The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1857-11-27
FOREJeNIsM.

if not the last, surviving members Of the
Congress Of 1890, which passed that mea-
sure. The concluding article Of the series
he .devotes to the causes Of our national
troubles, which he attributes to notification,
slavery, and foreignism. Il is m able docu-
ment, and we transfer q brief excerpt upon
the last head, which 10 A. just as it is strong
and cogent. II is as follows:
"Among the agents Of national disturb
ance, deterioration, and transition, none has
been more efficient than foreign influence
The tide Of immigration from the lowest
stratum Of European society has for the las,
twenty years increased annually with such
rapidity and has aiready swelled to such nm
enormous volume, AS V alarm every con.
siderate patriot, native orr adopted. To guard
against the danger our f.thers npprehended
from such lineoh srnous ~ disturbing eifus
sions, they took from the States and delegat.
ed to the General Government exclusively all
power to naturalize foreigners. But that
power has been so relaxed BY Congress, and
it's national objects have been 80 much eyad-
ed and perverted by some of the States, as
to have ceased to even check The evils II wns
intended TO prevent. And nov, although the
founders Of the Union, including at their
head the Father Of his County, were alarm
ed at the immigration Of twenty thousand
foreigners Of all classes annually, politicians
Of this day not only manifest no uneasiness
at the portentous tide Of half million Of the
tcorst sort every yenr, but seem anxious that
stil more and more shall come to occupy and
rule the heritHge of native-born American
citizens. And can any one of that class of
modern politicians believe that such copious
infusions of such foreign elements can i'm
prove American blood or American character,
or elevate the standard of American morals,
Of American mind! Every Intelligent citizen
must see their pernicious ihfiuence-sociaI,
politicsl, and ecclesiastical. Their social ten
dency is to disorganization and downward
levelsn, disturbing the homogenousness and
crushing down the oftiness OF our Anglo
Saxon nationality. Their political tendency
is to anarchy, resulting from tao predomi.
nance of 'ciH over law, Of passion over rea.
son, Of matter over mind, and consequently
of ambition over patriotism and of dema-
gogues over statesmen. And their ecclesias-
tical tendency is to servifty of mind and Of
conscience to foreign sympathies and transat-
lantic power. Patriotism, intelligence, men,
tai independence, and liberty Of conscience
are the cardinal principles as well ms the
fruits Of free and equal Republicansm.-
Without their prevalence there can be neither
liberty, security, order, nor peace, On these
foundations our constitutions were laid, snd
on these alone can they rest. But the mass
es Of foreign immigrants lack these essential
elements of conservatism. They are gener-
III 4 sco - IL -
they import their instructive prejudices and
local attachments. They are ignorant of our
peculiar institutions, prejpdiced against the
most essential of them, and reckless Of the
value aud objects of MI Of them. Nlnst OF
them trained to trust in the vicegerency and
infallibilty of the Roman Pontif, and in the
authority of their priests to grant dspensa-
ton and indulgence, cannot be truly Ameri.
can in conscience or in mind, but are neces-
sarily, in some degree, under foreign nflu-
ence, and cannot sufficiently discriminate, as
all American citizens should do, between
Church and State. And large majority Of
the priests are foreigners exported TO them by
the Pope and his council. Their religion
therefore, pure in faith as it may be, must be-,
must inevitably be, too foreign and too po.
litical for the principles of true American in
dependence. The American theory is that,
Christianity being personal, "erery tub must
stand on its o,on bottom;H and That, corse-
quently, every person must be permitted to
enjoy perfect liberty of conscience, and be in
dulged without disfrauchisement or legal pen
nlty, in his own relgious faith. Thisis, there.
fore, American religion, which alone can sep
nrate Church from state All the various
forms of religion tolerated in the United
States are of this American type, one only
excepted; and all of them except that one are
organized and governed by American autho-
rity. To fully Americanze that one also il
should, like all the others, cut loose from oil
foreign power and ecclesiastical affiliation
and recognize no other than domestic autho-
rity in the appointment Of It's prelates and
other teachers. When it shall do this, and
also, Ms II should then be more inclined to do,
shall encourage the circulation of the Bible
and the exercise of liberty of conscience, il
will be no more political than other denomi-
nations, But If there be any who nre uhwiI.
ling to become independent of foreign power
then, as power over the conscience is domin.
ion over the will, could not, as faithful
American citizen, trust such a resonant non
American with political power. Icould trust
with power no man who feels any foreign
allegiance, and whose mind and conscience
are servile. would defend his right to en-
joy his own christian faith in his own way.--
| But, II | am satisfied that his will is not hi.
own, could not confide to him any politica
trust. Many Of the Catholic church are my
friends, and some Of them are my kindred
and multtudes of the more enlightened are