Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1855-03-20

accumulated ia the cities. The whole OF this popu.
| latiOn in the United States numbers ,2246I5 OF
| that number, only 1881 in the Southern States.
! With q native white population vi 2SI2,255, and
! los S35 IN the Southwestern States iIh native
white population of l,Sl35Sl A considerable
uroportiou OF this class of Popula zion IN the
| siavehoIding in tie nonslRyeholGing States are
conCregated In the cities These facts strongly dis
play how singuarly local mast Ee the alleged evils
Of ioreiguisIn a full Investigation, perhaps might
show that the real evils IN such there aTG) are con-
fined To the cities, which, according 10 tie
/ turns contain nearly oIs-hEf Ot sill the foreign
born residents in tine ULion. The entire repeal of
| the naturalization laws would not materially di-
! minish the number OF that class Of immigrants,
| who come here seeking employment tor their labor,
| aud accumulate IN the cities. They come 10 make
| a living not to acquire the right of suffrags-Al-
| Iured 6y no expectation OF easy naturalization, but
BY the prospect OF higher wRgrS and more constant
! employment than they Can end in the country
which they leave. OF the fOrcign-born rlales over
the age OF twenty In the citE OF BoSt H. the re-
turns for Is45 aud 1850, show that ivesixths were
unnaturazed. II is lair presume, that similar
| proportion in the other cities have failed TO avail
themselves OF the advantages Vi our present nltu-
! raliEatiun laws.
The other ostensi6le object of the Know Nothing
organization is entirely beyond tue reaCh Of The
i Federal Gcverument. II cannot touch Roman
Catholicism by any Constitutional action. TIE folly
OF attempting 10 arrest the progress VI religious
creed BY persecution and civil disabilities has been
often demonstrated that il il surprising TO see It
revived IN this age and country. y distinguished
advocate of religious liberty declared Learly hG!f
CsBtBEy ago, that IL GiSA Britaia, nearly ali
! its oppoueu's had been silcnced-sor= had been
taught sense, others inspired with shame, Uu;l
| were lett upon the frld, except those who could
neither learn GlCSh. The principles Of religious
liberty cherished in Virginia with peculiar atfec-
| ton. Our act for the establishment Of religious
| freedom, asserts in imposing and authoritative
language, that the prescribing any citizen AS
| worthy the public confidence, by laying upon him
ncspacitv Of Icing called 10 offices OF trust aud
cmOluurnt, unless lie profess, or rcnounce this or
ia
| of those privileges aud advantages 10 which in
| common with his fellow citizens, hG hsS Iaturni
right that il tends only TO corrupt the principles
OF That religion II Is neAht 10 encourage, 10y brI1-
| ing with "A monopoly OF worldly Donors and enC!-
umenis, those who will cXtcrnally profess and con-
form 10 that though, indeed those are criminal
who do not Withstand such temptation, yet LCttheT
those IN ncccnt who !Ay the bait in their way.-
Ia the struggle which terminated in the complete
emancipation OF religion in thS State, the dissent
Ing Protestant sectS under the energetic lead "5 the
BArtiSts, Eure conspicuous part. The ret for the
establishment OF Religious Freedom, Was emiEcnIly
a Protestant achievement, ara pTOlsstaHlsm in Sir-
giuu rudcly dcspoils itself Of ,he ftircs
with which i is decorated by history, when II vio-
lArs lhe letter the spirit Of that celebrated law.
| The men who now seek TO renew the dogmaS Uf re-
lgIUus Intolerance, pay an appropriate homage 10
the virtue aud intelligence of this country, when
they conceal themselves from public observation
! ThUse who afraid to meet the Roman Catholic
arguments in the field Uf mir discussion may well
be alarmed its anticipated progress; bGGits more
intelligent opponents will regard with cUmpOSure
what they consider its errors SO long reason is
left free TO combat them. For every Roman Catho-
lie Priest in the United States, there some p
Protestant preachers for every Catholic alOr there
are 80 Protestant pUlpits. Scarcely onc-tweniieth
part of the population OF the Union Is attached to
the Romau Catholic religion If Professionalism is
not safe with these heavy odds in its favor, ita
aSCeHdunCy will not be maintained by prosecutions
aud civil disabilities Imposed upon its opponents
Know NOlhiugism niAy do more 10 ADVANCE tie
| Catholic cause than all It's Priesthood, and place
| Catholicism OH the right side aud PrOtcsrautism on
the wrong side OF the great question OF Religious
Liberty, by SO illlerai and uuwarrsatabe.
