Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-08-25
COMMUNICATIONS.
For the Standard.

a., ~.
MY DEAR SIR: You are pleased to remind. An
Anson Whg" that she is laboring under strange DE-
lusons as to the principles and purposes. OF Tue
American party" This may be somewhat pa1uona-
bic under the circumstances, as their principles
to change with marvellous facility, and adapt them
selves to the wants and emergencies OF dltferenC 10
calites-anti-Slavery in the North, pro-SiaVery IN
the South excluding Catholics general rule ana
affiliating with them in Louisiana. am " deiuaeu
and 6anboozled, too in searching after their nau0n
atty. AS to their purposes the dhcuty enoea
where the investigation began, FOR tho capStone
their craftsmanship appears to be cohotseoti y.
the nrofc isms of all sections that out, against
the Democrats who an In your Editorial com
ments on my first number you alledge that Oatn-
olics hold paramount allegiance tothe Pope, ana are
daneerous-that their principles tend to q suDVer-
sion of the Government" Thus you convict them
of perjury and of treason, and put them on tral De
fore God and their country" Heaven he!p the
Catholic and send him true dellverance rom d
charge SO awful You know me to be no Cathohc,
and though am an unfeed counsel and may, perad-
venture, get more kicks than pence for my pains,
and though tremblngly sensitive Of my inability to
"ascend to the heigh of this great argument, YET
the Catholic arragned and fiiendess as he rs snail
have one voice raised in the land of Castor IN his
defence. . .
This is not new charge. 1t was worn thread
bare in the British Parliament on the question OF
Catholic emancipation in Ireland. 1t was repeated
again and again. and successfully answered by some
of the abest writers of the day 1t has been ignored
bv Cathoics-denicd in Europe by Grattan,I IN
America
question, caused interrogatories to be preponnded.
to six of the most celebrated Catholic Universities
in Europe and their answer is on the record: lhdt
the Pope has right to interfere acih the temporal
concerns OF ans cou1,try* But the charge still re-
mains, and is sounded from all tho Know Nothing
Conventicles from q Dan to Beersheba. "
know my friend to be orthodox descended from
those stern old Covenanters who shouted Tor God
and the Kirk, and drew their claymores against
English persecution, and will not be offended if
quote the Rev. Sydney Smith in his account of this
blunder of John Bull in trying to force the Scotch
to uniformity in religion: /" With a little oatmeal
for food and little sulphur to alay cutaneous ir-
rtation-with one hand for friction and holding up
his Calvanstic creed in the other, Sawny ran away
to his fnty hills, and sang his psalm out Of
tune in his own way, and brought up his unbreech-
ed offspring in cordial hatred of his prosecutors.
The true remedy applied-the Scotch were al p
lowed to worship God i'll their own tedious way,
and Scotland has been loyal ever since" quote
from memory.
My friend is conyersant with history, and it gave
no little surprise to the Argus for once fore
go its SleepleSS vigil aud doZe over the "peoplcs
rights when assailed by every Know Nothing in
the land Does he remember how adroitly England
acted with her Catholic province Of Canada? Per-
NIT to commend it to the careful consideration of
Mr.. Rayner who, he has untearneI his liberal
principles which he illustrated 80 eloquently in the
Convention of 1885, may not object to learn them
again from Protestant source. England acknowl-
edged the Catholic religion in Canada to be compat-
able with allegiance to the Crown She even
dowcd it, and what the result? Canldn alone
stood by her IF al6 her Colonies in 'oith Cath
ohic France. Now, I will ask my friend question:
Will the course Of Policy you advocate with CathO-
lies in this country bind them any closer to their
country, and make them less apt to render para
mount obedience to His Holiness? IF not,
ofthe watchnen on the walls beware how you sound
your trumpet; the " soothing strain of Mals son "
may "lull our (modern) Argus to sleep, " and 1
great wrong be consummated. Ny friend and once
stood shoulder to shoulder in contendng for issues
which causes emotion of remorse; no feeling ola
loss of selfrespect. Under the leadership of Clay,
we battled for liberal principles Unlike Saul who
went in search of and found empire, fate
was his counterpart, we went for the empire rule
of honest principles, and found asses sounding the
charge, and brayng in discord for obsolete and
ploded dcgmas and Baalam himself were he here,
would find chaStisement only result in more sense
less clanors for bigotry and intolerance.
Alas the name of Clay has been invoked in vain.
We're he yet in midst blast from his bugle
ho might marshal once the great wing party,
and lead them tohe field achereh0no at least could
not be- lost, if victory was denied One trumpet
appeal from his voice would reach every Convent
Gle of Know Nothingisrn in the land, and each
Wing who would blush to hear their leaders voice i
in such an ambuscade: /" To your tents, Oh Israel,
my people have done fooshly, and battered the 4
birthrght of frecmen for worse than mess of pot
tage." But his voice is hushed in death-he has
gone up in chariot of fire, and his mantle has not
been found.
q You ask me, my friend, q hope you was not quiz
ZlnS ule,) III the OmLeu OlateS were TO go 10 war
with the Pope which side would the Catholic be
bound by his allegiance to take?" "That of the
Pope's, ofcoursc." You answer, I" that settles the
question" Not so fast. The issue has already been
made in modern times. Let Napoleon be called.
You arc an expert in the examination Of testimony,
take the witness May it please your majesty, did
your Catholic subjects hold paramount allegiance to
the Pope?" Napoleon: ' There is but one step
from the sublime to the ridicuous-ask the Catholic
Grenadiers of my Old Guard" .
. You tell me am mistaken in "suppoSng that the
American party would persecute Catholics for their
religion" I hope in God am TIE do so would be
truly antAmerican but there other prosecutions
besides the fame and the stake-egibiity to polit-
lcal power is civil privilege of which we have
more right to deprive than of any other civil 4
privilege. But the Know NOthngs do not perse-
they. If say do not persecIte be-
cause put not tho Catholic to physical pains talk
sheer unddutterGted nonsense, as if could not be
as great tyrant by saying you shall not enjoy as
BY saying You shall suffer-"
The miserable crusade of the Know Nothings
against the Catholics deserve the and contempt
of every true American. 1T is ont Of pLdce-so ut
terly opposed all progress in liberal and free prin
ciples-so dangerous precedent for political par
ty to inaugurate such principle in free country,
that shudder at the prospect. 1t calls into play
the most debasing passions of nature and awakes
the sleeping devil of intolerance in our midst; and
that same spirit that would mark our own CASTOR as
prescribed man, were he yet among us, would in
another age, and darker time have hurried him to
the stake with that unrivaed, patriotic song gush-
ing from his lips:
Carolina, Carolina, Heavens blessings attend her.
Whilst we live will cherish, protect, and defend her.
You tell me my friend the Pope claims para