Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-05-18

has vanished and there is nothing left for
men who intend to be democrats, but to go
with their old friends, or fall into the ranks
Of federalism
SO, with grand flourish, and an anathcma
on him who hangs back or even dares TO
lock back. the proclamation ends Should
the result Of the campaign equal the eloqucucc
of the manifesto, the Eastern war will lose
all interest, in comparison
Light Wanted.
The iollowin, strong and sensible article
from the y. Couric, & Enqu'rer deserves
a careful pcrusal
1t is the first business Of the Know Moth
ingS, il thoy want support, to understand
themselves and make themselves understood
by the country. Let them put their princi
pies and their measures into an explicit and
ineligible shape. There is an obscurity
now resting thcreupon which keeps the judg-
mcnt of consistent and prudent men in pam
full su .pense. This uncertainty relates not
only to the general political questions Of the
day, but even tn the inherent and distinctive
characteristics of the Order itself. 1t extends
to the very first elementary law-the law of
tolerance and equal Justice. Who can tell
whether the prescription of all Roman Catho-
lies from uficc Is II design Of the Order or
mott Appearances in Massachusetts, would
indicate this, but not III California. DO the
Knuw-Nothing leaders suppose that a matter
of tins magnitude can he left unsettled
Have they to learn that there are hundreds
of thousands Of Protestant voters in the coun-
try who hate foreign influence and who would
willingly vote against it, but Who will
tolerate it lnfinitaly sooner than they Will
tolerate intolerance They are men who have
too high, too lust an idea of the free spirit
and rational dignity of Professionalism to per-
NIT it to stoop to the lnefldblc meanncss and
folly of prescription for conscience sake. II
Roman Catholicism in Italy or Spain or any
part of the world chooses to sustain itself on
intolerance, it can do so with show of CON
sistency The intalibility of the Catholic
| Church is a fundamental article in its creed ;
while the very starting point of Protos-
| tantisn is the right Of private Judgment. y
Roman Catholic bigot is not lovely object,
but Protestant hgot is perfect monster
| lie is II monster because he is complete in
version OF his own proper nature lie exhi-
bits in his person n moral contradiction that
nils every rational beholder with either pitv
or contempt We tell the Know Nothinrs
plainly that the people of this country will
naturalist anything else sooner than they will
u N
atcd, corporation and test acts OF D"1l-..i
They will take and bear with any pest that
the Europe Of the nineteenth century can
send i'll a living shape, sooner than adopt
European principle of the eighteenth century,
dead and turned to carrion. If Roman
Catholic candidates for secular Office are sus-
pected of secular allegiance to the Pope.
question them, catcchise them as closely as
you like. Give them chance to be heard
Treat them as other American citizens arc
treated when before their fellow citizens for
Judgment. In the name of all that is en-
lightened and consistent, all that is Just and
manly, don't put them under blind ban and
sweeping nterdict These are contrivancrs
which are abhorrent to the genius of Protes
tantism, and doubly abhorrent to the Amer
lean spirit Of equality and freedom. If the
know-Nothing organization proposes to ap-
ply them, if it is bent upon making proscrip-
ton of Catholics from Office an established
rule of action, it is time the country should
know it. Let the National convention speak.
And again, this character of secresy, is it
to be permanent Have the Know-Nothings
made up their minds that their aims and
their operations cannot stand exposure Is
the country to understand that it is their nu-
turc to live in the dark--their born, UNI
changcable, nature, that cannot be put oh
without selt-e,truction This is a matter
Of prime consequence. Privacy for a time,
in originating and developing the mere mate
tial organization of new political agent, is
one thing privacy, as an established and
permanent regulation, in the practical man
ugement of the concerns of the country. is
quite another. The former has been acqui-
esced in the latter, cannot be, The people
of this republic are not vet so dissatisfied
with sclf-government as to assign their con-
Germs over to the management Of any associu-
tion-lcast Of all, an association that stud-
ously and evermorc hides itself from their
ewes The Know Nothngs will find their re-
cent successes a fatal snare. if they are al
lurcd thereby into any such expectations
Publicity is the very first necessity of repuh-
llcanism. \ vote is a Judgment, and iudc-
mcnt is nothing without the means of JUDI
ing
Yet again, the rule Of implicit obedience, is
that to be lasting Is it to be understood
/ that the first demand ALWAYS to be made by
the association is the abdication Of private
Judgment, and that this is an essential law of
its existence Must sane men ever 20 on
swearing passive submission to the central
authority If this is the calculation, let it
be 50 understood 1t has to do directly with
the estimate to be put on the moral quality
/ of the Order. 1t will decide the question
whether We have, at last. n society Of 'Protes-
tant Jesuits amongst us. The three first
characteristics of the society of Irnatius
Loyoa. are the very three which have been
the subject OF our present inquiry-e1clu-