The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1856-03-26
O0mmuntt at1ous
For the +" Spirit. y
For the "Spirit."
National Hatred : Religious Intoler.
ance-Know Nothinglsm.

ance-Know Nothinglsm.
Mr.. EDIToR The very learned an
ingenious Judge Cooper, formerly of Penn
{ sylvania, afterwards of South Carolina, i
S the early part of the present century, dis
: eussed at some lergth, the question wheth
Eer there was then any new mode of sin
ming. To the great honor of Pennsyl
, vania, he determined that no. new mod
or form Of sin was then known in tina
: great State. That all vices then prevail
ing were old and hackneyed. Alas! alas
if the Judge were now to reconsider tn
. tquestion, and to extend his enquiries tt
this part Of the world, he would be com
: Apelled to reverse his former decision
The demagogue will not forget his craft
nor the unscrupulous political adventures
his cunning, and neither of them will per
nit the dearest interests of mankind L
stand, for one moment, in the way Of his
OWL SeIuSN uufaHCelueflt.
Hence the youthful and unrefecting
part of community are inreigled into dark
and secluded places, and there "by the
Iministration of unlawful oaths" and Other
immoral means, are taught the elements
fof national hatred and religious bigotry
They are there made to promise lifelong
hostility to our Catholic and foreign fellow.
citizens, in plain opposition to the die
tates of the Gospel, which are peace upon
earth and good will towards men. And
these ungenerous and hateful feelings are
fomented by men, who pretend to believe
the Scriptures, which plainly declare that
"of one blood God Almighty made all
nations to dwell upon the face of the
earth"
Under such circumstances to be indo-
| lent and neutral is to be mean and crimi-
nal. Every man is, bound to see to it
that the world is something the better
for his having lived in it. This is the
very lowest standard of morality thatca
be safe. When religious sbigotry and
national hate, after being, for awhile,
driven to their dark caverns, again stalk
forth in open day, shall we suffer any per-
sonal considerations to deter us from cur
duty? Shall we not rush into the combat
to do battle for the right,
"No doubt" says late writer, .sthe
destined struggle between the genius of
good and the genius of evil, the spirit of
right and the spirit of wrong, will con-
tinue to the end of time, but it is to be
hoped with increasing advantages on the
side Of reetitude; and we are false to our
selves and false to our posterity, if we do
not make strenuous exertions to incline
the victory more and more to the stand
ard of virtue"
If. such be cur aspirations,.if such be
our aims can we doubt which side of
this great question we are to take /? As
to the Catholics my observations shall be
brief. AS. far as, they differ from us they
are either right or wrong, in error or not
in error. Now if they are right, we are
plainly wrong in i'll treating them for ad-
herring to the right. And if they are
wrong it is our plain duty, as good chris
tians, to try to relieve them from doctri-
nal error. But this cannot be done by
angry looks and hard language, by vitu-
peration and censure. On the contrary
such treatment depriyes US Of all influence
with them. 1t shut up the doors Of their
understandings against anything and eve
rything which we can advance. More
over what is all our boasted professionalism
worth if it fails to make our hearts over
flow with love and good win to men?
The abuse of the Dutch manifests
want of gratitude as well as of generosi-
ty. BE it ever remembered that, except
the Swiss, the Dutch were the first asser-
tors and defenders Of liberty, on the
continent of Europe. The Anglo-Saxon
race has, no doubt, a splendid history, and
has advanced to the very pinnacle of pros
perity; but for that history and that pros
perity we are at least in part indebted to
the Dutch. Witness the English Revolu-
tion of 1858. 1855
On this subject the language of Sir
James Macintosh is SO opposite, that l
cannot forbear quotation, He is speak
ing of the Second Dutch war as it was
called, when that worthless and ignoble|
tyrant, Charles, the Second of England
with the equally worthless, but
less ignoble tyrant Louis XII Vth Of France. |
and several other petty despots of Europe
to crush aud destroy that brave and free
people.
"During thisignominious period of our
history n war arose on fbe continent