M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-07-20


end IL will put the church in an attit.
ude far more attractive as the victim oil
al uIustiiiable crusade than it is at oil
entitled 20 assume from its intrin sic
charms. How long is the world 10 be
leaning the lesson aud never cUming
10 the knowledge Of the truth. that oil
means but reason and love 10 effect the
opinions Of men, only resul; in streng.
thsning alta rhment to their Original
convictions The principle of this op-
position TO Poperv is yictious, and the
more completely it is carried into effect,
the nlnTe disastrous will be the result.
The more complete the political victory
d over Popery, the more it will be bene.
fitted. The only effective-as il is the
only lawful. general, and permanent
agency OF opposition to the Popish
Church-is the true Protestant Church
of Christ under lis various forms. We
have 40 right to complain Of the insific.
iency OF a means until we have emp.
loyed it and fully tested all its eSpsci.
ties. Let the people OF the United
, States double their support Of the great
domestic missionary work, and they
may safely abandon all political sgitS,
tiOns against the Catholic Church.
We object again to the American
party, that it is cOndesing the Catholic
and Forrign element in our population
into a political body distinct from the
mass Of our citizens, armed with all their
power to do mischief, and animal ted BY
oil that hostility which is natural to
men suffering under an osTrscism OF their
religion and birth, provoked by an at.
tempt to diminish their full equality
with other citizens. Now what doe,
Know Nothingisn propose to DO for the
remedy Of this evil which it has Great.
ed 1t only proposes 10 render CsthO'
lie and Foreign citizens Ineligible TO
Office 1t leaves them the power to
vote, and the right of unlimited emf.
grafton in the iuture--the two great
means of mischief, if they are pleased
10 use them.-There can be no remedy
for the Pope,s control over the Catholic
vote, except in talking away the elect
i've franchise altogether. Now it is, TO
say the least Of it, the most manly and
honest policy TO prohibit the entry of
a Catholic aud Foreigner altogether
into the country, and 10 the rights Of
citizenship, rather than invite them TO
come and then begin to annoy them by
a whole series Of political disabilities,
which are assumed to be essential to q
defense Of the Know Nothing creed, on
both the issues it has raised. is a logical
and a practical blunder from its own
premises. 1t assumes in the strongest
sense of an existing fact, not as logical
Inference from the Catholic creed, the
absolute incompatibility Of the Catholic
Church and the free institutions Of this
country. This is its premise its infer
ence is TO render the individual Catho-
lie ineligible Office the true inference
from the premise us they construe it is,
that the Catholic Church ought not TO
be tolerated al all. On the other issue,
the premise is, that the foreign element
in our population is dangerous to the
government, the inference is, the re.
duciiou of part Of the rights Of citizen
ship-the ineligibility 10 office, in the
foreigners already here, ana an eIten'
sion OF the term Of naturalization. The
true inference is, the prohibition Of all
emigration for the future, AND the avoi.
dance of everything that would exasPe-
rate the foreign element already in the
midst Of US the careful observance OF
everything which would tend to streng'
then their attachement TO the institu.
tions of the country. These are the re.
suits which logically issue from the
premises of the Know Nothing creed.
and which they are logically required
10 assume.
But they dare not do it; the measure
they propose to adopt-ths exclusion
from office.-is ridiculously incomplete
as practical expedient; it is most
impotent and lame conclusion, as To-
gicOl inference. 1t 10 absolutely neces-
saIy, either to cease this political cru
sade against large masses of our people,
or TO make it eifectual 20 accomplish.
not only the ends i. holds in view, but
10 prevent the incident evils the effort
al reform has created in its progress.
Nothing short Of far more effective
diminution of the common rights Of
citizenship than has yet dared to assume
the shape Of a public proposition, will
meet the ends which the American party
are seeking to accomplish. 1t is absurd
TO admit large classes of men TO all the
common rights of citizenship, except
one, and that BY no means the most
important one. If there is reason
why they should be deprived Of one,
they should be deprived Of all. If it is
right 10 allow them TO vote, il if right
TO allow them to be voted for; the one
I ight is almost, if not altogether, the
couelOtive Of the other. Any argument
which would prove man disqualified
for Office, would prove him disqualified
to vote. There may be special reasons
way particular Offices. involving the
representation of the national character,
as we'll as the national policy. should
be exclusively occupied by native born
citizens; but this is very different in
nature, and proceeds upon wholly diff
ferent principle Of political wisdom,