The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-09-29
sEcrARIAN pIGoTRY AND INTOLERANCE.


sECTARIAN BIGoTRY AND INTOLERANCE.
We told that the cackling Of goose once saved
Rome that wooden horse caused the destruction of
Troy. small pamphlet bearing the specious title of
american Almanac mot of course the valuable statis-
cal register Of that nam appears to have been Of the
most effective agents in multiplying know-nothngs. This
pamphlet is crowded with startling disclosures about the
overthrow of the country by the Pope and with ghtfu
pictures of the suengs Of the early martyrs Ifpossibe
its engrayings exhibit cruelty than those in Foxs
celebrated Book of Martyrs Nothing could be better de-
vised to deude minded and terrify vulgar
boys than this almanac The operation Of roasting
herecs pouring boiling lead down their throat and
closing them in sacks with sepents is wildly delincated
by the artist The production would sell we'll among
cannibals Lord Timothy Dexters warmngpans did in
the West Indies
However Insignificant and contemplate this document
may be- it has unquesonaby had it's desired effect 1t
designed to influence the shallow toname existing preu-
dces against the Catholics and preudces where
before existed 1t is amentabo fact that among
the industrious and respectable people of the country
great many mbued with such ferven sectaran zeal
10 be inclined to abrdge the religious liberty Of others
Their sec:aransm swallows up their religion OF
such quick converts to the proscrpve dogpas
or know nottingham and they this day its only hon
est though misguided, followers They may have read,
perhaps the History Of the Reformation and they con-
found the of Catholics in the sixteenth century with
the virtues of Catholics living at the present time They
believe that unless Catholicism is crushed out another
Yezel win gaop the country selling indulgences;
that the nquston will again be set up with all its ho-
rors that Protesants will be stranged Of old and
the Protestant religion extermnated 1t is to such empty
headed people that know-nothngism panders; and the
pay devices Of its leaders receive much counenance
from them did the wretched lies of Titus Oates from the
no-Popery zealots Of England. b
Nothing could be foolish and unjust than desire
TO chastse modest the rights of the Catholics of the
nineteenth century for what their did many
turtles ago. even if such policy consistent with the
charitable precepts of religion and the free spirit Of
our laws. How monstrous then, must scheme Of this
kind appear when history teaches that prescription
been to every sect and that every faith has had
its martyrs 1t is indeed, too true that intolerance has
been confined to any particular nation, Glass;
sect One of the natural characteristics Of man is to
estimate highly his opinions, and to desire their
PRONUNCIATION. Especially is it so with regard to his
religious sentiments which the earliest impressed on
his mind and associated with parental reverence In
proportion, however, to tho beralizng nature of his
education will he tolerate the opinions Of Others lie will
at length to agree with the Emperor Charles VI who
found in his inability to make two watches 60 precisely
alike that it hopeless to make believe precisely
alike The further back the of the past the
more bigoted and intocrant do we find men, Religious
persecution prevailed ages before Catholicism was known
long before Socrates doomed drink poison for his
hesy (which of the prophets have not your fathers
prosecuted I! the just exclamation Of ST. Stephen to
the high priest and the multitude of Jerusalem Every
prophet had his persecnors every altar had its scoers
When the Christian Church became powerful it hesitated
not TO take up the sword against the infde At length
divided by conflicting creeds Christian prosecuted Chris
tan AT FIRST Protestants suffered from persecution but
when Intolerance fatal to its purposes had increased
that sect they themselves became the prosecutors The
hgotry which actuated Louis XIV in rsvokng the
ediet Of Nan influenced Queen Elizabeth in her cruel pol
icy towards the Catholics When James II hung Protestant
dsenters the Established Church England looked on with
cordial approval That Church had driven part Of the
Puans into exile and counted it no sin for Catholic
sovereign to despatch the rest similar spirit is mani
tested among the believers Of Mahomet Both the Turks
and the Persans believe in the Koran. The former ac
knowledge the Sunna, commentary the Koran in
spred the latter, followers Of ALI regard it apocry
phal. Wherefore the Turks hare pronounced it more
pleasing to God to kill follower Of All than six
andhiry Christians! Such is the appalling effect Of ami
nostes which spring up among the bgoted disciples of
common faith
What then do these facts show2 Clearly that one sect
will readily be nolerant another; that narrow
minded Protestant will prosecute just as narrow
minded Catholic The religion which preessed during
the middle ages religion of peace and brotherly love-
As practscd by them religion of and brother
~ hatred The intolerance Of the Catholic Church at that
time is not attributable the forms Of that religion but
to the vices of corrupt and degenerate age Liberty and
justice alike absorbed in universal tyranny The
great discovery by Martin Lutherhe grandes of all dis
coveriesthat every might think for himself had not
been made Had the Protestant religion been the prevail
ing faith the faith of the arisocracyno doubt the same
severe attempts would have been made strange every
other aect The fruits Of good things in the hands Of bad
generally the Liberty under the guidance
OF Robesperre and mercifn faith under the control Of
Italian despots, present Notifying spectacle While
Rome and France had republican governments the worst
Of outrages committed against the rights of man
There sensible person. however who win deprcciate
ourepubcan because the principles which
IT ia based were once perverted by the Romans and the