The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-15

filled the mouths of the advocates OF Cacholi-
cism They will illustrate your boasts of the
EberaEty, and liberation, and justice, and mag
unanimous reliance upon Truth, of Protestant
ism, by "reminiscences of Know Nothingism!
Already the most thoughtful of the Protestant
ministers are looking forward with apprehen-
sion. An eminent divine, in recent letter to
us, remarks:
"But, word as to Romanism. I feared two
things as soon as | saw it brought into polti-
cal movement-first, that in uniting the infdel
opponents of Romanism with those who are
evangelical, the vital truths of the Gospel
would be left out. The result of this would be
an ultimate recoil into superstition and despot-
ism, for infdelity can never destroy Romanism.
A positive religious power filling the heart Is
needed to do it. / feared, also, superficial ar
guments and reaction, so that the final result
should be to strengthen Romanism and also
feared from an assault on Romanists, rather
than the hierarchy, another reaction"
These are the fears of one, who, as the read
er will infer from his language, is an uncom-
promising opponent of Catholicism.
Let Protestants learn in time this important
lesson-to keep religious controversies out of
politics The Ark of religious Truth must not
be committed to the care of Politicians. They
have no more fitness for that work, than had the
old warrior, Uzzah, who was smitten of God,
for putting forth his hand to sustain the ark of
Israel.
We hope we have written enough on the
Catholic part of this Question of Know Moth
ingism. No prescription, no threat, no fear of
the stigma Of pro-Catholicism, shall drive us to
sanction or connive at a violation of the rights
of Catholics as American citizens to deny
them fair hearing when their loyalty as citi-
zens is called in question--to forbear sopposi-
ton to any policy imposing upon them civil
disabilities. No solicitude to appease or pro-
pitiate popular clamor, or to make our posi-
ton, of equal and exact Justice 10 all, less OBJ
noxious to sectarian bigotry, shall induce US
to crowd our columns, with paragraphs and
insnuatiors, calculated to embitter still more
the feelings ranking between Protestants and
Catholics At the same time, we shall not fall
in love with Catholicism, because we maintain
the rights of Catholics. The contempt we feel
for Protestant prescription, shall not induce us
to regard with the slightest favor Catholic pro-
scription. Nor shall the Anti Christian policy
now so fercely urged by many misguided Prot
estants, shake our faith for an instant in the
grand Truths which we have learned, from an
open Bible, with our opn Judgment, as Inter
prefer, and God above, as our sole Judge and
Master.
1t has occurred to u.s. that in this connection,
an extract from one of the greatest speeches
ever delivered by Dr. Chalmers, may be of SER
vice at the present time. He was what is call
ed an pationist-that is, an advocate of
the removal of all civil disabilities from Cath
olics. The Know Knothings of these days
would stgmatize him as a pro- Catholic. The
speech was delivered in 1929, in Edinburgh, to
an immense audience, which was carried away
by its eloquence. Perhaps DR.. Chalmers was
not so good Protestant as Gardiner, Daniel
Ullmann, and Samuel Houston
Read the extract:
ave are not Pro Catholic We are not hos
tile, neither are we Indifferent to the holy cause
of Professionalism. | cannot answer for others :;
but in vindication of myself, | can atleast say
it is in the spirit of devotedness to sAat cause
that | come here, because in this ems ncipatiOn
of Papists l see for Protestants a stil greater
and more glorious emancipation. The truth is,
that these disabilities have hung as dead weight
around the Protestant cause for more than
century. They have enlisted in opposition to it
some OF the most uncOnquerable principles of
nature; resentment because of injury, and the
pride of adherence to suffering cause. they
have transformed the whole nature Of the con-
%oa& L,,o H.. al 4
tenfold obstinacy to error. They have given to
our side the hateful aspect of tyranny; while on
theirs we behold generous and high minded
resistance to what they deem oppression. They
have transformed nation of heretics into a
nation of heroes. We could have refuted and
shamed the hereto out of his errOrs but we
cannot bring down the hero from his altitude
and thus it is, that from the first introduction of
this heterogeneous element into the question,
the cause of truth has gone backward. 1t has
ever since been met by the unyieldine defiance
of people irritated but not crushed, under a
sense of indignity; and this notable expedient
for keeping down the Popery of ireland has
only compressed it into firmness, and closed
it into phalanx, which, till opened up by eman-
cipation, we shall find to be impenetrable.
Gentlemen would draw arguments from his
tory against us; but there is one passage in his
1
comes it that Professionalism made such triumph
ant progress in these realms, when it had
pains and penalties to struggle with? And how
came this progress to be arrested from the mo-
ment it laid on these pains and penalties in its
turn? What have all the enactmet;ts of the
statute-book done for the cause of Professionalism
in Ireland? And how is it, that when single
handed truth walked through our island with the
might and prowess of a conqueror, so soon as
propped by the authority of the State, the arm
or of intolerance was given to her, the brilliant
career OF her victories was ended? 1t was when
she took up the carnal and laid down the spirit
ual weapon-it was then that strengths went out
of her. She was struck with impotefcy on the
instant that from warfare of principle it became
a warfare of politics. There are gentlemen
opposed to US, profound in the documents of
history; but she has really nothing to offer half
so instructive as the living history that is now
before our eyes, With the pains and penalties
to fight against, the cause of Reformation did
almost everything in Britain; with the pains
and penalties on its side, it has done nothing,
and worse than nothing, in Ireland.
"But after all it is a question which does not
require the evidence of history for elucidation.
There shines upon it an immediate light from
the known laws and principles ofhuman nature.
When truth and falsehood enter into collision
upon equal terms, and do so with their own
appropriate weapons, the result is infallible.
Magma est oe,itas ct preraleba Buff to strength
EN- the cause of truth you put the forces of the
| statute-book under her command, there instant
ly starts up on the side of falsehood an auxilia-
ry far more formidable. You may lay an inca
pacity on the persons, or you may put restraint
and limitation on the property of Catholics, but
the Catholic mind becomes tenfold more impreg
| nable than before. We know the purpose of
these disabilities. They were meant to serve as