Star of the Kanawha Valley. [volume] (Buffalo, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1856, 1855-05-16
For the ''star OF the Kanawha Valley
Can IN American Citizen ben Good Protestant
and q Bad Know.NOthlng!

All sound reasoning minds ougth to-
arrive at the same conclusion, from the
same premises, provided those premises
are susceptible Of logical conclusion
II such is the case, then is !ugica science;
otherwise, it is not. r. !. -. { ~
True, an erratic may feel the force Of an
argument, but fail to apply the remedy,
sspecialfyEwhen such remedy counteryails
some higi.bred notion entertained from
The force Of circumstances, themselves
= foreign to the motive. power BY which such
cratic yields TO his new position, which il
wholly at war with our individuality;
hence, those who are thus impelled into
the advocacy Of measures not their own,
espouse them with. double zeal, by which
they are enabled to smother the more hon
est and virtuous sentiments thus sacrificed
BY them. Indeed, it is but natural to d.
SECURE the more virtuous of our former
deeds when they have given place to reek-
less and improper acts, whether those acts
be departure from moral or political in-
tegrity. -..... ~ -..s2 /
Having thusattempted to clear my quar-
~, will hasten to the examination Of my
subject: "Can an American citizen be
good Protestant and bad Know Moth
ng?' To be an American citizen is to
cherish with patriotic devotion the Con-:
stitution and laws of our Union Of States.
What, then, are the doctrines and villa.
the genius Of our prosperous government?
Is it Protestant or Papal? Professionalism,
As understood in this country, denies the
Church the right to interfere in any Of the
rights or immnnities Of the State; and rice
= versa. Each department, civil and eccle-
siastical, must severally rest upon their
own merits-religion upon the Bible, and
politics upon the Constitution and laws Of
the United S;ates-each guarding with "a
suspicious eye the motives Of the other.
but. 1t tile same time. regarding with ia
vor the existence Of each as necessary TO
the healthful action Of the other. Pro
= -testantism, in this government, acknowl-
edges the right of the state to manage her
own department in the great machinery of
j government, without either her aid or adj
Vi Q, making no claim to either the Legis-
latiys, Executive or Judicial power of the
same. These, however, arc conceded
points, and need but TO be stated.
1t then becomes palpable that an Amer
lean citizen can be q good protestant; and
not so simply because he is Protestant,
for man may be nominally what he is
not really, j. e., a man may profess Pro-
testantism, and at the same time be an in
triguing Jesuit. But how can the Pro
testant be a bad Know. Nothing, when
Know. Nothingism is the ";sanln,u'n DO:
nun" ~ Of Protestant Americanism ?
This query Requires an examination .oi
Know. Nothingism, whether it really has
claims upon sound Professionalism orwheth.
er tits a providing wolf in sleeps clothing?
But before we arb ready TO put it in the
g crucible of reason for final examination
j. lot us test its professed antipode--Popery
= -ouere, indeed, that hearts so kindred
. should have heads SO unlike. Popery
! aims to correct Church and State, BY
1 which she claims that both will be essen
TALLY strengthened the one by welding
the sword of prejudice over mind; III.
the other By welding the sword Of salt
oyer physical nature-one IN the eloister
a.t the other in the forum. II those state
,n,enss are true YOU will conclude tha
Popery is bad Americanism, which, q
course. every Know. Nothing will readily
admit but tacitly deny. =. -. r.: -.
Know Nothingism proposes 10 correc
the abuses of the Church. by. the. inter
ference Of the Sate---so does Popcry, diff
Ifering only in ibis: the one calls Pepper!
an abuse Of Christianity tie other call
Professionalism an abuse Of Christianity
h there, then, 4 sameness of purpose be
tween Popery and Know-Nothingism?-
Most clearly. An American citizen
therefore, holding that there should be NJ
connection between the Church and tn
hate, must be bad Know Nothing. be
Ruse we have just seen that Know Moth
Igism proposes Legislative, bond by ne
tssi::y Of It's doctrines, an Executive ant
Gdicial connection between Church ant
hate, not, il is true, one Of harmony ant
lace, but Of strife and malignant rancor
bis new spawn ofWhiggery is not onl.
lii American in being idoneous Popery
{ Is practical Jtsuitisn,. Let me see
can make good the assertion: Jesuitisn
secret political institution takin;
how. Nothingaulhority forour evidence
wing FORTS object the subyersion Of civi
titutions to It's aims, ends and purposes
aring This motto, "The end justities tn
ans.1' Know Nothingism Is, like it,
bret political society, having for it, oh
4 the subversion Of the government :
aims, ends, and purposes, destroyin
ballot-box when necessary. 5ecdaseM
jsstifes asmeons! We suppose b
lily Of reason. Have I not. therefore
lie good my assertion? Wen may "
chow can these things be and not OK
our special wonder?" Put the sue
sof Know. Nothingism, like Jesuitisu,
hsists in being exactly the revere q
att professesT Layola established Jea
sm for the projection Of religion an,
education Of the youth: Buntline q
klishAd Knnur. Noihin oien, for tia nuf