The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1855-06-01

al all u ne Is so IncIlneO, and 10 other man has
right to Pry into his conscience TO inquire (" hal he
believes, or what he does not believe. As c.
zen and as member OF s"cirty, he is to be Judged
by his acts and not by his cred. Catholic,
therefore, in our country. and in all countries
ought, all other cItIZens, TO be permitted 10
stand or fall IN public favor and estimation upon
his O10n 9lldtUl4.aL merits. Every tub should
stand upon us own botlom.'
But | think of all the christian denominations in
The United States, the Catholics are the last that
Southern people should join in attempting to pu
under the ban OF civil prescription. For, a
church, they have never qcurred against US or our
of New England Baptists, Preshyterans or Meth.
"dlst the long roll of abolition pe'llions with
which Congress has been so much eXcrtrd and ag
taied Tor years past, come not from The Catholics
Their pulpits at the North dcsecrattd every
Sabbath with anath' mas against slavery. And ul
the three thousand New Eng land Clergy men who
sent the antl-Nebrnska memorial to The Senate last
year, not one Catholic, as | have been 10.
formed and believe. Why, then, should We South.
ern men JON the PuTltHns OF III" North to pro-
scribe from office The Catholics on ACCOUNT Of ibtlr
religion Let them and their religion be as bad
eau be, as their accusers say they are lhey
cannot be worse than these same Pvrit1nIcuL
cusers, Who started this persecution against them
say that ace are. They say we are going to per.
diclinn Tor the enormous sin Of holding slaves
The Pope, with all his followers, cannot, | sup
pose, even in their j'dgmen be going to IA ~orsc
place for holding what they consider The
StrOus absurdlty of g immaculate conception. -
And, for my part, | would about soon risk my
own chance for Heaven with him, aud his crowd
TOO, with these selrIghltous hypucrltrs, who
deal out fire and birthstone so literally upon our
heads. Al any rate, | have hesIlaucy in de-
clariHg that should much risk my civil
rights with The American Catholics, whom they
are attempting to drive from office than with
them. But, sir, am opposed 70 this pf0Scrip
ton upon principle. II it is begun. there i.
no telling where it will end. When faction once
tastes lhe blood of victim, it seldom ceases It's
ravages amongst the fold long as a single re.
naming one, be the number at FIRST ever so great
is left surviving. II to guard against any
such consequences, as would certainly rn>ue III
this country It tins effort at prescription of this
sect of relIglonsts should be successful, that thai
wise prOvsi0n To which have alluded was put IN
the Guuda ntaI law of the Union. Aud to marn-
tain il l"t"ct, in letter and spirit, with stcadfts-
ness at this time, hold to be most solemn public
du,y.
And now, 10 the other idea-the prescription
OF !"reIgnrrs-aDd more particularly that view u
II which looks TO the denial OF citizenship 10 an
those ho may hereafter St, k home in this c"ut
try ard choose their lots and drstInies with
us. This is a avoTe idea with many " no have
not thought Of It's effects, re 1ected much upon
lis const quenceE. The hbrogaiOn of the natural.
lzatlnn laws would not stop immgralon nor would
The extension OF the term Of probation, the period
of twenty one years, d. it. This current Of eml
grafton from the Eas; To West, this Exodus of the
excess of population from the Old to the New
VI OTld, hch commenced with the settlement al
this Continent by Europeans, would still go on
nd hal WHuH he The effect ven under he
modified form Of the proposed measure that j.,
of an extension Of the period from five to twenty
one years, belnre citizenship should be granted
AT the end Of the hfat twenty one years from the
m"nt of the law, we should have several
millions OF people in our midst-men Of our own
ing the unenvlab!e position cf being
a d"grad"d Caste in soc"ty, species of serfs
without the just franchise of a freeman, the
needluI protection due to ID SLtve. This would be
at with all my ideas of American Repub
canism as | have been taught them and gIored in
them from my you n up. If there be danger now
t0 our institutions, rs some seem to mag me, bu
which am far from feeling or believing from for
nIgnrrs class, would not the danger be greatly
enhanced by the proposed remedy! Now, it is
rue they made to bear their SHIRE Of The bur.
hens Of Government, but permitted after a
residence of five years, and taking oath 10 sup
port the C"nsution, 10 enjoy their just parlicipa
ion in the prvIlrg"s. honors aud immunes which |
it secures. Would they be less likely to be at |
ached to the Government and its principles under |
he operation of the present system, than they |
would 6e under The proposed one, which would |
rcat Them as not much better than outcass and |
outlaws? All writer's Of note from the earliest TO
he latest, who have treated upon The elements
and component parts. or members Of communities
and States, have pointed this out a source o
real danger-havIng large number Of the same
race not only aliens by birth, but aliens in heart
and feeling in The bosom of society.
Such was, 10 great extent, the condition Of the |
flelots in Greece-m"n OF the same race plac' IN |
inferior position, and forming within themselves
degraded class. | wish to such slate Of
hngs in this country. With us AT The South, it !
; true, we have dpgraded caste," but it is of
race fitted by na,ure.ior their suhnrdnae position
The negro, with us, fills that place in society and
luder our system of civilization for which he was
designed by nature. No training ft him for |
either social or political equality with his superor>;
It least history furnishes wl!h no instance OF
he kInd nor does the negro with US feel any de-.
grad liion in his position, because II is his natural
,Iace Bul such would not be the with men
If the same race and coming from the sam" State
gith ourselves. And what appears not IIle
strange and singular TO in considering this late
Movement is that If il did not originate with, yet
IS now so generally and z"al6u>ly favored by 50
many Of those men at the NoTlh who have exPrnd-
d so muc b of their misguided philanthropy in be-
,aIf OF our slaves. They have been endravoring |
or wears tl elevate the African 10 an equality sn-