Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-08-07
TIE AMERICAN PLATFORM.

mr. indirectly. 10 any foreign power, whether ci'u" Z
ripsin ,,iral. and who are Americans by Dir'", suu n
,ion and traininc-thus fulfilling. tue muS'n' aHe'
cans only shall govern America a., lam, aud mr.,
ms. ax.rr;.e of their civil aud religious righ's All
privilr,rs; the maintenance OF the riSnt 81 ure,
ra -, q, the full, unrestraiued and praceiui GuJ',me'
Of his own religious opinions = ~ " " .ectI demon,
jealous ,Mmrrh 10 obtain an ascendancy over an,
na a.. in the Stata, by means OF any sprclai PRIV
I Hm ,r exemption, by any polnGat coltpii m y
It's members, or BY q division o, an er e c,Im ;"Sttis""''
VIII IL; II that the Roman Catholic, native us wei
rnj,nn horn, is to he utterly excluded from ever.
"S;n, FEDERAL or State! Is It because he believes II
I mn a,istrnceo of Il God! Is it because he believes II
NV I'm, suffering, death, atoncment nnL dlTlllt,
~. - Christi Is it That he believes in the resurrection o
~. hody, tho Judgment, md the eternity Of future
-. "rord. and punisLinemtsl This cannot be- 20; 10
,his il the common faith of oil orthodox Protestant
s,.rts. Such u prescription would be- at war wit!
Very principle OF religious freedom, fatnl 10 liberty
mad in positive violation ut the constitution oi the I
Sta,ra. and the constitution Of almost every State /!
the Union.
ious to the orthodox Protestant sects, or more danger
GUS TO the spread of true religion, or more hostile Il
il. than Mahomedanism, j Judaism, Cnitarianism, nj
yersalism, and various other "Sms' which have
sprung up in these days; and yet any of these are al
United into fellowship with this party, capable OF hold
inC office; md this party does not propose 10 exclude
either Of them. While | do not doubt that the re;'
object of the selfish, bigntcd and ambitious gctters'
~; of this crusade against Catholicism, is TO over
throw mud destroy it by the powerful arm Of the gov
crnmcut, ve:, the uvpwal Of such 4 motive, would b,
too bold for the enlightened and liberal public scnii
ment of the present agr, and they nave rsSortc' u
the hack ueyed and oit-rtfuted charge that the ltrinaa
| Catholics of the United Stntcs owe ~ and ackrow'
ledge political allegiance to the Pope OF Rome, para
mount to that which they owe to tho United Stntes'
This Charge, M oftcn and us persereringly IA II hhr
been made, is not true, and cannot he true. No ma
| tive horn citizen can owe temporal allegiance to tho
pope of Rome, or any other power, while he remains
n citizen Of the United States, nor can any foreigner
bcconr a citizen uf the United States, until he has re-
linuuishci Nil allegiance to any foreign power; and Ill
that oath, there is no reservation OF any paramount
allegiance to the Pope or any one else. BY the laws OF
nations. nor by any other law, human or divine, does
this double allegiance exist. II this wure true, IN"
| pane uf Rome would b. the most powerful temporal
,nonnrrh TINT ever sat upon n throne. France, Ger.
mnnv. Iinlv, Spain, Portugal and Ireland would be
,br mere provinces OF his mighty empire, the great
mass q, the people always having beeil. aud still be-
,n.in,. Catholics. We have seen, however, that
these powers have frequently been engaged III wars.
ono with another, am! against the rope himself. How
i, il that the men who engaged in, and conducted
these wars. were aot executed for trenhon against the
popcl Why did he not command tho belliSe-
rents into peace, by his authority us SUI
preme monarch ! The simple reason was, he
knew that tue people Of theSe Kingdoms did not owe
him temporal allegiance, paramount or otherwise,
b.voud his own domain, and did not claim it. The
history Of all these governments, whether IN war or
in pence, proves TIM; they recognized ns such para
mount or other temporal allegiance. The govern
ment of the United States recognizes no such para
mount allegiance to the Pope, by the Catholics here;
and no Catholic, either by the authority Of the Pope.
or the authority of any other power, can do any net
incompatible with his allegiance to the government Of
the Cuited States, without mourning the heavy penal
ties prescribed by law, and from which The Rope could
not relieve him, even if the Vatican were to fulni-
nate its thunders from now until dnoins-day. Every
aault native.born Catholic in the United Suites
knows this, mud every toreign-oorn CATHOLIC, who has
been puturalized, was informed OF this when he took
the onth of allegiance, in the very terms of the oath
which he took. These facts, in themselves, ~disprove
this charge.
the authorized creed, cannnns AMI rituals OF the
Catholic church, no such allegiance is asserted, aud
none acknowledged. II is also proved oy Inc tact; that
the heads Of the church in the United State, both ma
tive and adopted, deny it, and 1t Is also ~disproved by
the fact, that from the beginning OF the government
TO this hour, these people have done no act OF aNo"-
ed any sentiment Incompatible with thelr paramount
aIlrp;uuc. TO the United States; but have, upon all
occasions calculated 10 test their loyalty, been H.
