreign
Protestant. Can it be said that one is
more educated to liberty, by the form of
his old Government, than the other? The
Irish Presbyterian and the Irish Catholic
have both groaned under the system Of do
nestle law, and land tenure enforced by the
English crown. The Prussian Protestant
and Prussian Catholic have both bent be-
meath THERON rod of their home despotism.
The Catholic and the Protestant cantons
of Switzerland have the same common men,
cries their glorious Struggles in the past,
and have both been educated to freedom
under their happy confederation. The
High Churchmen of the Anglican church
and the Dissenters have lived under the
same political star. If the influence of an
early education, under another system, has
any deleterious effect, it reaches all foreign
ers of whatever denomination. And such
is thecrecd Of the new party, though they
may disguise it for time, and try to turn
the foreign Protestant against the foreign
Catholic If the latter fall in the strife, let
the former look to it: his late allies will
not long delay to put the gives upon his
tenets also.
THE BRITISH BALTIC FLEET.-By steam
ship Nashville, we have intelligence that 0
Of Al