Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1855-03-24
RELIGION--FOREIGN AND KNOW
81 NOTHINGIsM.

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~ NOTHINGIsM.
Close observers Of human nature have in
formed us that men are generally wanting in
those qualities about which they talk the most.
The coward is ever the loudest and most boast
full. He has the highest degree Of what may
be called vocALheroism. His battles have
been without witnesses-but he relates them
in voice Of thunder which is ignited and made
terrible by looks Of lightning. But what he
has done, is nothing compared with what he
will do. His exploits are chiefly prospective.
Hypocrites in religion are ever the most
sanity visaged, humblelooking and heavenly
talking people. Their piety being only face
and tonguepiety, makes constant draughts
on their muscles and their speech. They may
properly be called face and tongue christians.
But fresh supply Of latter day saints has
sprung up. They have afforded opportune relief
to despairing isms and to battered and bruised
Abolitionists. They are the Know-nothings.
The faithful followers and chosen disciples of
the Saviour Of mankind were not more afflicted
and crushed in heart at his betrayal and cruci-
fxion, than are the Know.nothings at the mani
fold horrors Of the church Of Rome. They
wiring their unwashed hands and tear their I'M
combed hair. Their pious hearts grow fierce
with holy resentment, and, in place Of meek
duplication for deliverance, they 6ll the air
with fearful curses. si3t t
Nor did the ancient Saxons feel towards
their Norman conquerors and oppressors
greater hatred, than do these patriots cherish
towards every foreigner who sits under our
vine and fig tree, and raises up children to aid
in settling our new territories and spreading
far and wide our free institutions.
What is this Wanted piety and noisy patriot
ism? In order to understand what they are,
we have to consider the composition of the
Know-nothing party and the antecedents Of
those who compose it.
The Knownothing party, as we have often
shown, is made up of Northern Wings, North
ern Freesoilers, Northern Abolitionists, North
ern isms, and Southern Federalists, Southern
Wings, and Southern Demagogues Of both po-
litical parties. In this great country it is
sometimes difficult to track missing man and
to find a lost politician. But when, nova
days, we lose sight Of q man that we want to
discover, all that we have to do is to ask (if
he is Northern many was he Northern
Wing, Freesoier, an Abolitionist Ifso, his
precise locality is at once ascertained. We
may set him down as a Know-nothing. If
Southern man, we have but to ask, was he an
old, bigoted, Southern Wing? Was he Dem
agogue? Was he Democrat repudiated by
his party? Was he Democrat who asked
from his party more than that party was will
ing to allow him? Was he Demagogue in
either party? If he answers to either of these
descriptions, he may be found in the Know
nothing party.
All that such men want Daring the honest
privates) is Office and advancement. Banks
failed them, high tariffs were given up, all the
Wing issues abandoned, and for want Of issues
they make religion and anti-foreignism their
issues.
Can such men, unless they are blindy igno-
rant care for religion? We do not believe it.
They are not the men who have pursued spiri-
tual things. They are the men who have fol-
lowed carnal things. They are the Office seekers
and the disappointed politicians and the mer-
cenary demagogues. They talk loudly about
religion. But what is that religion? 1t is the
haven and the heaven of Office. 1t is that
bastard religion, which has respect unto the
recompense of the reward" They seek to
array all the religious sects in the country
against the Catholics, because they are the
weaker sect, and because Rome is their Mecca.
They do not care one straw about the Bible or
religion. We believe that they know less about
both than any other people. In the North they
are more opposed to both and to the Consfitn-
fion than any other people. We believe that
more irregular, manufactured systems Of re-
ligion prevail in the North than everywhere
else on this continent and we believe that
nearly all who follow these bastard systems
belong TO the Abolition and Know-nothing par
ties.
In the South, with many Wings, il is pure
Federal Wing malice that induces men to join
the Know-nothings. With others IT is office
sceking-with others still, it is ignorance.
These latter are imposed on and deceived by
the clamors Of the former.
These men worship God--but their God is
Mammon. Many Of them cannot quote cor
rectly passage of Scripture. With our own
ears we heard one Of the orators and leaders
Of the Know-nothings Of this city, while de-
nouncing the Catholics in great Know-nothing
meeting, attempt passage of Scripture in
which he signally failed; and what was remar-
kable, none Of his friends around him, when
appealed TO, gave him the true quotation. He
broke down in his Bible learning, and, as IL it
we're matter Of indifference, proceeded with
his address.
1t would be as sensible in kites to appeal to
lambs, in hawks to appeal to chickens, in owls