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

Intelligencer, in defence of the Missouri
Compromise-he being one of the very few
if not the last, surviving members of the
Congress of 1920, 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. 1t is an able docu-
ment, aud we transfer brief excerpt upon
the last head, which is as just as it is strong
and cogent. 1t is as followsi
"Among the agents of national distnib-
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 last
twenty years increased annually with such
rupdity, and has already swelled to such an
enormous volume, as to alarm every con-
siderate patriot, native or adopted. To guard
against the danger our fathers apprehended
from such incongruous and disturbing effu-
sons, they took from the States and delegat-
ed to the General Government exclusively all
power TO haturaze foreigners. But that
power has been so relaxed by Congress, and
its national objects have been so much evad-
ed and perverted by some of the States, as
TO have ceased to even check the evils it was
intended 4 TO prevent. And now, although the
founders Of the Union, including at their
ed at the immigration of twenty thousand
foreigners of aH classes annually, politicians
of this day not only manifest nc uneasiness
at the portentous tide Of half million of the
,porSt sort every year, but seem anxious that
still more and more shall come to occupy and
rule the heritage of natve=born American
citizens. And can any one of that class of
modern politicians believe that such copious
infusons 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 perncious nfluence--social,
politicsl and ecclesiastical. Their social ten
dency is to dsorganizalion and downward
levelism, disturbing the homogenousness and
crushing down the loftiness OF our Anglo
Saxon nationality. Their political tendency
is to anarchy, resulting from the predomi
nance of wM 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 ecclesas-
tical tendency is to servity 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 as the
fruits of free and equal Republicanism.-
Without their prevalence there can be neither
liberty, security, order, nor peace. On these
foundations our constitutions were laid, und
on these alone can they rest But the mass
es of foreign immigrants lack these essential
elements of conservatism. They are gener-
ally poor and ignorant, and superstitious, and
they import their instructive prejudices and
local attachments. They are ignorant of our
peculiar institutions, preiudiced against the
most essential of them, and reckless of the
value and objects of all Of them. Most of
them trained to trust in the vcegerency and
nlallibility of the Roman Pontiff, 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 inhu-
ence, and cannot sufficiently discriminate, as
all American citizens should do, between
Church and State. And large majority of
the priests are foreigners exported 10 them by
Le Pope and his council. Their religion
therefore, pure in faith us 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 lis opn boitom;" and ihat corse-
quently, every person must be permitted to
enjoy perfect liberty of conscience, and be in
dulged without disfranchisement or legal PEN
atty, in his own religious faith, This is, there.
fore, American religion, which alone can sep
arate Church from Stale 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 dutho-
ritu. To fully Americanze that one also il
should, like all the others, cut loose from all
foreign power and ecclesiastical afiiliation,
and recognize no other than domestic autho-
rity in the appointment Of its prelates and
other teachers. When il shall do this, and
also, as il 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 are unwil-
ling to become independent of foreign power
and to exercise absolute liberty Of conscience,
then, as power over the conscience is domin-
ion over the will, could not, as faithful
American citizen, trust such n resonant non
American with political power. could trust
with power no man who feels any foreign
allegiance, and whose mind and conscience
are servile. woud defend his right to en-
ioy his own christian faith in his own way
But, il am satisfied that his will is not his
own, could not confde to him any political
trust Many of the Catholic church are my
friends, and some Of them are my kindred,
and mutitudes of the more enlightened are,
| believe, truly American in feeling and in
and nowisc Romans. OF such |
would respectfully inquire, why they do not
assert American independence in church, MS
they enjoy il in State; and II, for my opinions
on this subject, thsy loo choose to prescribe
me, when they profess the same sentiments,
| could not but feel that their conduct would
be inconsistent, unwise and unjust. Believing
that most of the modern immigrants from
Europe are under foreign influence, that be-
lief greatly increases my desire TO see their
numbers diminished their probation prolong-
ed, and their influence overcome. Although
n minority, yet they even now constitute the
power, for which demngogues
bid and TO which sycophants bow. And this
Is prolific source of prostitution and fac
tious agitation, and therefore is also too es-
sentialy anti. Union, anti American, and anti
Washingtonidn.
icy The New York Post of Friday alter