Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-05-30
- 49,, From the Presbyterial Critic.
= THE AMERICAN PARITY.
Its Cause Prcgress, Objects, aud Result.
,BY REV. DIR. -BREcKESRIpGE.

|
managers of parties and elections, most un-
! expectedsphase. Many things have conspired
| to r,rodacc this result; and neuwf no doubt,
/ give this or that explanation Of the movement
! We are witnessing, according to the point OF
| view from which they consider 1t. Mahy euecis
| NAV be produced by the movement itself; ana
men will appreciate those effects, and endeav-
or to promote or prevent them. according to
| their views of general politics, of the inter
| ests OF society, and Of the proper destiny OF
| our great country.
The intense and prevailing power of the
! movement itself can no longer be 4 matter OF
| doubt And TO the calm observer various ele-
| ments are manifest which render its future
progress altogether inevitable. Amongst these
! decisive elements may be stated, the auglnen-
ted force Of the movement itself. acquired by
| its own previous triumphs and the greater no
| mo-geneousness of the spirit of 1t, TO the por-
tons Of the country Yet remaining to be SUD
dued. than to the portions already conquered.
1t will encounter difficulty equal TO the M
tense Democracy Of New Hampshire, Illinois,
| Pennsy lvania, and Michigan; the wide spread
political Immortality of lew York. the settled
| slavery sentiment of Massachusetts; the
hereditary WhigiSm Of Kentucky. ct all OF
these mastered, by the grlnder spirit oi
the new movement. What barrier rcinains 10
arrest its irresistible career
| 1t is Intimately absurd for the opponents OF
! this vast movement OF the human mind, TO at
tribute il to unworthy or insignificant causes
1t is utterly ridiculous for its friends TO inla-
gine that it can exhaust itself upon objects that
are feeble and ndistinct. Ii may ann at what
is wrong, or what is unatt ainabie; but 1t cannot
avoid aiming at what is great and permanent
any more than it could have been produced by
anything that was feeble, indirect, or base.
= A great people does not receive such SHOCKS,
from such causes; nor when received, 40 tley
terminate without immense results.
What we behold is vast, and. apparently,
spontaneous and nearly universal uprising of
the spirit of .1mericdit MAJ ondH g.H beheaiIi
that, we behold the restoration OF that prime
val spirit OF Protestant civilization, Ia whlch
the country itself was originally created. Ana
still bel,eath that we behold the renewal OF
, that profound sense Of the overN heinilhS ne
cesSity OF our National Union-whlch was the
grandest outbirth of our National RevolGtion'
These are the lif., and heart, and soul of this
r gigantic movement. American Nationality !;
Protestant Civilizations National Union. The
country believes all three OF these are In ':iili-
ger. Men may say the country IS deieoeo.--
| Bat that does not alter the case-so lonG as me
\ country thinks ortherwisc. The country IS r.
solved that all danger 10 all CT them SHAH be
Thoroughly removed. Men may say, the ccun-
try is lniSIed; but what OF that, 50 long as the
= country is resolved to be National, Protestant
1 and UuitedI The country is Thoroughly con-
WINGED, that it Cannot trust the perpetu'tioA oi
its Nationality, Protestant civilization, ana us
: Union as one people, any lOnger-to the keep
ing OF its existing parties, ia their ord nary &C
tion; and SO the country has, for the time, al
least, SET asid. all parties Men my say lhls
is mere f,natAcism; but does the country care
for the sayings Of men whom II rGj ectS IS uii-
t worthy OF being entrusted WIN its destih!' !"
: so great Il crisis! Tns country resolves TO per
petu..te the Union OF these States. They who
are faithful to that Union, had better take up
:, the same great parable; they who are NOT
j ought in the jud. enent Of the country, 10 ot
d, IN ,piscrimi.liteIy crushed. The country dcter-
pr,t mt piy
gin Al, its most precious, and its most vital IN
Il heritance; and, believing it to have been be-
= trayed it purposes to surround 1t with adequate
safeguards They who participate in these
opinions and purposes, will applaud this pro
- found purpose they who conSpire 10 destroy
II that Protestant civilization, or who abet- ol
sell themselves to those who do, must abide
the political overthrow which so justly aho
permanently awaits them. The country cheF
Al ishes its glorious Nationaity-and believing
it To be end fingered, it has risen up IN its ma
III jesty-to assert, TO vindicate, ard to develops
still more powerfully that Nationality, without
70 which, the country itself has no dcstlhy-ht
mission on the face of the earth lhey "nt
are so lost to every. exalted instinct, as TO o'
20 insensibl To the grandeur of such hopes as Got
I has set b .fore us. may also despise all the ef
70 forts by which those hopes are to be reaiiZei
Nevertheless, the country Will guard ana as
10 sure its Nationality in spite Uf ITS recreah
W children, as well as its open foes ms Is on
30 version of this grind movement; one point
10 view from which its rise. Its progress, ana II
90 aims are distinctly manifest. Let the eo9n1r a
90 execute such work in such spirit; and sh
viii be launched anew upon her high career.
90 1t may be of less Importance to deterInin
by what means this great spirit has been arollS
ed and concentrated. Yet that Is not dime II
90 Mlnifestly whatever those means were, the
90 must have worked long. and worked deeply
90 Was it nothing that in all parts OF the cotli'eS
90 and for years together, and upon the most ol
OO posite pretexts the dissolution OF the mo
M ty,x constantly Threatened? Was it nothing
60 that political corruption, grown gigantic lu 10
90 land had shocked all honest men W as II nt
81 thing that stream of foreign paupers ana le
| ons flowed ceaselessly into the bosom oil III
90 Repufjiic Was it nothing, that millions
90 foreign ,,apsts and Tor ign infdels, inundatin
SS the country like a hood OF locusts, were opei
Is organized into political powers, directe
90 against the Liberty, the Religion, ana the n
90 tionaliiy OF the people Was 1t nothing mi
90 political parties openly bought and solu u
90 support of these fearful powers-contrdctIr
90 always for such payments, in return, as we
90 the most humilitting and the most fatal "
90 it nothing, that the voice OF patriots, the POI
90 er of the press the opportunities OF the puipl
90 were directed, each in its own sphere, ana I
90 years together, against this frightfu and emo
. nous wickedness! Was it nothing, that me-
75 could neither vote, nor speak, nor preach,
pay, without being liable to insult and vi
wo lence, unless they would do all in suca ma
ers ner as suited the tastes OF foreign moDs, col
on, posed of foreign infidels and papsts les,
nrs rify. they were deep causes, anu thes WI n
the long, which wrought the American people
op- that earnest, and fervid, and yet calm and 81
has tied enthusiasm, which pervades the pttl'n;
to No doubt Religion is an element OF Il u
widespread excitement. But IL Is not tue