Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-18
: TOT F"t I-"TNfI'T'
TO THE CONSERVATIVE WlIiCS AND THE
CLERGY OF VIRGINIA.

empire Rni blndl! governed by ambitious tbs
sO.v vrnis distinct corporation in the middle u the
French nation, wns" power it surp. and whose r"prc
..:,avcS It subdur' LAFAYETTE
Once united, the Jscobins rendered their slinCpublc,
combined them w!th a:!R, toreties in al! pnEs OF
France. and could thus, from common ccur", hsi.
a'r c ust remote frontiers wiih the passionate feelings
which cl.c,ritod ;le metropolis As yrt ts most t"rl
duhr party i:nAed in scc:ct"lS lSCoTrs LIFE or NAro
LEoa.
Il is needless for the writer 10 recount the long list
Of horrors and atrocities, II; the recollection ot which
humanity scknns which this desperate faction brought
OH the French nation; the iuic!iigcu. gentlemen 10
whom these reiLa:ks nrc addressed, Grn familiar no
doubt, with the history Of those times. We will re-
mark, however that historians estimate that, through
the influence Of the Iacobin Clubs, the guillone
smoked with III" blood OF 100000 innocent persons,
whilst, through the sam. influence, 3u,0O0 innocent
persons were thrown into gloomy and !uatlsome dun
,cons, to drag out miserable existence II exiscnc"
could cOnt!nne amidst the horrible priyaons and
hard-iIips WIS., which they surrounded III the
hvrrld dens IN which they were confined. For what
did these victims suffer- Merely inr differences ot
political opinion; in many instances tnr shnGcE of OPT
nion, only slightly different from those Of the Juco-
bins.
Very true, do not hear Of any formal proportion
20 bring To the block the Catholics un fore, or-. but
if the discussions in the Know Nothing Councils cx-
ceed much i'll asp"rity the tone indulge in by many
pVtcn-rclgiuus newspapers. protesting PrOtcstRnt-
ism. do most awfuly fcnr ;ha; tho time is not far
distant wheE such propositions may bn mndc. i"u
may rely IN it, scnirmcI: ''tlc wind has been sown"
AMI il 'we reap the whlrlwnd,' we shond not be ns-
tUnlshcd
Where did this faction originated With the mobs
of the Northern cii!esw!th class who. according
to Know Nothing urgan ''Ckc out prccnrouS ex-
isence on mutton pies and pea nuts, anu close ic!i
days operations with rluous demonstrations at the
theatres and Macrcady riots and, in times past, nn
doubt BY applying the torch TO Catholic cNurchcs.-
And yet this is the precious set with whom the yo"1"
| ITgiAlans are .rIlully appealed 10 b" Northern
Know Nothing organ {" fra;crnse. Gnod Heavens.
The young sons u; Virginia To fratcr!isc with the
rowdy, unrrinciplcd, bad youths of the Northern
! cities. q Temporal, d mares!
If the Young ni Virginia do not come 10 their
aud cschcw all connection with this set IT.
would shun the viper. it is 10 be hoped that the
servasin Of the State, the mellow experience Of
| this renowned old Commonwealth, will throw their
united influence into the scale, and save from fate
which folly, nexpcrcncc AMI recklrssi'ess may bring
| OH US.
TO the clergy of Virginia, in particular wou! al.
dress few remarks. IL appears that tn" clergy Of
! the North with few honorable c1ccption-l have
! given countcnancc-hnvc, III fact fracrni+cd with
| this faction, md have established themselves m
organised band OF slavery a2llators. In fact Judge
Douglas remarks tut there IRE about 5000 of them,
| those who pctnncd for II repeal Of the Nebraska
| bill, who have 10 legitimate employment. In other
words presume the Judge meant 10 ray that there
iCDU Northern clcrgyn"n who, instead Of pre- Gcl
ilL peace Oh earth and good will 10 man, have signal
| lied themselves rs sirrcrs up NJ strife that may
possibly end in hOrrid catastrophe Cicr-ymem "i
| Virginia, touch them no:, With what face can they
! ask you /" frGi"rnsc with Acm' Three veGrs ago
they would not have extended 10 YOU the right hand
| o icowship they w0uld no; have extended ~ YOU
the privilege of coInmum,un because, orsooth, you
tolerated the institution ui slavery, which the Bible
itself tolcra:c-. This immortal 5000. holly in pur-
suit Of policy tending 10 Arlcnnlzc tho South. {"
! reduce the condition OF JaniaIca Saint Du-
mngo (which condition IL, perhaps. nnttrr oi very
little nI,nrancc tn them very :"a-. III COM Gnc-
iIOH with their nuii"pic ani pea. nut as."c!n:c-
! from the puriicuS Oi Boston and New York, Gsl:
the cergy OF Virginia. after al that has passed, IL
! Join with them in umchGr:abIr, unchr!-tia! un-
constitutional and un-tarsnlankc warIarJ On their
Catholic brethren in lmrrica, ani III" poor foreign
cr howGyrr honcai,l the exile from transatlantic op-
! preston.
