The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-11-22

nelRhUOTe, ara coneentene " tno Impusetsol
Of perjury should they fail or or faIief in thil
pious paslime. - r. sl Gsii@ ~
Men have taken oaths to destroy theil
couniry's op2ressofs, and Heaven has appFo'
we'd the act. The august ceremonial which
lnauguIated and completed the Declaration
Of Independence was made in the Fight ol
an approving God, and if ever such sppro.
val was given, il consecra,ed the immortal
vow. But are our feIlow-frsemsn, whom
we meet in the daily walks Of life, oppress.
ors and enemies, that we should crawl
into corners to take oaihs against them, fail
Jog in which the sin Of perjury Is TO rest on
our aouls : No good angel blssses such IT,
reverence 20 vistus 10 io b sAssd " \; no
xlahs psoter(F nnai no zzfoha I'D
Blu: will ask whether the profsne oath l
have quoted, and the equally profane as
snmption of Furnishing the violation OF such
an oath should not call down the thnnders
Of indignant protest from every christian pull
pit in :he Iapds Instead of turning their
thoughts upon the imaginary dangers Of a
distant preaie, whose power TO affect our
happy institutions would he as Intellectual as
the attempt of the naked King of The. Mos
quito coast 10 capture Gibraltar instead of
inciting political party in its work of de-
nuncia,ion and ddisfranchisment--- has been
the case with too many Of the protesting fol.
lowers of the meek and lowly Saviour--I
humbIy refer them to the spectacle Of vast
multi,udes Of men wallowing in the most
reckless oathe, glorying in the most absn-
doned prosecutions, and arogantly assuming
the right to punish rebellion 10 their standard,
by hurting the aDathema Of perjury, as if
they were delegated vicegersnts Of God on
earth.
Surely no American citizen, however Deep
ly preiudiced against an opposing creed,
can for momeut be misled by the plea that
this midn ght order, with ell lie professions,
has advanced true religion. The ritual and
platform of the order both declare their be-
lief in ga Supreme Being" as an essential
preliminary. But there is great reason TO
fear that the managers want nobody else 10
worship God save themselves, and thai their
idea Of deity is of one who expscts. 10 be
propiliated by acts of deceit and shame. A
party which excludes Catholic and admits
Norm on, which does not hesitate 10 follow
the lead OF many whose deeds and word 8
are al war with every idea of religion-sucb
party cannot long delude any portion OF in
telligeni citizens with empty professions of
pieiy. ..-.-. ..-..s -.....-.--..s,. q.
May, Hthcre be perjury anywhere, those
who violate an obligation like the following,
in the Pennsylvania Bill of Rights, will have
some trouble to purge themselves:
"That all men have natural and inde-
feasible right to worship Almighty God ac-
cording TO the dictates of their own cousci-
ence; that no man can, of right, be compelled
to attend, erect, or support any place Of wor-
ship, or 10 maintain any ministry, agains, his
consent that no human authority can, IN
any case whatever, control or interfere with
The rights of conscience and that no prefer
ence be given 10 any religious establishments
or modes Of worship.
"That no person who acknowledges the
being of Cod and future state of re-.
wards and punishments shall, on account of
Ills religious sentiments, be disqualified to
hold. any office or place of trust or profit un-
der this Commonwealth"
beg You to contrast this with the oath o..
the midnight order. We are told il is per-
jury in -polhing to violate that oath.
And here is an obligation more solemn,
more binding, more essential to society,
which in some Of It's parts are set at nousht
by thousands of know nothings-and this,
TOO, without complaint or conde mnation from
those ministers oil the Gospel who belong to
the order, and who themsslves practice the
evil they should condemn 10 others.
Il has been said that, while the adopted
citizen takes an bath 10 support, the know
nothing takes an oath 10 violate the Ameri-
can Constitution. And the fruits Of this teck-
lessness are full Of terrible significance. A
direct result Of The secre. obligations Of the
order may be found in ths bloody ibmul,s of
Louisville, and In the excesses Of the know
nothings ID other large cities. To such an
extent has public indignation been excited
against the profane and familiar resor ic ex-
ira-judicial oalhs, and the invanable appeal
to force and fraud al the bsllai:bo4es, that
IN portions Of the Union the order has DELHI
srately discarded alike It's secrecy and it's
obligations. This has been the case in Ala.
bama, Georgia, Louisiana and South Carroll.
na. The very fact thai the oath Of the order
tends 10 bring into contempt the higher obi;
cations imposed by the Constitution and the
laws proves that it is not binding upon those
who are dsluded into an assumption of it,
But j, is no less clear that in many places,
this oath, imposed With all The forms oi mid,
night secrecy, has bad disastrous efTeciu up
on those who have. accepted il. So far from
contributing TO The strength Of the order, IL
has been one of the principal causes of iis
rapid decay. Rescred 10 for the purpose of
concentrating The schemes of men who
could moi obtain advancement from other
parties, but who we're abls TO pack majori-
ties in these secret societies, il becomes
CALLING yoke TO the more respectable mem
bers, and, az may be well conceived, has
ended Sy diving. out the best and leaving
the lodges in the control The worst. Nay,
take a member of this order, one who 10
l. L L. IL .rl