M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-05-04
Po,i,,cnI Pro,estantlsn,.

The following nervous article We clip
from the Detroit Free Press. 1t says
much in very small sPace.-StGtssmaH.
PoLirIcAL PRoTEsTAETIsM..- 1.-THE Know
Nothing papers object to the interier.
ence Of Catholic priests in politics and
elections. So DO we. We go further.
We object TO the interference OF Protest
ant Priests in politics and eIectiors.-
The Know nothing papers dePrecats pol
iticsl Romsnism. Sc do we. We 60
further. We depIecate political Pro
testantism. The Know Nothing papers
abhor Jesuitism. So do we; but not
more Catholic than Protestant Jesuit
ism.
The institutions of this country con.
template complete separa atioD Of
Church aud State, in theo'y and in fact.
We are in favor OF it. /; is one Of the
hest features OF the constitutions. Ii
will be test of the millennium when
the priests of all rreeds and sectsshall
devote themselves singly to ghoslly af
fairs, and leave temporal affairs 10 be
managed By those educated to the bust.
ness. When the day shall have come,
there will be far less strife, less cohlen-
tion, less bigolry and less inidelity ir
:he land than now. 1t will be the good
time come
There is a deal of infdelity abroad
and it is every day spreading, mainly
because there are few counterfeiting in
huences. The Christian Church is no,
engaged in the same mission it once
was. It's adherents have not the same
faith in the saving grace and efficacy oI
the gospel they once had. They no loLg
er ap peal 10 the conscience o. men. a;
they used to do, but they appeal to the
Legislature to make laws to compel men
to be good. Its ministers 1--WE speak oI
the Protestant church) leave the pulpit
for the hustings-abandon divinity fol
politics. They have been known &c
join Know Nothing lodges, and to take
the fearful, wicked, damning oaths there
administered. The descent is fearful
No wonder that infdelity prevails. We
observed the other day. among the names
of officers elect Of one of our city Chris
tian churches that a notoriouSly prom
inent Know Nothing, but not notorious
for piety. We make no professions
Yourselves, but we know what mockery
of religion is. No wonder, we say
that infdeli:y prevails.
Things, we suspeSt, will be mendet
by and by. Massachusetts has had full
fruition Of Know Nothingism. Through
the instumentaity of the Order thirty
or forty proGessed ministers of Chris
were sent 10 the Legislature. Thos'
thirty Of forty ministers have not exer
cised influence enough to save the Leg
islature from disgrace. We do not know
that they have tried. They voted for tn,
appointment of the committees who's,
exploits have been recorded in the pub
lie journals, and one OF whose member
made shameful propositions TO the Lad!
Superior of the convent, and another o
whom, on the expedition to another con
vent, carried with him disreputabl'
person of the opposite sex whose expen
ses were paid BY the State ! These
things were enacted, in the name o
Protestantism, in Massachusetts, by {
committee Of a Legislature containing
among its members thirty or forty pro
Gessed ministers Of the gospie. The!
never will be re.enacted in that Sta te
Massa chusetts has had a surfeit Of Know
Nothingism. Few other States will de
sire to be thus stated.
We believe in Protestantism. Blu
we don't believe in political Protestant
ism. We don't believe in Protestant
ism that countenances Know Nothing
ism. We don't believe in the Protest
antism which permits its priests to ue
file their religion. We don't believe il
Protestant iuquisitions more than il
Catholic in quisitions-in American in
quiSitoms more than in Spanish inquis
Iitions. The Professionalism we beIiev
IN is that whose weapons are Truth an
whose faith is in its efficacy. This
what Proteslantism used 10 be-what
must be if it would save itself from di;
grace and rum, and the country from in
fidelity.
Know Nothingism has done Catholi
cism no injury yet. What injury ha
it not done Pro!estsntism