The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1855-07-27
From the Presbyterian Critic.
I lid iM b RIO AN PIRTT


The recent excitement in the country has been,
in the main, the result of corrupt movement
OF unprincipled politicians. to excite the Pro-
testant FEELING, and 10 ride into power upon the
tide. They have run foul of the great maxim.
which they have so conspicuously set forward
among their principles as if for the purpose OF
exposing the pro0igacy ofthe whole movement,
by violating in practice what they practice in
theory. IT is absurd to deny, that making the
mere religious sentiments OF a man, the reason
for refusing TO vote for him, is violation of tie
great principle ofreligious liberty. Ii is allow
ing principle of discriminating the political
aspect of a vote to BE- sound and Just which
would be wicked and unprincipled, il embodied
IN law. If our neishbors make their dislike
to our Presbyterian sentiments, the ground of
their refusing 10 vote for US it is PERFECTLY use
less To disguise, that we are under political le-
Sponsibility for religious opinions-that qnoad
hoe, we are suffering for them. The objection
able feature in this view of the case is, making
religious opinion unattended by anv viciousness
OF action growing out of it, ground for an uni
verSal discrimination in political affairs, affect
ing permanently large masses of citizens. This
is our first and great objection TO the American
or know-Nothing party: it is violating the
very principle of Ieigious liberty, which it pro-
feSSrs To conserve; and has adopted construc-
tion of that principle which strips it of all prac-
tical force, leaving it dead letter in the statute
book, and abandoning its control over the poll
teal action of the people.
We object again to a political movement a
gainSt the Catholic church, because there is no
uecessity for it, provided the people of this coun-
try will properly employ the legitimate agencies
ofopposilion which are in their power. Th.
simple and sufficient condition OF the preserva-
ton of the republic from the arts of RomaniSm
is the foil and efficient support of the Protestant
church-the complete and animated manten-
ance OF the domestic missionary enterprises of
the various Protestant denominations. This rs
the great conservative element OF our political
system: sustain and vivifv il with the vigor-
Gus energy which 1t ought 10 possess, and il need
not b. feared that anv Of the great social or po-
hlIcai interests that condii ioned upon ii, will
ever come to harm. II is the onlv-not less
than the only legitimate power which can be-
effectively employed TO restrain Po1ery, and
maintain the Institutions Of our government
Al rrorattrr how disguised in form
or limited in extent, Will inure to the benefit OF
the body enduring if. The policy then of res
training Popery by political disabilities inflicted
upon the individual Catholic, is suicidal in the
extreme. 1t will concentrate and intensity the
attachment of its members, and render them
more and more unapproachable by Protestant
instruction. 1t will create sympathy, and thus
open wide the door TO proSeytism, and it will
pat the church in an attitude far more attractive,
as the victim Of an unjuslfable crusade, than it
is at all entitled to assume from its intrinsic
charms. How long Is the world to be learning
the lesson and never coming TO the knowledge
nt the truth, that all mrans but reason and love
TO affect the opinions Of men, only result in
strengthening attachment to their original con-
victionS The principle of this opposition TO
Popery is vicious. and the more completely it is
carried into effect, The more disastrous will be
thu result. The more compltte the political
victory over Popery, the more it will be bene-
fitted. The only efiectve-as it is the only
lawful, general and permanent agency of foppo-
Sition TO the Popish church-IS the true Protes-
tant church of Christ under lis various FORMS
We have right to complain of the ineiIicirn-
cy Of the means until We have employed il fnl-
Iy, and tested all its capacities. Let the people
of the United States double their support of the
great domestic missionary work, and they may
safely abandon all political agitatonS against the
Catholic church.
We object again to the American party, that
It is condensng the Catholic and foreign ele-
ment in our population into political body.
distinct from the mass of our citizens, aimed
wth all their power to do mischief, and anima-
ted By all that hostility which is natural to men
suffering under an oStracism of their religion
and birth, and provoked by an attempt to dim
inish their full equality with other citizens
Now what does Know-Nothingism propose to
do for the remedy Of this evil which il has crpa-
ted! II only proposes 10 render the Catholic I
and foreign citizens ineligible to office. 1t {
leaves them the power TO vote, and the right of
unlimited emigration in the future-the two
great means OF mischief, If they are pleased to
use them. There can be no remedy for the /
Pope's control over the Catholic vote, except
in taking away the elective franchise altogrth-
er. Now, it is, to say the least it, the most |
manly and honest policy to prohibit the entry /
OF Catholic and foreigner altogether, into the |
country, and to the rights of citizenship, rather
than invite them TO come and then begin TO an
noy them by whole series OF political disabi-
lities, which are assumed to be essential to a |
defence against them. Indeed, the inference Of |
the Know-Nothing creed, on both the issues it I
has raised, is logical and practical blundpr |
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 inference is, to render the
Catholic ineligible to office the true
inference from the premise as they construe it
is, that the Catholic church ought not to be
tolerated at all. On the other issue, the prem
ise is. that the foreign element in cur popula-
ton iS Lannnrorr 70 ihn ctnrnrnrnnrt. IL, ;nE,