M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-07-20
a.I4 a.. From the Presbyterian Critic.
Mo0r u Presbyterian on the Amer.
icnn Party

There 10 no demand whatever for
great national movement against tho
Catholic Church. The recent excite
ment in the country has been, in ths
nam, the result of a corrupt movement
of unprincipled politicians, TO excite
the Protestant feeling of the people and
10 ride into. power upon the tide. They
have run foul Of the maxim, which they
have so conspIcuously set forward a.
mong their principles, as if for the put.
pose Of exposing the prohigacy of the
whole movement, by violating ih prac.
tice what they praise in theory. 1t is
absurd to deuy, that making the mere
religious sentiments Of man the reason
for refusing to vote for him, Is viola.
tion of the great principle of religious
liberty. II is allowing principle Of
discriminating the political aspect ofa
vote to he sound and just; which would
bs wicked and unprincipled, if embo.
died in a law. If our neighbors make
their dislike to our Presbyterian senti.
ments the ground of their refusing to
vote for us, it is perfectly useless 10
disguise that we are under political res
possibility for religious opinions-that,
qnoad foc, we are suffering for them.
The Objectionable feature in this view
Of the case is, making religious opinion
una tended by any viciousness of action
glowing out of it, a ground for uni.
yessal DISCRIMINATION in political affairs,
affecting permanently large masses of
citizens. This is our irst aud great OBJ.
lection TO the American or Know Moth.
ing party it is violating the very prin.
ciple OF religious liberty, which it pro-
.fesses TO conserve; aud has adopted a
construction of that principle which
strips it of all practical force. leaving
it'a dead letter in the statute book, and
abandoning its control over the politi-
cal action Of the people.
We object again TO a political NOV.
ement against the Catholic Church, be-
cause thete is no necessity forit, if the
American people will properly employ
the legitimate agencies OF opposition
which are in their power. The simple
and su efficient condition Of the preserv-
alton of the Republic from the arts of
Ronfanism, is the full and efficient sup
port Of the Protestant church-the COM
pIete and animated maintenance of the
domestic missionary enterprises of the
various Protestant denominations. This
is the great conservati We element Of our
political syslem-to sustain and vivify
it with the vigorous energy which il
ought to posses-snd it nced not be
feared that any of the great social or
political interests that are conditioned
upon it will ever come to harm. 1t 10
the only-nor less than the only--legi.
innate power, which can be effectively
employed to restrain .Popery and main
tsih.the iusiitutions of our government.
ALI persecution, no matter how disgui.
sed hrI Iorm or limited in extent, will
inure to the benefit of the body endur.
ing it, The policy, then, of restraing
Popefy by political disabilities inflicted
upou the individual Catholic. is suici.
aallih the extIeme. 1t will concentrate
and intensity the attachment of its
members, and render them more and
more unapprOacbshle By Protestant in.
suuction. Il will ersstssympsthy, end