Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1855-12-03
The Pope of Rome and hi. Designs.

The Pope of Rome and his Designs.
1t is outrageous and objectionable folly 10
lie American people wilfully to shut their
yes to facts which the passing eventspf every
ay indisputably attest as truths /1t is folly
! lrtaking of the character of crime, in partl-
! IN leaders and ofice-seeking demagogues to
,ster an idea of security in the public mind,
/ hen they know full well that the integrity /
; I constitutional liberty is threatened, and the
/ ublic peace and welfare endangered by Sc /
ct and powerful foe-all the more powerful,
ecause its aims are accomplished by a ma /
! linery rendered effective by IFS secrecy. Ev-
: Y dispassionate and unprecedented reader OF
Z STORY, every attentive observer of the policy
nd practice of the Roman Catholic Church. /
Z 5 carried out by its Pope and his army OF
s RESTS, needs not now be told, or needs not at
; lis late day, another fact TO convince him
hat civil and religious liberty and POpery are
irectly antagonistic-tha wherever the latter
xists and is permitted to prosper and propa-
ate its poison, the forIper is sooner or later
lvariably destroyed. fhe green tree of lib
rtv. nourished aS1 sustained beneath the
ght of general intelligence, and the glorious
in-blaze of civilization, witherS in the dark
Midnight of the mind, the slavish ignorance
which popery begets, and with which she
seeks to enthral the world. General liberty
and general intelligence go hand in hand
They cannot exist separately. They are my
ualy dependent, aud mutually defensive. The
connection between papacy and ignorance is
equally close and equally necessary TO the life
If the former. Substitute Intelligence for ig-
norance and you destroy the power OF the Ro-
man Pontif-you extract he serpent's fangs
md render it harmless. The degrading ser
Witty with which the Church of Rome clothes
the minds of her votares, renders them inca
pable of enjoying the glorious blessings of
civil and religious freedom. 1t benumbs the
finest sensibilities of mans nature, and be-
nightens the highest faculties with which he
is endowed.
In order that man shall be capable of self.
government-the highest and noblest triumph
should be given to his reason, the divinest at
tribute of his nature. Without its fullest ex.
ercise lie never could have accomplished it;
and without, he never can maintain it. The
Z logmas Of popery ignore the very existence Of
,uch faculty; they crush out its Promptings,
and exringuish beneath preStly hoods lis faint
EST glimmer. FInstead Of fitting man for the
high destiny for which his Creator intended
him. it only qualities him for subserviency; it
only adapts him to be the willing tool and de-
pendent of an arrogant hierarchy, secluded by
vows from a community of interest or inter-
course with the world around them; dependent
for their temporal subsistence and hopes of
eternal salvation on the Pope of Rome, the
centre and sun of this stupendOus system OF
sou-enslaving vassalage. Such is the general
effect which popery produces on all who come
beneath its influence; and who can doubt that
such an influence is inimical TO the liberties
which the American constitution guarantees
to American citizens; OF that particular te-
net of the Roman faith which holds that the
temporal obedience which the citizen owes to
the government is subordinate 10 the spiritual
allegiance which he owes to the head Of the
/ Church, we have not now either time or space
to allude to. We think it can be abundantly
Iproved that such is the doctrine and teaching
of the papa authorities, and shall hereafter do
so, and point out as best we can the dangers
which such o doctrine threatens to RepuLli-
canism.
These remarks are called forth by noticing
the late letter of Pope Plus to the archbishop
and bishops of the Province of New York,
proposing to establish in the city of Rome,
beneath his own special pontiicial surveillance,
q College for the education of American Rom
ish Priests. Americans, born in this land of
schools, academies and universities, literary
and theological are to be transported across
the Atlantic, and learn at the feet OF tenn
poral and spiritual despot how better to teach
American youth the tenelso Of religion foreign
in spirit aud practice to their ideas of republ-
canism, and destructive to the government un-
der which they live. We ask in all solemnity
/ if it is not time the people Of this country
were beginning to think, and preparing to act
against the encroachments of Rome