The true Democrat., 1855-09-11
UI UIIU I DUIIIUCT Save me from my Friends

For the True Democrat.
 Save me from my Friends
 The employment of melting the passions and prejudices of one portion of the American people to prosecute another portion on account of religious belief-even to the extent of de- priving them of some of the rights of Ameri- can citizenship therefor, is, certainly, for intel hgent Americans to be engaged in, disgraceful enough-a foul blotch upon the American es- cutcheon. And we reflect, that if so many Americans - Americans of tue naiddle of tue nineteenth century, too, can so readily lend hand to reUiUe here, this relic of barbarism-we can no longer wonder that a banner or land could find so many tools for the same vile work
 few years since, in the estimation of some of those who are now engaged in this employ ment-the old alien laws of federalism were in famous enough, and, G btey a0jN remember, they never lost an opportunity of brandingt the aohiqs with being the natural successors and represen- tatives ofthatsame black k-cockade-J hn-Adams- alien-and-sedition-a party-they considered that such branding was odium enough to damn any party in the estimation of the American people. But what can we think of these same men H0W-when we behold them not only en- dosing the principle of those old Adams laws not only go for prescribing naturalzed Ame- ricans because of their foreign birth-but for prescribing native Americans because of their religious belief; and yet--.O reason these men 4I,. ! stll--that is, they can brand whigs with as much consistency as eUer with the odium of being the natural successors of the old J obn Adams feder- alist party.
 1 am bitterly opposed to the Roman Catholic religion. l will ague with Catholics for ever that their religion letters the human mind-that it fosters superstition and disqualifies the soul for the largest portion of those elevated pur- suits that most distinguish man from other animal creatures and that makes him but a little lower than the angels will endeavor, by rea- son, to convince them that their sysmtem of inn ages, pictures and relics may do well enough to wean the gross idolators of India, from their idol worship-but that it should be discouraged among people (Catholics) who may be easily weaned from these images, pictures and relics and placed before their Creator with all the feelings of responsibility to Him that enlight- ened, rational beings must have And I will reason with them that their priests do not pur- sue this humane and elevating policy because they are afraid the people will learn to do their duty towards God and man with too little aid from priestcraft and priestly interference. And so on with other practices which the progress of the age has not yet entirely obiterated- but 1 would not prosecute them-I would not render their minds imperviouS to reaSon-de- stroy the bonds of confidence charity, and good will betwixt us, by making them feel the iron hand of persecution. The work of weakening the grasp of the Catholic hierarchy upon Catho- lie people in the United States has been going on of late years in manner that alarmed that body. It has been one of the great troubles at Rome. Something was wanted to stay this gradual slipping away of Catholics in America from the priestly grasp. An attempt was made to stay the Irish emigration.
 Masonry and Odd Fellowship were anatbe.. matzed at length it was resolved-I have no doubt of tito resort to a desperate remedy which has unhapplv for us all, but too well succeeded. It was to decoy the American peo- pie from their high position-of charity good will and equal rights for all religious denomi natons-to that of fierce prosecutors and re- vilers of Catholics. Some ecclesastics, Dr. BrOwnson and some other Catholic editors were selected to preach up the old ultra montane doctrnes-and almost every week for certain length of time, their papers teemed with these dogmaS, with an earnestness and extravaganza unknown even m most parts of Europe. Doc trnes that are the rule of conduct of not one Ca- thohc out oftive hundred either here or in many Catholic countries, will hereafter give some proof of. As Was expected, the unwary Ame- rican took ire-know nottingham sprung into exstence-and the American PrCtestants es- tablised the Roman Catholic faith more firmly in the United States than all the Priests and Bishops in the world with the Pope at their head could have accomplished without tseir aid. In this way was lost upon Americans the last advice of the father of his country-by not aa hereing to oprinciple. Here is a consummation of the insidious evils of foreign infuence"-b,a the end IS not get A lever power upon the affairs of the United States has been fabricated be- twixt the hierarchy of Rome and the know nothlngs that the foreigners across the AHantic will not soon let go of Washington could not have pictured to himself worse case when he gave his last advice to his countrymen than the one now coming upon us Foreign influence, more or less, operates through the people upon their government all the time-more forciblv according to the amount of .factious prejulices among them. A free people should have no pGudiceS upon national affairs-if they have they must De the victims to that extent of the
 msidious evils" During the late serious diff hculties between the north and the south, threat enlng dissolution-these "insidious evils' were actively at work But what what are common political hatreds to those which spring out of religious intolerance and prosecutions? The world has witnessed, in several instances, even where the people were not the source cf poa0er what foreign influence can do with such mate. ;la5s' ;lo For, as Washington informs us, foreign .uAuence IS not so much to be dreaded in mo- s ,lsicies as in free countries. The profoundness VI which truth know nothings do not too fully understand. Iwish every know nothing would . !eaa a~d'ousty that Farewell Address-for, cer- sanly rom the use they make of quotations rom 1t not many of them have ever done so.
 JEALOUS PROTESTANT.