This is attempted be justified by an absurd ex'
aggcration Of the political influence al Catholicism
in this country. Mr.. Chandler, of Pennsylvania
addressing tie House of Representatives few weeks
since, declared that he knew OF but one CATHOLIC
tesilPs himself who Was . member of that House
of Congress. We NAV then, 1T least, pronounce
the Legislative be arIinent 10 lie Tree from Calho.
r nc coISI0I. here seems TO &c no OCCASION " =:
| ganize l'sEty 10 protect that branch Of The
Federal Government, aud tue Catholic influence -
equally feeble i'll the Executive and Judicial ue!Gr
ments.
upUn the subjects which il undertakes HgiIate q
! Il may eXpel from the Executive department fc";
naturuliLed citizens who are incumbent, Of oiHce-
but uue-tenths OF the Federal Offices are said 10
be already filled 10y native citizens that can scnrce4
| Is be au object worth the attention OF u national
party. Those who originated and expect to control
! this organization, must have other aud undlvrlgtc
objects in view. Temporary prejudice and eXCite+
the subjects OF FOreiGnism and Catholicism
may serve TO place them in power. How will they
Use power when 50 aEquiTedf We may we'll recall
! the eloquent warning OF great English statesman
and beware OF $50 trying thing as new power !E
persons, of whose principles, tempcrs and dir
POSITIONS have itte or no experience, and in SIT.
nations WheIe those who appear most stirring en-
the scene may not be the rea! movers" hat.is
| this party expected 10 do upon those great sup
jeCts of practical interest TO winch We have before
referred? The elections in which they have already
triumphed afford Us sufficient data to infer their
policy Upon the most important Of these subjects
! SLAVERY.
Know Noth;ngism las had its origin and growth
! i'll those quarters OF The Union where AbolJiOnigU
! is most powerful At the very instant that Know
! Nothingism has swept over the nou-slayehoId,ng
States, AbOlitionism has acquired an ascendency y
whChi before aspired. Every election in which
! Northern Know Nurhingism has triumphed has
| enured to the benefit Of AbHIfiOnism Every inti-
| viduaI whom the Northern Know SuthIngs haze
elected TO either branch OF the Federal Legislature
is committed to the most violent views ci the so-
liiioDists. They have Frustrated, wherever tl:cy
| had the power TO do So the same men whom tie
AhulitUuISts wished DrUStTatC. They have sustain
! cd every man whom the AbOlitiOEstS wished to sTc
Know NOthingism, in the ascendant throughout s.e
nOn-slavchodng States, does not elevate into poW-
er single friend to the South. No solitary e&cEI-
ton breaks the gloomy uniformity OF the scene
| Everywhere they are doing the work WHICH AHg.l-
| tiOnisIn has been unsucces5fully attempting fgr
| years And yet we are required TO belieTe il-t
they were organized to perform this part, bat
only TO do those other things which, We have
! deavored to show, no such party can effect.
II must be apparent TO every Intelligent observer
that the anti-Slavery sentiment dOmiucers over
the public mind in the non-slAvehol5iRg States. n
all the recent elections in that quarter of the UHien
the ordinary political issues have been made suboTGi
nate the slavery subject. Is it not surprising that
! Southern men should, such u moment, be expect
/ cd TO waive this issue and elevate party E1o
! power, without even inquirng their purposes upon
! this subject? just at the time when the Northern
| States uniting in assault upon the vital iuItF
! estS of the South, ought We to abandon the vgi-
liant care of our own affairs, in gEatui'ous effort
purge Northern society Cf disease which may agiCt
item, but does not disturb us? We appeal to Sou h
men, without distinction of party, ponder the
consequences before they cooperate with this orer
izatiOD. The secrecy with which its proceedings a E
conducted, afford ample ground for caution and slss-
| picion. party which conceaIs all its operalions
| and designs from the public, mag conceal sosae
| Of its ultimate purposes from that portion .!of
! its own voearies TO whom premature disciOsEle
might be hazardous The same principle of POls;i-
cal ethics which iustfeS deception upon those out
| side the order, might excuse partial cOncealFusnt
from those within. When you enter this order, Gou
assent to the pTopricty OF cOncealment agency
1 10 partisan contests How you complain when it
is practiced upon yourselves by your eonfefsr-