Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-01-16


strength made her despotic IN her government, INA
she transcribed the limits Of all spiritual authority,
| until checked by the Reformation ~ diversity OF
! religious sentiment is the only Safeguard nations
| have against ecclesiastical domination and tyranny
To claim for the Pope in this Heightened period the
high prerogative Of governing his followers in Their
civil relations to their governments Is so preposer-
Gus as to be unworthy Of contradiction Cath
Ole University of Paris in reply to Mr. Pitt i'll 1882
in relation to the temporal power of the Pope, said
"Neher the Pope, nor the Cardinals, nor any body
| of men, nor any person of the Church of Rome,
can, by virtue Of the keys, absove, or release the
subjects of the King of England from the oath OF
their allegiance" Without further quotations, |
| will say, the same answers were given by the Uni
versities of Douay, Louvas Acala, Salamanca, and
Valadolid This satisfactory and reliable authority
Of the Church. should silence all who honestly enter
tain fears this point. Again, repeat, such po'
litical power was only used in the Dark Ages, when
superstition ascribed supernatural characters to &C.
clcsiastics; then king John yielded his kingdom to
| the Papa See; now the tiara only hnds security III
! its own dominions, under the shadow of French
arms. In this country our Catholic citizens have
shown their valor and patriotism on every battle
feid-from the Re. olution t" the war with Catholic
Mexico-and legislation, too, bears the impress
of their craftsmanship. Senator Crittenden, OF KY,
admits the loyalty Of the Catholics 10 our govern
mcnt and persistentiy advocates the rejection OF that
plank from his PLATFORM
1t is urged with pertnacity truly astonishing,
shortly they will obtain that asceiidcncy should
SO sadly drprecate. lie who reasons thus is poor
logcian, and his hypothesis is an exceedingly bad
one. The statistics Of the growth of Churches in
this country clearly attest the fallacy of the suppo-
ston, and ncontestably prove the greater nuneri-
cal strength of several Protestant denominations
over the Catholics In Louisiana, the Catholics a
few years ago, were more numerous than all other
p rsuasicns; now they are weaker than the Metho-
disis and Baptists. The weapons which have been
81,
were, TRUTH, REASON, AND ARGUMENT, and they have
succeeded beyond the most sane uinc expectations OF
Professionals They have planted their standard on
III. very citadel of Catholicism, humbet, and al
most broken it down, aud even How its fol':s float
in triumph the Indian in his wild wilderness
No intrigue and secret plotings nave effected This
reformation, but truth has acc emphasized the mighty
result.
Religious federation is secured to us all by our
Constitution, and so long as it exists, we car defy
the "bigots torch, the tyiants chain. Centuries
ago, when Britain vast Forest and its gov
ernnent heptarchy, Ethcbcrt received Augustin
in these words, showing true nobleness OF soul,
amid SUR ounding PaganSm "lour words and your
promises sound fairly; but ilaSlnuch they
and unproven, cannot entirely yield my con-
iidencc to them, and abandon the principles So long
maintained by my ancestors. Nevertheless, you
may remain here in peace and safety, and rs you
have travelled far in order 20 benefit us, at least
you suppose, will provide you with every nee
essary for your support, and You shall have t no
erty to preach Your doctrines to my subjects L
commend this early example Of liberation sixth
century, to the Know Nothing fraternity. Tic hor
of persecution-the fagot, the STAKE the rach,
and various instruments OF torture, have been named
to excite prejudice against the Catholics. Alas, the pa
ges Of history record too many evidences of Chris
tians suffering fol tieir faith From the martyrnin
of ST. Stephen to the present time the Bible has
continued spread its divine far and wide and
Nero and his successors could not eXtingush the
first gimmerings OF its light Conceptions crcpt
into the Church, and the purifying fires of Wick
life and Lutncrs Reforn,a,onS nave corrected
rorS, Notwithstanding tne prosecutions of the times
Persecution will ever build UP the condemned cause.
The same intolerance Oh the part Of Catholics that
disil.terrcd Wickle'S bones and incinerated them
under Epscopacy, during the reign Of Henry VIII,
sent Sir Thomas More, and Fisher Bishop OF Rocil-
ester, to the block; the spirit, under the cruel
ed:ct of bloody Mary" hni'ed the fires of Oxford
aud Smithficld, which cnvclopcd in dcathly flames
Cranmcr, Hooper Lamer, and Ridley; tried to inn
pose under Charles |, the Liturgy of the English
Church on the Presbytcrians of Scotland The SUI
ferings of the pious Covenanters arc chronicled
historic page and never be forgotten. Prcsby-
terianism warred aganss Episcopacy under Crom-
well, until the Independents for breltimc crushed
BOTH John Bunyan, Il poor Baptist Minister, was
imprisoned by Charles Ii for his belief but from the
gloomy walls of his dungeon his Pilgrims Progress
has descended to us and will be transmitted to the
Purtans OF New England prosecuted all who differ
cd with them; while Calvert and Roger Williams
established that religious freedom whose glorious bull
wark Constitution. SO it continue through
coming time! Long may adhere to this principle
which gives to hgotry no sanction, to persecution
no assistance" and which alone can secure dolncs
tic peace
4 single aluson to foreigners, and will dismiss
the subject. That there some evils flowing from
emigration will not deny but that there is also
much good resulting from it is evident. The priv-
lcgcs they arc to enjoy among defined by the
Constitution; and would not deprive them ofthcm
1t is principles that constitute Americans and those
only tit to govern us, whether native or adopted
citizens, who are actuatcd by pure principles, and
disinterested patriotism. That Americans are not
ruling America, is so false, as TO need no denial
Our foreign population is awabiding and intlustri-
Gus, building roads and digging our canals.
working our manufactures and clearing our lands.
and greatly adding to the wealth of the country by
their untirng energy. In times of trial they have
espoused our cause, and upheld the majesty f the
laws-aye, the blood of the Iiishman Batcheldor.
shed in their defence in the streets of Boston,
Know Nothingism has shown its gratitude to them,
by shouting its wild paGn of triumph over the sno.
king ruins of their homestcads, and the mangled
and charred corpses of their brethren. Like the
Mountain party and the Grondiss of the French
Revolution, its creed is blood and it's object power
and as France in the language Of Byron got drunk
on blood to vomit crime" so will our government
under our Jacobins degenerate into miserable mob.
ocracy. Let Democratic principles predominant,
and this fate will be averted.
Seeing the result of this crusade against the legal
! rights of adopted ctizens-a result foreshadowed
in the riots of Cincinnati and Louisville, policy and
wisdom urge its discountcnance. Convinced by the
teachings Of history that religious denominations
not to be trusted with the reins of governments
that the Catholics only Christian sect that
have domineered and tyrranized over weaker denom-
nations, as concusively proved in the case of the