Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-02-09
RELIGIOUS TOLERATION.

hCiblhlOIo loiIEha lioNs
There is nothing brighter in tho annals of Virginia
than her uniform md sreadfasl devotion to pure and
unrestranUd liberty 10 her people worship God nc
cordins to the dictates of their consciences. The
grcn, Vrgninn Thomas Jefferson, thought it nm"ng |
the proudes associations of his long and brilliant Po-
tical career, that posterity should read upon ms
tombstone tho glorious fact TINT he tho author OF
the statute for religious freedom in Virginia ls II nor
then, insulting to the memory Of the great dcau Us
it is fraught with mischievous and alarming con'e
quences. to see party sprngiaS mp on 'hc Ho" oil
gina, whose hollow basis is the Acknowledgement "t
portion of tho people of the State because VI e''
foreign birth and religious sentimental ines" mon'
srous pretcpsions of the Secret Order 81 hho"-No'
things the more severely 10 be Reproduced III Il"
gina, when il is remembered that the Northern aeS
OF the Virginia Nothing as'alan's 'i the
| Catholics embrace both Catholic. ant Sf0sery III
their ferocous denuncations. We have already pun
shcd the following resolution, adopted by the S'ato
! Council of Know Nothings held at Schenectady:
! Resolved That Slavery, like Papacy, is moral,
social and political evlat variance WIKI the sP" :"
our republican institutions, and rrpu-lant l" tr prih'
ciples OF frecneu; that it ia our duty 10 resist lis N
tension aud that cannot As Americans consent 10
| the admission 10 the Cnlon u! any new S'n1c WHOSE
! Constitution recognizes human bondage
| We do not wonder that abolitiouiss fercey de-
nounce the Ca,holcsor it lie matter ot history '"'
while at the North most OF the other chnrches nave
inermedded with the rights OF the South u" Ca'h"'
lies have pursued conservative course. IL was
! Catholic Irish who was shot down by the np"N''h
mob in Boston for aiding in the recapture I" Iusi'
five slave from Virginia Is Il strange, theh' tha'
W;l.on and Burncame should be patent know-No'h-
ings in hurting their fiery darts at the Ca'h"hcS =
| Rr, this very circumstance should make S"utherncrs
csu,,,,s in engaging in bitter warfare upon their
hr.,bro, of different religious tnh from their own
We have no sympathy with or affinity for, the reli-
,,inus ,cucts Of the Catholic churchbu,, deeply i'm
br.d rs we arc with the wisdom Of the great Jccr-
sons views on religious freedom, cannot but raise
our voice against the attempt of secret association
to violate the spirit of free institutions and to
wage IN extermnatinG war on religious irccd"m'-
The assault now made upon tho Catholics, may here
after be turned by heated partizans against the Eps-
copalans Prosbyterians, &c, IN II may please The
leaders Of secret plotters. Tho whole principle OF
religious freedom is involved III the present contest
and as tho sincere friends of religion, we protest
against its being mixed up with politics, as the Know
Nothing. now dong,
Much has be"n said by the Know Nothing orgnns
about the temporal power Of the Pope, Of Catholic
interference with civil affairs, &c. /; would be n
sufficient this objection to refer to the fact
that no be entitled 10 the rights Of citizen
ship unless no renounces all allegiance foreign po-
tentacs, princes and governments, and swears fidelity
to the federal and Stnto constitutions As further rei-
tat;ou Of unjust and intolcian know-Noing assaults,
friend nska rcpublsh the following extract from
Il discourse delivered in the Hall Of the House Of Rep
rescnalves n Washington, in lsG, by the Rcv.John
England, Catholic Bishop OF Charleston It's pub-
cation was requested by Il number OF members Of
Congress, and among them B. Bassett Of Virginia.
| Occupying ,siin ,ushed position in the Catholic
church, his testimony against the temporal authority
Of tho Pope should b. received official and reliable
Bishop England snid
~ political difficulty has been sometimes raised
here If this inalliblr tribunal which ynu profess
yourselves bound to obey, should command you to
"ver;urn our government md tel you that 1t IS 'lic
will Of God 10 hnvr il new moacil" III you not hc
bound to obey IL And hoT We consider
those men To- bc good eltiz 'ss To owe
obedience "a n foreign autIor 'ty not
recognized in olir constitution yw''ch
has excominuuicated and dep :ns, an'
| which has Hbsol' cd subjects aHd IioI their
| bond Of allegiance!
