Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1855-05-15

OF In the efforts which the know-1 othings ma
king, headed by worn down politicians and some
Of the Protestant clergy, to prescribe portion OF
feow-citizen because of their religion' 'Dty
forget that Catholics are men like themselves, ana
have all the native instincts and impulses oi tnelF
more fortunate prosecuting friends. Ihey lo'get
that with all their supersttons, they nave done
Same cood f,r the race and that whatever NAV be
soia of their nunueries and dolatrous worship hui
man nature is not apt to forget when the hour of
danger and trial comes, that Catholicism has done
more for humanity than any other church.
CT urch that can boast Of existence of thirteen
csnturiea-passing through all the various vicissi-
tudes of her eventual career, unscathed, can GER
tsiniy show. with all her atrocious barbarity, many
bright spots which may be placed in favorable con
trast with the ProeS church. with its thousand
and one w-aneling sects Men beginning TO
see through the transparent game that wells this
know-nolhing movement. They are beginning to
ask what has Professionalism done for the world
What has she done to alleviate and elevate the
down-trodien Is the race any better off for hay-
ing accepted her faith? These reverend hypocrites
these scrlbes and pharisees are treading on ter
ribls volcano. They will find their reasonable
schemes and internal plotting against the liberties
of man tried and condemned BY the pure light of
Godsown truth and love, which shines and throbs in
every pulsation ofhumanity sheart If Professionalism
proves recresnt to her high trust she will have to
pass the ordeal of enlightened public opinion and
be consigned to her merited obscurity. Popery
with all its crimes against God and man adapts it.
a. I Al.
itself from being absorbed in the mass of con-
flicting elements. The Catholicism of the nine
teenth century is not the Catholicism of the seven
teenth-it could not be if it wished. The iustinc-
tive repulsion in human nature rejects its tyranny,
and If it attempted to do now what it did in times
past it would not live an hour. And if Protestant
ism attempts to circumscTibe mans thought or dis
franchise him from bis inalienable rights it will
share the same fate. The world is fast converging
TO that poibt of progress and refinement when it
will not bear to have individuality destroyed or in
dividual rights circumscribed by the dcIum, OF the
priest or the decisions of the midnight mob
As patriots we dislike TO see this war of religious
factions-hstory tells too plainly bow fierce and
bitter they are. Fanaticism and passion lend their
influence to prolong and embitter the conflict
Christ and humanity are forgotten in the strife
Whenever the storm comes, and from the present
aspect of Chrstendom it is not far distant, it win
be easy TO predict the issue. The cause of pure
Professionalism has everything to loose and nothing
TO gain by the contest. She will surrender one of
her cardinal doctrines-a doctrine which has borne
her triumphanty through all of her hard fought
battles-we mean the doctrine of the right of pri-
vate Judgment and the freedom of the individual
conscience. When she surrenders this principle
she will have surrendered one of her most powerful
weapOns-the only weapon indeed that has defended
her from the power and encroachments of the beast
When she yields it she will cease to be respected
by the liberal minded and will either have TO turn
Catholic or die from inherent exhaustion. Catho-
hcism wants persecuton-it develops sympathy in
her behaf-directs attention TO her good deeds and
blinds the vision to her enormities. Do Protest.
ants think there is anything good in Catholicism
For ourselves we loathe her claims to nfallibity;
her mysteries; her mpious pretensions her spirit
ual tyranny and all of that jugglery and clapfrap
which make her in respects but little removed
from the Pagan. We say we loath all these and
still we see in her much to admre-much that ap-
peals to the head and heart for appreciation The
Catholic church has produced some of the greatest
and best men that ever lived-men who have ex-
celled in all the various departments of life, from
the mendcant friar in the street. begging that he
may, with his little ptance, bestow his charity on
some less fortunate sufferer, to the pure and god
like Feneon, who mixed with all ranks and condi-
tons 'by sssociating with the unfortunate and the
Il II
of mdness, of energy and of benevoance which
adapts tselfto every character, and to every stua
tion acquired the knowledge Of the moral and phy-
steal ills which sfilct human nature" She num-
bers amcng her patrons and devoteesa Charemaope
Michael Angelo, Raphael, Tasso; and in our own
country many of our first and best men are Catho-
lies Our Supreme bench has its TAHEY and our
army its ScoTT. New England q few years since
witnessed the self sacrificing devotion of a CHEvE-
RUS. Not to Goaway from home, who among US will
ever forget the untiriug industry and persevering
zeal of the Sisters of Charity" in alternating the
distresses of the unfortunate, when dreadful dis
ease stalked abroad in our midst shaving our fellow
citizens? These remarks, we trust will not he mis-
applied misunderstood. We hav e introduced
them merely to show, that when Protestants at
tempt to prescribe Catholics they ought to look be-
fore they carry ont so fatal policy at present
contemplated. The disnterested always take sides
with the oppressed and when so much can be said
for Catholic charity, and Catholic learning and pi-
ETY., when the contest comes it will be easy to tell
which side the unselfsh will take Whoever
will call TO mind that the Catholic church holds in
its communion over one hundred and twenty mil
lions of souls, more than all the Protestant churches
put together cannot but shudder at the thought of
prescribing so many human beings from the rights
of citizenship.
1t is time the American people were csnvnssing
the claims of all the religious denominations and
see which of them is the most Catholic in spirit
We think when they make the examination they
will find more popes than the one who sits in the
vatican at Rome. To every freeman the spiritual
tyranny of popery is detestable in Protestant |
as 1t Is IN Catholic churches 1t is time Justice was
done to all, and it will be done as sure as there is
God who rules the destiny of churches, of States |
and of individuals The history of Pspal Rome is |
history stained with the blood of maltyrs, gorged
with rapine, drunk with luxury aud crime. Bntis
it tar TO hold that church responsible for tbecr;me,