The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-06-15

lie from land Of desPotism Is driven upon our
shores, il he be man Of virtue will receive him
with generous hospitality. and welcome hlm now
as our lorefa theirs were wont to welcome such, to
the ..land OF the free and the asylum OF the op.
pressed"
All foreigners should remain here long enough
TO learn The nature and practical operation OF our
institutions before they are allowed the right Of
suffrage Congress. however, has no power TO
correct the evil of alien suffrage. This power re-
mains with the States, and therefore the connec-
ton Of the topic with the election OF members OF
Congress is wrong. 1t is intended only for effect
and is used TO promote The success of d faction ;
whilst it cannot possibly do good to the country
But there is still another objection to this new
party which, if possible, is stronger than any
have stated.
They seek to nname the worst passions of hu'
man nature by connecting religion with politics.
| That every man has right TO worship God &C
cnrding to the dictates of his own conscience. is
| funda mental maxim Of republican liberty. Nor has
it been questioned in orr State, until Uery lately
by any intelligent man, since the days when we
were just emerging from the lhraldom OF English
and ankee bigotry. am Protestant, and con-
! slider il blessing that | am. | am no defender
OF the Catholic Church, of Catholic persccu-
tons. But | do believe that Catholics. like all
other sccts OF Omissions, have good and bad a.
mong them and willis! would oppose The bad I
| riU respect tie SOOt.
1t is unjust TO charge that all Catholics are un-
der a foreign aIleginnco? We kn0o that such is
mol the truth. Our own State has ever regarded
w fliIam CASTOR honor lo her history. Mr..
Badger recently pronounced in the Ssnaie a beau
tiluf and insl encomTum upon Chlei Justice Fancy.
! All sapDnuded it who heard it. Yet Mr. CASTOR
was Catholic and so is MIR. fancy. The Pope
can't govern The people within his own ann1edtate
! State, in temporal matters-how much less, then.
Is he able to govern them IN foreign lands? At
this very time he is protected at A0n1e by French
army. Tina. Catholics will ever be able to sup
plant the Protestant religion in this country, is
simply absurd. No intelligent mar need to fear
such result. We have The Bible here-all men
read for themselves. And the experience Of the
past proves that Catholics are more frequrntly
converted Prote tantism i'll this country than
Professionals are to Catholicism. Since the estab-
| shment of present form OF government II is
a well attested fact, that between six and eight
millions OF Catholics have immigrated our
! shores. There here, however, only "a
| bout one million What has become Of The other
! hve.sixhs. Converted TO Professionalism. Fifty
years ago. and there were no other religic nsts in
Louisiana except Roman Catholics. Now they
rank as third in point of numbers n that Stale.
The Methodist and Baptist are each more numer-
Gus there than they. What do these facts prove !?
! They prove clearly, that Catholics more like
Iy to be converted by Protesan,s than Proestanls
are by Them II Protestant divines and Protestant
christians will only do their duty, and will rely
upon spiritual weapons instead OF carnal, our re-
Iigion is in no danger. But if preachers forget
their high calling, and politicians and poitl.
clans take in charge the holy interests Of the
! Church, then indeed may we fear the most disas.
trous results both to religion and the State.
'Iisory is philosophy teaching by example"
Let US, then. profit by the experience OF our ''lab-
erIand" upon this subject. The tyranny of the
Siuarts was for brief period overthrow, and the
friends of liberty aimed at the establishment Of a
republic, They failed in their efforts, however
and failed because religious furor mingled itself
with the politics of the times. Amid the strife Of
Sectaria,tS, und the attempt of politicians secure
The puruy Of the Church., The spirit of liberty ex-
pired and on the throne of The Suarts was seated
| a despot more absolute than he whose head he
had brought to the bIock-t at length the people,
Disguised with the hypocracy of politicians, and
the cant Of igionsts, recalled to his lost domn
iofs the son of Charles the First, who rcigned for
long years, and swayed de$potic sceptre over a
people but recently in love with liberty, but made
| ali. ct and subservient by the revuIsion produced
by The nauSpicious conjunction of religion and
politics-a conf unction which ever has, and ever
will result in corruption in the Church and des.
potism in the State.
Very truly and respectfully,
Your friend.
Holm KERR