Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-07-06
From the Presbyterian Critic.
The American Party.


and to ride into power upon the tide. They have
ruiz foul of the great maxim, which they have so
conspcuousy set forward among their principles, as
if for the purpose of exposing the proagacy of the
whole movement, by violating in practice what they
praise in theory 1t is absurd to deny, that making
the religious sentiments Of man the reason
for refusing for him, is violation of the great
principle of religious liberty. 1t is allowing prin-
ciple of discriminating the political aspect of vote
to be sound and just; which would be wicked and
unprncpled, if embodied in law. If our neigh
bors make their dislike to Presbyterian sentiments
the ground of their refusing to vote for It is per-
fectly useless to disguise that under political
responsibility for religious opinionshat, quoad hoe,
we are suffering for them. The Objectionable fea
ture in this view of the case is, making religious
opinion unattended by any vciousness of action grow
ing out of it, aground for universal discrimination
in political affairs, affecting permanently large mas
of citizens This is first and great objection
to the American or Know Nothing party it is viola
ting the very principle of religious liberty which it
processes TO conserye and has adopted construc-
on of that principle which stri ps it of all practical
force leaving it dead letter in the statue book and
abandoning its control the political action of the
people
the Catholic Church, because there is necessity
for it, provided the people OF this country will pro-
perly employ the legitimate agencies of opposition
which are in their power. The simple and sufficient
condition of the preservation of the Republic from
|
port of the Protestant Church-the complete and ami
mated maintenance of the domestic missionary enter
prlses of the various Protestant Genominations.-
This is the great conservative element of political
! systemic sustain and viyfy it with the vigorous
energy which it ugh to possess-and ii need not be
feared that any of the great social political inter-
ests that are conditioned upon it will ever come 10
harm. 1t is the on y-not less than the only legiti
mate power, which can be effectively employed to
restrain Popery and maintain the institutions of
| oifnrh how
gused in form limited in extent will inure to the
benefit of the body enduring it. The policy then,
of restraining Popery by political disabilities inflicted
upon the individual Catholic is suicidal in the
treme. 1t will concentrate and intensity the attach
ment of its members, and render them more and
more unapproachable by Protestant instruction 1t
will sympathy, and thus open wide the door to
proselytism, and it will put the Church in an attitude
far attractive the victim of un lustlfable
crusade than it is at all entitled to assume from It's
intrinsic charms. How long is theworld to be learn
ing the lessen and coming to the knowledge of
the truth that all means but and love to affect
the opinions of men, only result in strengthening at
tachment TO their orig gIna convictions! The princi
pie of this opposition TO Popery is vicious, and the
more completely it is carried into effect, the more
disastrous will be the result. The complete
The political victory Popery the more it will be
benefited. The only efectivo-as it is the only law
fuI, general and permanent agency OF opposition to
the Popish Church-is the true Protestant Church
of Christ der its various forms. We have no
right to complain of the neficiency of means until
we have employed it fully and tested all its capac
ties. Let the people of the United States double
their support OF the great domestic missionary work.
and they may safely abandon all political agtations
against the Catholic Church
We object again to the American party, that it is
condensing the Catholic and Foreign element in our
population into a political body, distinct from the
mass of our citizens, armed with all their power to
do mischief, and animated by all that hostility which
is natural to suffering unde- ostracism of their
religion and birth, provoked by an attempt to diminish
their full equality with other citizens. Now what
does know-Nohingism propose to do for the remedy
of this evil which it has created 1t only proposes
to render the Catholic 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 10
them There can be no remedy for the P0pe's con-
troll over the Catholic vote, except in taking away
the elective franchise altogether. Now Il is to say
the least of it, the most manly and honest policy, to
prohibit the entry of Catholic and Foreigner al
together into the country, and to the rights OF cti
Zenship, rather than invite them to come and then be-
gin 10 annoy them by whole series of political disa
bliteS which assumed 10 he essential to defence
against hem. lrdeed, the inference of the Know
Nothing creed both the issues it has raised, is
logical and practical bunder from its premises.
1t assumes in the strongest sense of an existing fact
logical inference from the Catholic creed the
absolute lncom patibIlty of The Catholic Church and
the free institutions of this country This is its pre-
mise It's inference is, to render the individual Cath
oc ineligible 10 Office the true inference from the
premise they consrue is, that the Catholic Church
ought not to be tolerated at all On the o!her issue,
the premise is that the foreign element in popu.
laon is dangerous the government; the inference
is, the reduction of part of the rights of citizenship
the inegibiity 10 office, in the fore igners already
here, and extension OF the term of naturalization.
The true inference is. the prohibition of all emigra-
ton the future and the avoidance of everything
that would exasperate the foreign element already in
the midst of us; the careful observance of ything
which would tend to strengthen their attachment 10
the institutions of the country. These are the results
which logically issue from the premises of the Know.
Nothing creed, and which they are logically required
| 10 assume
But they dare not do il the measure they propose
to adopt-the exclusion from ofice-is ridiculously
incomplete practical eXpedient it is most i'm
potent and lame conclusion, logical inference
Ii is absolutely necessary, either 10 this politi-
cal crusade against large masses of our people, or to
make it efecual to accomplish, not only the ends
holds in view but to prevent the incident evils the
effort to reform has created in its progress. Moth
ing short of far effective dminution Of the
common rights OF citizenship than has yet dared to
assume the shape of public proposition, will meet
| the ends which the American party are seeking to
accomplish. 1t is absurd 10 admit large classes of
to all the common rights of citizenship, except
one, and that by the most important one.
If there is reason why they should be deprived of
one they should be deprived of ALL If it is right to
allow them 10 vote, it is right to allow them to be
voted for the right is almost. if not altogether
the corre|ave of the other. Any argument which
would prove disqualified Tor Office, would prove
him disqualified to vote There may be special reasons
why particular Offices, involving the representation of
the national character as well the national rolicy
should be exclusively occupied by nativeborn citi-
zens but this is very different in nature and pro-
ceeds upon wholly different principle of political
wisdom, from the universal declaration of neligbil-
III iaroo &c