fuiihlill and true as any sect Of Protertunts, and Ger
tainly more peaceful and quiet than some. :,
But. we are told by bigotcd Pr1testants and
Reckless politicians, whu have gotten up this fiery
CIlSuuc UHulESl luC INV ''"N Wv -.
which the native born Catholic owes to the Calted
States is regarded by them u subordinate 10 the ~.
lepiance which they owe TO the rope, ai! that me
foreign born Catholic, when he takes the oath OF SIN
gle and paramount allegiance 10 the lnitcd S'nlro'
,nr,' MT mean what he swears, but wiifully and GeIl-
hrru,ely pcriurcs himself. This iInputation, cmbra;
cling Il large community of protesting christians, anu
among them some "i the very sblcat, bcst ali" most
ua;riutir men, in this "r any other country, . n
uanton NJ il il cruel, and Er malicious az II 10 iaise;
,,,i -, ,-1.r IF list tE1 trIiIl or iHistlIUOt Ni ILLS
charge, ! demand of its authors 10 point 10 u single
;nstnDr, in which the Catholics OF the United States,
n, a bpdy, as sections, or as individuals, have been
fni,blcss, or even ialtcTcd in their allegiance TO the
government Of the United Stnttsl ! demand 20
Know when it was they ir.erposcd, or attempted 10
in,erposc their allegiance 10 the Pope, in oppo-
s;riun 10 any duty thcy were called upon 10 perform,
NJ citizsus of the United States, mr incompatible
with their allegiance 10 the United Statesi In war.
they have been ~ gallant bud faithful soldiers, anu
in ncace. AZ uuiet, luyul and law-abiding citizens, as
the Professionals: and, yet, this base slander, which
bbd been fOssilattd more than q hundred year,, Is
revived in the middle of the l9;h century, III u land
profcssing religious freedom, aid by lone who pro-
less TO be the followers vi the Saviour: There are
some in the Catholic community who, no doubt, DO hot
rightly distinguish between the ecclesiastical ana rem,
nural suprcmacv ut The Pope and who have cJriinuiIdcd
The one with the other: hut this, The rc7l!i. OF mere
Ignorance, is no rule by which to test thrtfu'l "i this
rI,,r,,.. WI. ,nu.t 20 to the articles ui iaitli, rules oil
m,rnl d;,riulinc and laws Of the church, and when
we search these, we find 10 such rule, M such pre-.
tension. That the Pops of Rome, M n temporal
Prince, ever claimed dominion over the | nitcd States
or ANY par; of IL, and i'll virtue oi that r!hilil, ever
demanded the allegiance of any portion OF our people,
is nm allegation too reckless 10 be made, ana too rldi-
culous 10 be considered. II he has temporal power
he has the inevitable power 10 tax, 10 Gull ont TOT war
mud 10 REQUIRE any service IN peace or war, WHICH q
nrince NAV REQUIRE of his subjects. Does the Pope
claim this power ere!- Please show me when and
where. DO the Catholics in the United States ac'
Knowledge allegiance or obedience to any such pow,
rrl Ii so, when, where and by what act or declaration
There is no unbiased, well informed NINA III .he
United Suites, TINT does not know, that inns inputa'
,iou apnins, the Catholics of the United Stnlcs Is VI
,.rlv un,uundcd. Against this chnrge i place Inc EN-
uhatic denial of every Catholic Bishop III the lniieu
States, a majority OF whom, | believe, are native 1"rt
citizens, the uniform loyalty 10 our institutions ~"
| willing obedience TO all tlc demands III the c0n.tiu'
| ton and laws ur the country upon them ms citizens
| which they have exhibited, aud the utter linpossiolI
;ty that such u suite Of double and conflicting ale
pinnce could exist. | beg my co~untrymen, l earnest
" ilnplore all true Democrats inportunc tl'
Southern people, one and all. thoroughly TO in
v~ertisatc this charge, and see how futile IL Is
before they 80 far play into the he hands OF tiiei
nrtful, durnincering nnd reckless enenlles, traitors
to their country, by adopting aSyste'n OF proscriptini
aud persecution which will, If persisted III, convert tn
whole body of people, now Democratic III their rrin
ciDlrs, loyal to the Constitution aud firm adhtrelits' u
the Constitutions rights III the South INTO enemies
The friends OF FREQ ius.itu,iOns-tlc friends OF th'
Cnion-thc Democratic party and the Southern
States, are now engaged in a struggle Tor ttt!r yer.
| existence, far moro fearful than Any III when tht!
have heretofore been engaged, and i'll which they re
quiru oil the strength which they can marshal au'
rav. none to lose. Above nil, ii we are To judge o
the future by the past, overy patriot, every lover o
his country, should resist this attempt to inluee ii''
the party contests OF the day, this exciting religion
element which will be 30 fatal and so truslcal III IL
results.
With tho Catholic religion, az a system Of theology
I have nothing to do, nor shall | say anything III ap
prevail or condemnation Of it. 1t may be all true, |
may be q compound of truth and error, or It may b
show tina, it should not be dragged int" the are
ma of party politics, but, like MI other Theological
SYSTEM, should be left TO stand or fall, MS Heavel
may approve or disnpprove. Every man ID to stan'