Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-08-30
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA THURSDAY MORNING, AUG


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| of political contests, has in every instance
| turned out to be 4 grievous slander; which was
scarcely believed ut the time, even by those who
were most busy in giving Ii circulation.
Never since the foundation of the republic
! has it been heard of, that the Catholic bishops
or clergy have taken an active part in conduct
ing the proceedings of political conventions, OF
/ in fomenting political excitement, in the name
/ Of the religion Of peace and love. They are not
and never have been either abolitionists or free
soilers, ultrasts or politco- religious alarmists
Nor have they ever ventured, either collectively
or individually, TO address huge remOnstrances
TO Congress, threatening vengeance in the name
of Almighty God. unless certain particular mea-
sureS were passed OF repealed! Never have
they been heard brawling in the public streets
and highways, hsranguing in violent language
the already excited populace, lashing their pas
slOns into fury, and openly exciting them to
deeds of mob violence and bloodshedi Never
have they been known to parade the Bible IN
noisy political professions, thus prostituting the
holy book, which bTeathes naught but peace and
good viii towards all men, to the vile purposes
OF political faction aud scCtarlal stllfel Minis
ters Of other denominations have done, or coun-
tenanced all these things; and we cheerfully
leave to them ali the glory, whether religious or
s.as,'s sue : s..sr 81 esnsi
Casholics of foreign birth are charged, ia the
same breath, with voting the Democrstic-ticket,
and with being the secret or open enemies of
republican government Is Il then true that
man cannot be Democrat without being trai
tor to his country? If so, then have the desti-
nies of this great republic been ruled, with very
slight intermission, for nearly thirty years by
an organized band of traitors, consisting of the
vast majority of our population Catholics can
well afford to be traitors in such goodly conf
pany. We are no politicians ourselves. and, so
far we have had any political leanings, they
have heretofore been to the policy of the Wings;
but, in common with every man OF sound judg-
rnent and liberal mind, we reprobate the spirit.
which would thus Inconsistency and absurdly
brand the advocates of different principles as
enemies Of the country and of all liberty. The
genius of our noble constitution is in favor Of
allowing to every man the largest liberty of
opinion in matters of State policy, without his
thereby incurring the risk Of having his motives
questioned or his loyalty impeached. If any
charge could consistently be made or sustained
against this large portion of our Catholic Popu-
lation, il would be, on the contrary, that they
have been generally in favor OF too enlarged
liberty, 10 tally with the views of those who
profess to belong To the conservative school; but
to charge them with an intention TO undermine
our republic. is simply an absurditT, "a glaring
as 1t Is malicious
Il hose who are loudest in their denunciations
of foreigners seem TO forget what foreigners
have done for the country. They have filed
our army and navy; they have fought our bat
tles they have leveled our forests, peOpled our
vast unoccupied territory, and filed our cities
with operatives and mechanics; they have dug
our canals. built turnPikes and railroads,
and have thus promoted, more perhaps than any
other class, the improvement of the country and
the developement of its vast resources; In
word, they have, in every way, largely contri-
buted towards enhancing the wealth and in
creasing the prosperity of the republic. Do
they deserve nothing but bitter denunciation
and unsparing invectIee for all these services7
Are they to be branded as aliens and traitors,
for having thus effectually laborsd TO servo their
adopted countryl
"But they are foreigners in feeling and in in-
terest, and they still prefer their own nationali
ty TO ours. We answer first that if this their
alleged feeling be excessive, and If it tend TO
diminish their love for the country of their
adoption, ii is certainly in so far reprehensible;
but where is the evidence that this is the caseY
Has their lingering love for the country of their
birth, with its glowing memories of early child
hood and ripenIng manhood, OF mothers care
and sisters love, inierfered in aught with their
new class of duties as American cItizensl Has
it prevented their sharing chesrfully in the bur
dens, in the labors, and i'll the perils of the
country7 We believe not. Instead Of their
being unconcerned and Indifferent, their chief
fault, in the eyes Of their enemies lies precisely
in the opposite-in their taking too much inter
est in the affairs Of the republic. We answer,
in the second place that this natural feeling of
love for the country of their BIRTH growing as
il does out Of that cherished and honorable sen
timent which we denominate patriotism, will,
in the very nature of things, gradually dimin-
ish under the influence of new associations,
until it win finally be absorbed into the ore
homogeneous nationality; and thus the eyil-if
it be an eyil-will remedy itself. The only
thing which can possibly keep it alive, for any
considerable time, would be precisely the mar
row and proscriptive policy, adopted in regard
to citizens of foreign birth by the Know No
things and their sympathizers. The endeavor
to stiie this feeling by clsmor and violence, will
but increase its intensity
-.'It Is also well known thai, particularly during the
late elections, Protestant ministers took active part
In tie In several instances, they even
candidates. for OH O. aud in slecied. IL l.
they ad not the Catholics who have thus attempted to
mngle religion with politics; and If brought
about union of Church and State in this ropubiic il
will surely be accomplished by Catholics but by those
precisely who foremost in the crusade against them
Let the lovers OF freedom look TO 1t in time. The Pro-
tesant ministers Lay in fact be said be At the head
OF the abolition party in the North"