New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-23
Exploded POLICY.

cation ar. too feeble to arrest the spread OF
C,tbolici,,o. aud that hence the Repu, ic is ex-
no.sd IN ruin. Ii would seem 10 be part OF
their creed also that the same fell power of per-
,ecutiop. which that Church of old often and
with fucb remorseless energy welded to .ivsnce
the ,pread Of lite doctrines and extend its sway,
should be spilled 10 cripple it, oTn growth on
this continent. Against this sentiment the ira
dtioG aud policy Of the country, from it's first
settlement, are in open opposition. 1t is true
thst in the early settlement Of the Colonies there
were devations 10 conduct, to limited extent,
from the principle Of religious liberation, but
those devistons were, in the progress Of the idea
toward general recognition, no greater than has
marked the progress Of free aud liberal priuc-
pies Of every kind. Instead Of sneering, SIS some
DO, ST the parrowDess and bigotry of those Of our
forefathers who in their action clung to the per-
scouting IDEAS of the old Churches of Eogland
and of Rome, we should rather fnd cause for
admiration, that ruch conduct was bu; the excep.
ton to the rule OF univeral liberation established
among u.s. and, it Was to oe hoped, forever estab-
li.hed witccut further question.
The senets Of the Know Nothlpgs seem, how
ever, 10 border cIosely upon the idea OF repudiar
ing the doctrine OF Religious federation. Though
the now repugnabt sentiment is not boldly put
forth by the leaders and scribes of the ne party
IL is beyond doubt true that with many who
have embraced the Order, it is the one cardinal
article OF faith, and very foolish aud unworthy
article it IT, To all In,Olt every genuine and
consistent American should stand for ger inlekl-
bly, opposed, not only on principle bu'' above all,
Proiestants should oppose it as mati~r OF policy.
If one oesired inallIby 10 confirm the children OF
Catholics in the faith of their pareGts ne could
best gain that purpose by constantly setting him
self to oppose and persecute all Catholics. The
"blood of the martyrs lie the seed the Church, "
is an apborsm the truth of which has been very
lopg estsbli.bed. TIE history OF the world,
and cur own history particularly, shows that re-
beious persecution never yet accomplished its
object 1.-THE deluge ofor,hodox hostility has been
poured upon the flames of hefeticsl zeal in one
quarter, it has but desdened them 10 insure their
bursting forth with increased fervOr in another.
Intolerance never yet IN SIDE convert, while toll
GRAFTON and perft ct freedom to believe or disbe-
lieve have wrought iLnunersbie changes.
If Protestant Americans would but be true
to the principles they profess, and patiently
await the full development of the great idea Of
religious freedom, they would sot n see how ab-
surd it ia 10 relapse, even for moment, into the
narrow aud prejudiced notions of the past on this
subject. Already, indeed, if the facts could be
fully disclosed, enough would appear to show how
the great hierarchy Of Europe over this continent.
Indeed, the facts, so far they have trauspired,
won seem to prove that Catholicism dses not In
crease its numbers to any extent which could
make it in any way dangerous to our institutions,
even ifthOse who direct its Influence should de-
sire to make it so. And what do our ultra Protest
ants expect to gain by driving the Catholic chill
lren out of the public schools, and utterly So
GLIDING them from the mass of O:her denomna-
tions Is it possible to conceive of anything more
likely to render the Catholics in the country
mere sect nODg the population, with neither &C.
opaiDtkpce nor interests IN common with people
of other sectsi If there be any anti republican
design among the Catholic priesthood, which we
do not believe, this is certainly the best way to
confirm and foster it.
We have the emphatic testimony of very high
authority to show wha! has been the eiec. OF re
ligioUs liberation and general mingling of sects.
thus far in our history, on such terms Of equality.
IL 1886, IN q communication TO the Central Coun-
ell for the Propagation Of the Faith, At Lyons,
Bishop England wrote
eff say, upon the foregoing data, that We ought,
if there loss 10 have FIVE millions of Catho-
lies in the United States and that we have less than
one million aid q quarter, there must have been
loss OF three mors snd threequarters at least aud
the persons lost found among the various sects
10 The amount Of thrice the number of the Catholic
population OF the whole country"
Such are the results of that system Of religious
freedom. free discussion, and public education,
which our fathers established, and which has ex-
listed uDquestioDed among us for three quarters
Of century. 1t has prevented any sect from
gaining the predominance, and has maintained
that equilibrium Of ecclesiastical power which 10
30 essential to the preservation Of democratic in
situations. If there is any man who suppo,es
that a system of intolerance and prescription
con produce such result, We can only say that
be ignores the eloquent lessons which history
teaches on this sutherland there is no other
which she enforces so often or so Pc xerfuly.
We have little respect for that line Of argument,
however, which calls upon US to grant liberation
to the Catholics on the ground thatthey themselves
setthefrstexsmple ofreligious freedom in our his
tory. Its amat;er of fact that Lord Baltimore, after
trying in vain TO get foothold among the Potest-
ant Colonies, and being excluded because of his
being Roman Catholic, when he finally estab.
lisbed Lis colony in Maryland, granted perfec.
lih. rtv of relioious heliaf IN all naouia ITnop