Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1855-02-07

Cathoicity in France, and finally landed whole
nation in the arms of intidelity. The extract from
Theirs will show how far in other respects the sim
ilitude may be carried. In both cases Christian
ministers deserted their pulpts for politics. in both
they branded all who dissented from them and
though in France the prison and the scafold did
their work upon such Offenders in the United States
they are deprived of the right hold Office oy a
secret inquiston, denied the right of suffrage,
which had been offered to the oppressed of all ma
tons by the patriots of the revolution and this be-
cause of the accident of birth the crime of con-
scientious belief! God in His infinite mercy, pro-
tect us from fulfilling the doom that followed the
zealots who hunted down the Catholics of France !
Our beloved country has suffered enough before the
nations of the earth in being held responsible for the
deeds of frantic demagogues and ambitious priests.
Let tho cup of indelity pass from her now and for
There is another stern and truthful lesson taught
by this of the French revolution, which cannot
be too profoundly studied. FRENCH PRESCRIPTION
FAILED TO DESTROY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH! First,
that nfdelity rose upon the ruins OF that
Church, and finally, that when infdelity fell Catho-
licty grew great and strong. From that moment
it continued to advance. Its votaries increased as
the recollection of their suerngs i'll the revolution
were descanted upon. Napoleon took the persecut-
ed creed under his imperial care. Each succeeding
monarch and every succeeding change in the ruler
added to its power. And now we behold the bayo-
nets of France protecting the Pope of Rome from
the efforts Of his people, and Protestant Europe
submitting to the act Such may be called one OF
the results of prosecuted fah prescribed people,
and an infatuated combination of one class of reli
gionists to put down another! Such, in word,
was the result of know nothngism sixty years ago!
We are Protestant-born and bred Protes-
tant We discuss this question, keeping its reli-
gous aspects quite out of view. We plead for
cause higher than the cause Of doctrinaires-we
plead for our country. We reproduce the errors of
other days as warnings for the present. We recall
the history of the French revolution, not to mourn
over the decay of Cathocity, but the growth of
infidelty as a result of religious prescription. We
point to the of the French clergy and their
French followers to show that the same excuses may
be followed by the cruelties and the same de-
gradatons if even they initiated on these shores.
Let us be ad,nonshed in time. No religion, no
creed, party, however absurd, can be extingush-
cd by persecution All history proves this. Cath
olicity could crush Luther, but enabled him still
further to extend his magical influence. Cromwell
made converts it is true, but he also made the faith
he prescribed stronger than ever Cranmer and his
associates did not die in vain " Tic blood OF the
martyrs is the seed of the Church" This is the
lesson ofimpartia history, and it is right that
should recall and reproduce it whenever anaticism,
in the hour of blind success and binder nfatuation,
would lay violent hands upon rights that come from
God, and not from man. The DECAY OF RELIGION is
THE AvENGING RESULT WHENEVER MEN UsURP
TRIBUTE FURNISHING THE EXERCISE OF A CoNSCIEN-
TIoUS BELIEF, OF DECIDING BETWEEN THEIR FELLOW
CREATURES AND THE DEITY.
Washington Union.