The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-01-23
DIR. SHAW on KSow.SorHISGIsN.
bpnx Tows, North Carolina

NY DEAR sra have your favor OF the sth instant and
should have acknowledged It's receipt at earlier period
bot for absence from home and many very pressing en-
gagements
You ask ne for my opinion Of the organization
lately gotten up In country called eknow-nohingsm
II all times pleasure TO to interchange opinions
with my feltaw-czens In regard matters Of public luz
porance and especially with those whom esteem as per-
soual friends and greatly regret that the time my dis
po.al will allow, the ordinary limits Of letter adj
nit MY answering your inquiries in manner at all
satisfactory to myself or fear, acceptable 10 you
SHALL however, give you nay opnionsndeedi my earnest
and we-set,led conviconsin the frank and can
aid in which YOU kind enough 10 eommuni-
cate your own to me.
Next TO abotonism, consider the eknow-nothiDg
the dangerous organization that has ever
raised lis bead In this country since the estab
iishmen Of our happy government Iii in direct oppo-
ston the constitution which expressly declares that
no rsligous shall be required qualification
20 any Office or public under the United States TART
& sec 81 II aims fatal blow at religious federation, the
nesmable right OF every to worship his Creator ae-
cording the dictates OF his own conscience; and II
have read history any advantage must If successful IN
its aims inevitably lead to strife bloodhed and all the
horrors ofcvl You inclined to favor the move
ment where let ask is il TO end2 Suppose you band
together to-day deprive Catholics Of their rights and
privileges as citzens and crush them out reli-
gious secsuppose you succeed to Your hearts content
who can say that Others will unite together future
day deprive you OF your religious berty2 Having put
your heels upon the necks of such the Chief
Justice Of the Supreme Court OF the United States such
men as Charles Carroll of CarrolIton and the amen-
ted Gaston-haying ostracsed the Catholics, who viii
fall next2 You and | know that the difference be-
twcts, Catholics and high-church Epscopaans is
what like that beiwixt tweedle-dum and tweedle-dee-
indeed the Episcopaian church itself has not unfrequeny
been sigmatixed the bastard child of the who're of
Rome@ win not equal be found justify similar
war upon il Where will it end? The reason assigned
this crusade against the Roman Catholics is that theirs
is not the true religion then If religious liberation be
destroyed and band together put down every
form Of religion that fails to up their standard if
the principle be good and that should be acted upon
all it stop short of totally annihating every
form of worship except that OF the greatest number which
would ultimately give the Methodists religious supremacy
in this country they being most Now, do not
say nor do believe that the Mehodss or any other de-
nomination contemplate any such end what do say
that If such principle is good to be acted upon at ALL
there is the to apply It in in anoh
err and If established at all rule of action man. the
wsest among u.s. tell where will stop the strong
est stay it in its awful progress.
But you to apprehend peculiar danger from the
spread Of Romanisn in this country and think something
should be done check in its onward march Suppose
your fears welfounded will you impede its progress
by persecution? You are well read know that
the dissemination of religious faith has been check
ed in that way the history Of the Christian religion itself
the most striking illustration of the utter acy of any
such notion aThe blood of martyrs is the seed of the
church, But does any such danger really exist? Admit
ting that there is fear that the Papsts win ever
outnumber the Protestants in this country there any
special TO suppose that they would attempt to inter-
ere with the religious the civil rights of those who
terrain opposite sentiments of religion? confess have
no such fears neither my limited historical reading nor
vledu NJ huu teach tha
would be any danger Of such abuse power from
sect rather than another and far the history OIL
country extends the Catholics compare notes
very nvorably with the Proestants The greatest hsto
rian America has produced himself Protestant tells us
that while the Catholic founders of Maryland were freely ex
tending perfect religious federation all who chose to set
tie in that colony the puans in Massachusetts perse
cutting the unotendng Quakers in the nhuman manner
and driving poor Bapsts the wilderness woud
rustno church. Catholic Protestant with power men
rights either civil religious the latter religious rights
least of ALL The wisdom of the fathers of the republic
and the trainers Of the constitution is nowhere str
ingy manifested than in those clauses of that noble charter
intended to secure perfect freedom of conscience one
have already quoted the other the first article of amend
ments reads thus Congress shall make law respecting
establishment of religion prohibiting the free exercise
thereof With little leaning towards the Catholic
church yourself regarding of the fundamental
ces of its creed ant-scripnral would say alb
urd if proper thus characterize opinions which
from time whereof the memory of man runneth the
contrary mp the Reformation have constituted the re-
gious faith Of al Chrisendom, and very considerable
portion Of since that and which have been held sa
cred by who stood out beaconlights of learning
and science would lay my hands with violence upon the
religious rights of Protestants | would npon
those of Catholics because think the principle would be
the and the danger institutions and to free
government greater.
But is there, after ALL the least ground for alarm either
of the present strength Of the Catholics in this
country their superiority hereafter BY examining the
census Of 1850, find the church accommodations 1.-THE
only mode my command Of ascer,aning their nubers
for Roman Catholics in North Carolina give them l4o0 in
white popalatonNf 553o2s for the whole State one
Catholic 1874 Protestants The whole number Of Cath
ocs in the United States Is set down at 6s7s23 which
in twenynne Of the white population OF the country
have neither time space here pursue this investga-
ton further think however have carried far
enough already 70 TO you that your apprehension of
danger Is not well-founded
similar investigation viii show that the danger which
You fear from foreigners generally emigrants this
try exist only in imagination The census of 1850 gives
2240535 persons of foreign birth which compared 10
ls,552o6s, total white population is within fraction
Of nine native toeign-born citizen Now admitting
that these people hostile TO us which DO only for the
argument, where, pray il the danger? But have they
ever either in time OF peace given evidence Of any
hostile designs Scattered all the country entertain