Clrrgymen OF Virginia T.": one who admrea the
a.nluhc simplicity ~ YOUR characters, VIII" respects
YOU for ti" good ycu have done; who values You tor
the good You Grc still capable ot dong lex h"c" ~"
ole conjurc You L" touch not ilI'' hH.hron'' Ho''
| not your robes with lis po!iu'ng touch forsccute
! not the Cninor--prr-ccutc u"t the iiaa!-rht- -
Leave to them the rights given by ;hc C"r-;l;u;;"n'
updcr which we oil hive; which we ARE Nil hmnnd 10
rcaprct: which namy oi Us have sworn I" support
| p.mcnh.r rruilcra"m. | cntroat YOU. that the Con-
titu,inn rive, IL TIE Catholic every right cnlry" hy
other denominations: gives - the Immigrant! "i'Arm
cyrry right with tllrr" enumerated exceptions cH-
loved hv any other citizen. How can those who ar"
e,ioyin. all the blessings conferred by that r.c lc@a
| cv bruucathcl lIo b. Washington and Madison and
| their cnnpa;liots'hnw those, especially, who
have taken oath 10 support that sicr' instrument
Join in THIS barbac"us crusade ngnins; Catholic nnd
emigraus' What Take ~ oath 10 support N" Con-
s;iluton and iuin q faction which IL making war on
two of il. most important provisions As well might
he be said be supporting the Bible, who, after hav-
| nr taken M oath against it, should Join society
whose pro;csscd object should bc 10 1--we in violation
of its prccrpts. On" Of tie most i:npGriHn; Ui Tho
! temporal advantages Of our religion is tho sanctity
with which it invrsis m oath. The sonc,ity OF this
OATH it il admitted is of the principal safeguards
| for the uure administration Of Justice. Let ne cn.
treat vnu gentlemen OF the clerical profession il any
| of vol in an un.uardcd momcit have given C"nne-
nance 10 this faction, 10 cfchpe from 1t. By having
ANYTHING 10 do with such faction, rely on it, your
| usefulness will be impaired. Although this iactioI
ba. br.n in existence but short time, remember,
pruy YOU, portion uf the onrnsrs To which it has
! viycn rise. Remember the Outrage IN the Catholic
clergyman. Ia man os peace und protesting the same
yo.nel with Yourselves in the State OF New Hamp
| .hre-a learned and plnus mln-who, hecause he
thought proper, by argument Ia defend the pc
| cuiiar tcnc,s of this faith, was seized by a
bard OF cowardy rasamums tarred and nthered
! nnd rndc OIL a rail. Remember the Newark
riots remember the church burners (Ihe same fac
tion bva different nanel Of Philadelphia in 1916;
membrr the case of McCiowHn remember the latc
terrific and sangunary, and dsgraceiu riot in Gin
cinnuti That faction tax itself awful rcspOn-
ability, in nat;on like this, living under written
nnd well l. iderstood Constitution, when it sccks, by
;ndircctiOn to take from 50 large portion oi our
| penp!e M the Catholic and emigrant population,
rights conferred hy that sacrcd instrument
Conservative Wings! address YOU statesmen.
recognize amoug you large portion OF the talent,
tha wealth. and the public spirit and private virtue "t
the State. You have nothing 10 gain You have puch
TO lose. by the anarchy, riot, bood3hcd, c"Inmoon
and contempt of the law and the Constitution, which
Mi, faction is enrcndering He must he blind, indeed,
who cannot see the feelings of jealousy with which
France and England have for some time, viewed the
nro-res, OF the United States. Each Of those nations
srcme tn be keen tn pick quarrel with u.s. and have
nreitv distinctly ntimaed, that after they have done
with Russia, they intended 10 turn their nitcnti" l"
the United States. In the event "f conflict they
would hc united against III, with, probably Ansria
I, assist them. Is polite, al such juncturc, wien
,hr Whole country should he united IA one man, to
pursue course well calculated tn render dihioya
10 our institutions, large portion OF "u: people rs
the Catholics and rmigrans
tn. ia no hone for the support of the peculiar in.
o,;lu,;on of the South from this fncti0n North and
Nc.t they have turned out the true friends "t the
south, and filed their places with vile sci "i APO"
l,nrists Through their influence, they arc bringing
nv IN the verge of civil commotlOn lhcy nave phccd
in the lower house Of Congress large majority
who arc in favor of carrying ont the aggressive ana
unconstitutional measures ot me AhnI'"hls,'.
They huve very nearly, ! believe done thr
same in the Senate suppose al me eA sea$I"" 81
Conyress they pass their measures oi aggression Oh
tho Snuth What will snve us from cirii COMMUNION
ond. prrlnps dsunion Nothing bnt tne 'e'o "i me
prr.i,lcnt Sec Won not the awful preciplcc "i rum
10 the brink OF which this wicked or dcludrG faction
"'1 "Ussrva,ivo Wings of Virginia. s there no hope
for tho Cnon Is there no hope for the Preservacn
tbo nn.ti,ntionl Yes The hope Is III TINS that MA
ho,n.t u viii o 10 the mountain and not the mountain
not,ct W., .he conservative Wings Of Vir
20 pnin G n"I he South and the Webster Clay and FIJI
more Wigs Of the North and Ws.t It, will join the
constitutional party for the sake o inc tm'i''u'ioh
con ~ w., nrs.crvaon OF the Union. The consti
tu,ons u,, D Is party, from the nature Of hn' must be
sure nr ,bs Catholic and rmisrant vote Pot these
various Interests together . you pTFsG;TT "i ,o that
there would he large majority IN nATr %l ,e STa"
passcd in obedience thereto. ", D,,
their soo;y nsocins have the minority in the Lower ,t
It"uo ", f the counrr To come up 10 the rescue