Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-05-23
The American Party,
ITS CAUSE, PROGRESS, OBJECTS AND RESULT.


this or that explanation Of the movement we are
witnessing according to the point of view from
which they consider it. Many effects many be
produced by the movement itself, and men will
appreciate those effects, and endeavor to promote
or prevent them. according to their views of gen.
eral politics. of the interests Of society, and Of the
proper destiny of our great country.
The intense and prevailing power of the move
ment itself can no longer be matter of doubt
And to the calm observer various elements are
manifest which render its future progress altogether
inevitable. Amongst these decisive elements may
be stated. the augmented force Of the movement
itself. acquired by It's own previous triumphs;
and the greater homngenousness of the spirit of it,
to the portions of the country yet remaining to be
subdued, than TO the portions already conquered.
1t will encounter no difficulty equal to the intense
Democracy of New Hampshire, Illinois. Pennsyl-
vania. and Michigan; The wide spread political
immortality Of New York the settled anti slavery
sentiment of Massachusetts; the hereditary Wing
ism of Kentucky. Yet all of hese-are master
ed by the grander spirit of the new movement.
What barrier remains 10 arrest its irresistible
career?
1t is infinitely absurd for the opponents of this
vast movement of the human mind, to attribute it
to unworthy or insignificant causes. 1t is utterly
ridiculous to its friends, to imagine that it can eX.
haust itself upon objects that feeble and in
distinct. 1t may aim at what is wrong, or what
is unattanable but it cannot avoid aiming al what
is great and permaneut-any more than il could
have been produced by anything that was feeble,
indirect or base. A great people does not receive
such shocks. from such causes ; nor when receiv-
ed do they terminate without immense results.
What we behold is vast. and apparently spon
taneous and nearly universal uprising of the spirit
of American Nationality. Beneath that, we, be-
hold the restoration of that prmeval spirit of Pro-
estan civiliZa iun in which the country itself was
originally created. And still beneath that I'VE
behold the renewal of that profound sense of the
overwhelming necessity ofour National Union
which was the grandest outbirth of our National
Revolution. These are the life, and heart and
soul of this gigantic movement-American Ma
tionality; Protestant civilization; National Union.
The country believes all three of these are in
Danger Men may say the country is deluded.
But that does not alter the case-so long as the
country thinks otherwise. The country is resol-
we'd that all danger to all Of these-shall be thor
oughly removed. Men may say the country is
msIead but what of that su long the country is
resolved to be National, Protestant. and United
The country is thoroughly convinced, that it can
not trust the perpetuation of its Nationality, its
Protestant civilization, and lis Union as one pe0-
pie, any onger-to the keeping OF existing parties,
i'm their ordinary actiOn-and SO the country has,
for the time. at least set aside all parties. Men
NAV say this is mere ianalicism but what does the
country care for tie ayngs of men whom II tt
ects as unworthy OF being trusted with It's deS-
tiny. in So Ireai crisis? The country resolves
10 perpetuate the Union Of these STATES. They who
are faithful To that Union, had better take up the
same great parable they who are not, ought. IN
the judgement OF the country. 10 be indiscrimin-
a,ey crushed The country determine that It's
Protestant civilization is It's original its most pre-
cious and lis most vital inheritance; and. believ-
ing it To have been betrayed, II purposes To sur
round it with adequate safeguards. They who
participate in these opinions and purposes, will
applaud this profound purpose; they who con
spire to destroy that Protestant civilization, or
who abet, or sell themselves to these who do,
must abide the political overthrow which 50 just
ly and permanently awaits them. The country
cherishes lis glorious Nationality and believing 1t
to be endangered. it has risen up in its majesty
to assert, to vindcate and tu deveIupe still more
powerfully that Nationality. without which. the
country itself has no desliny-no mission on the
lace of the earth. They who are so lost to eve
ry exalted instinct, as be insensible to the gran
drur of such hopes as God has set before us, may
aIsp deSpise all the etlnrts by which these hupeS
are to be realized Nevertheless. the country
will ruard and assure its Nationality, in spite. Of
its recreant children, as well as It's open foes This
is one version of this good movement one point
of view from which its rise, its progress, and its
aims are distinctly manifest. Let the country
execute such word in such spirit and she will
be launched anew upon her new career.
1t may be of less Importance to determine by
what means this great spirit has been aroused
and concentrated Yet this is not difficult Man
'ftstly whatever those means were, they must
have worked long and worked deeply. Was it
nothing that in all parts Of the country, and for
wears together. and upon the most opposite pre-
texts, the dissolution of the Union was constantly
threatened Was it nothing. that political cor
rupton grown gigantic in the land, had shocked
ali honest men Was it nothing that stream
oftoregn paupers and teons llwed ceasrlessly into
the bosom of the Republic? Was it nothing that
millions OF fnreign Papsts, and foreign lnidels
lnundalng the country like fl nod oflocusts. were
openly organized into pnlitical powers, directed "a
gainst the Liberty, the Religion and the Nation
aiity of the people2 Was it nolhing That pOlitl-
cal parties openly bought and said the support of
these fearful powers-conlracting always tor such
payments, in return, as were the most huinlllat
inc. and the most fatal Was il nothing that
the Voice of patriots, the power OF the press, the
importcnities * the pulpit were directed. each IN
its own sphere and for years together, against this
irighlfu and enormous wickedness Was 1t no
thing, that at length could neither vuie, nor
speak, preach. nor pray, without being liable
to insult and virleuce-untesS they would do all
in such manner as suited the tastes If foreign
mobs, composed of foreign Infdels and Papisls
Yea, verify they were deep causes, and they
worked long, which wruught the American Peo-
sic to that earnest and fervid, but yet calm and
settled enthusiasm, which prevades this nalief.
No doubt Religion is an element of this wide
spread excitement But il is not the only ele-
,nent. nor with all men the chief one. Either of
the other elements, by itself, or this one by itself
ought to have been sufficient 10 have saved the
country from the peril which now demands the
power of all three to avert it. Because i is an |
element at all, they over whom long delayed ret
ributun is impending -screaw at the bare men
ton of it, as the Demonacs did when they saw
Christ approach them 1t is persecution for
conscience sake in their view. that we hesitate to
surrender or Country, our Liberty, and our reli-
gion to the guidance Of corrupt men, banded with
foreigners and what makes it persecution is,
that these foreigners happen tobe Papists and In
fidels If they had happened to be Chinese or
the a;ion would have revolted much
sooner And yet without reason. For we and
our fathers have an unsettled account with Popery,
at least three cehtaries and kaif long. At first
it was the Emperor and the Pope who trod us into
the dust Then it was Kings and Bishops, who
burned some at the stake, and drove the rest out
of Europe, from all lands into this Wilderness
Now it is mobs and demagogues whn have
followed US into oar place Of relGge-nay our last
place of refuge-and they renew here the combat
Of centuries form at once more degrading
and destestable, and more likely to be fatal to us
than in either of its preceding torms. Shall we
be driven into the Pacific? Shall we succomb
Or shall we turn upon our relentless Dnrsuers a.