..Our answer 10 this is extremely simple and very
plain; il is that We would not be bound obey il;
that rc recognize such authority. rOuM not al.
io,r ihc pope TO any bishop OF church, outside
this Cnio the smallest interference with the humblc-!
vote at our mos; insignificant; ballong box. He has
| no right 10 such interference You must from the
view which have taken the plnin distinction
between spiritual authority, and right 10 interfere in
the regulation of human government or civil con-
| Germs. You have III Your constitution wisely kept
| them distinct and separate. 1t will be wisdom and
| prudence and safety Ia continue the scparatlon-
Your constitution says TINT Congress shall have
no power to restrict the free exercise Of religion
| Suppose your dgniErd body Tomorrow attempted
| to restrict III Ule exercise of that right; though
the law, as it would be called, should pIss your two
houses and ob;Hlu the signature Of the president
| would not obey H. because it would be no law, IT
would be an usurphtion for you cannot rinke Law
in violation OF your constitutions you have no power
in such So, il that tribunal which is estab.
sed by the Creator to testify TO what he has re-
veacd and to make the necessary regulations OF dis
cipnc for the government of the church. shall pre-
10 go beyond that boundary mklch circWmscr'bcs
ITS poTcr ats acts arc nra''d myrtghts arc not 10 L
destroyed By as "snrpat,0n, and there is no ErtAcapc
| Of my creed nrh'ch prcrcms my msing my '"ttur0i
right Of proper rcS'tancc to any tyrdnnen HSnrpn-
tom You have no power to interfere with my reli-
gious rights the tribunal of the church has no power
to Interfere with my civil rights. 1t is duty which
every good nan ought discharge for his own and
for tho public benefit, 10 resist any encroachmcnt
upon either. We do not believe that God gave to
the church any power 10 Interfere with our ciVli
rights, or our civil concerns. Christ our Lord re-
fused to interfere in the division Of the Inheritance
between two brothers, of whom requested that
interference. The civil tribunals of Judea vest
ed with sufficient authority for that purpose nnd he
did not transfer 1t tn his apostles. 1t must hence be
apparent TINT any idea OF Roman Catholics OF those
repubcsbelng IN any way under the influence OF any
fore gn eccleslasca power indeed NJ any chnrch
authority 'n lie crcycSc0t their tirH rights is seri-
Gus mistake. There is class of our ie!low-citl-
more tree TO think, and 10 act for themselves
on the subject of our ghts Than we are, and be-
icvc thero is not any portion OF the American alni-
" more jealous Of foreign influence, ready
it,,r Va. lrptl nj our
ry part of the globe under every form OF govern
ment, this subject upon which each OF US 10 tree
to act as he thinks proper. We know OF no tribunal
in church which can Interfere in our proceeding"
as citizens. Our ecclesiastical authority existed be-
fore constitution, is affected by IL there is not
in the world constitution which docs not prccedc,
with which could not cocxis it has seen nations
perish dynastles decay empires PROSTATE: It has CO.
existed with n 1t has survived them all it is not de-
pendent upon nny governments; they may change,
aud it will still continue"
oUT-IEKODiNG HERoD.
Yesterdays Wing goes ow.shot beyond the |
most Jealous Know-No,hing. Not content with dis
ranchsing foreigners, the Wing would chang" all tho
Northern Yankees" nnd "Cernan foreigners who
have pitched their tcts amongst This truculcnt
proceeding would cut of many who have hitherto
zenlously supported the Wing ticket. The Whig's
article is as f"llowa:
From the Richmond Wing OF 9th February. lsS.
THE WHlG AND THE GERMANS.
Under this caption, ~ German citizen makes his
appearance again in the Enquirer Of Yesterday. In
reply have only to remark, that it is not pur-
pose to be provoked into controversy with any Ger
man scribblcr, especially one whom we believe to be
at heart, like the rest Of his brcrhren an infamous
abolitionst and M ufdel, and whom would not
believe oath, little respect have for the honor
or truthfulness Of amy such characters We have no
earthly confidence either in Northern yankees Ger
man foreigners, who born md bred abolition in
cendares, despite, for policys sake when they settle
smong,t US, their hypQcrtical winnings about the