Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1855-03-15

impulse to Knoy Nothing sis,n just such an
impulse as would give it temporary footing
in every nook and corner Of the country where
religious prejudices prevailed, or the foreign
laborer toiled. The mechanic was told that
his wages was reduced BY the competition Of
foreigners. The Protestant was told that the
Roman Church with all its Babylonish ten
denotes and corraptions was about to acquire
supremacy, and DE Native American was told
that now was the auspicioos moment 10 resus-
citate his party, which had leDg been in 4
stats Of suspended animation. The result Of
this arfful policy surpassed the most ssuguine
expectafions Of tie Know Eothinee They
zt{1u mat where other parties were nearly
balanced. they could turn the scale, and a
successful manppvre of this kind in some of
the principal cities. in local elections, led them
to hope that they might safely aspire to su-
premaey In the nation 1t is now true that
they have got glimpse of political power,
and this has changed the whole face of the or
ganization, and is destined to lead to its disso-
luton; and you will find that before very lcng
its members viii be divided amongst them
selves and each separate faction in desperate
self-defence pandering to the very influences
which they at first sought to destroy Natu-
ralization and Roman Catholicism viii soon
become objects of minor importance in the all
engrossing desire for political elevation. Up
to this time. they have had no settled purpose,
no settled plans of reform They clanor
about foreigners and Roman Catholics, but
suggest no practical remedy. They call upon
the people to enter their lodges, but not to
examine the nature of any public grievance
or to devise any plan to correct abuses. In
the contests which they have bad, they seem
to Laye desired simply TO make an exhibition
of a strength. which is employed in the most
capricious manner, and what is singular, they
attack Native Americans and not foreigners.
Protestanfs not Catholics, and thar too with
out inquiring whether tbe victim is favorable
or unfayorable to such reforms as they pretend
to desire, and without acquainting him what
those meditated reforms are
1t does not require the gift of prophecy to
forctell the fate of such a party. Mere num-
bers, as [ said before, without sound principles
cannot sustain a party In what they have
proclaimed up to this time, they have commit
ted two gross bl9nders. The first is an at
tempt to make a religious test in politics the
second, is the PRONUNCIATION of the doctrine
that the States have no right to regulate the
elective franchise as respects foreigners,-
Doctrines more mischieyous could not be ad-
vanced. In speaking of the first, desire to
say that il is more in sorroB than In anger
that perceive in it, evidence of the decline
of that liberal spirit which animated our great
ancestors when they framed the Constitution
With our history open before :us. with every
page adorned by our triumphs in war, and,
what is far better, our triumphs in peace and
every line teaching the incalculable value of
our free Constitution and the sacredness of
the freedom of conscience, we are asked to
turn aside from our great mission to persecute
few stray Roman Catholics who have sought
the protection of that Constitution not by
open legislative enactment, not by amending
the Constitution but by controlling, through
secret combination, the sufrages of the people
When religious bigotry and intolerance tri-
umph, as they often do, over age and weak
ness, deplorable as the spectacle is-and it is
the most deplorable that poor human nature
ever offers to our contemplation-ou aversion
to bigotry is sometimes softened by our pity
for the in6rmity which yields to its sway; but
we can make no allowance for young America;
we can have no charity for the young, the en-
lightened, and the vigorous, who daringly
and dpresunptuously thrust themselves between
mans conscience and his God.
If there is lsnything which digni6es and ex-
ats human nature, it is liberal forbearancc
towards those who differ from us IN matters
of religious faith If there is one feature in
our Constitution which more than any other
commends itself to the respect and veperatiop
of mankind, 1T is that which secures to every
man the right to worship God according to
the dictates of his own conscience, and de-
clares that no religious test shall ever be ap-
piled in determining the qualifications for Of
fce The members of this new party, though
they denounce the Jesuits because it is assu-
med that the Jesuits will take an oath to sup
port the Constitution and then violate the
spirit of it-and ughthey declare that their
leading object is to purify the ballot box. yet
with the admission on thcir lips that the Con-
stitution forbids the disfranchisement Of any
religious denomination by open Legislation.
they declare their purposes to effect this dis
franchisement at the ballot-box. In other
words, they propose to employ that sacred IN
strument, placed in the hands of the fecmen
of this country to enable them to secure tidel-
ity In their rulers, to correct abuses in the
administration of their government, and, if
need be, to procure amendments to the Con-
stitutiop, and as means to eyade, nay, SUBJ
vert the Constitution itself-to employ it as
Santa Anna and Louis Napoleon employed it,
to overthrow the Constitution. This is the
Know Nothing mode of purifying the ballot
box; and when it shall be sanctioned by the
American people, when. one after another,
the religious denominations which may chance
to incur the displeasurc of this secret order
shall share tke fate of tbs Roman Catholics,
we may well exclaim :. God save the Repub-
lic."
Men who promulgate such doctrines, mis-
take the spirit and temper of the people of this
country. They may blacken the character of
the Roman Catholic until he shall become the