The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1864-11-23
The Abolition Press Exciting Religious
Dis cord.

The abolition papers are endeavoring to
create q bad feeling against the Catholic por
ton Of our fellow-citzens, and are indulging
in very disreputable comments upon the clergy
of that Church upon the senseless grounds that
large majority of the voters in this city gave
their voice for General Mcclellan at the late
election, who is a Protestant, and that con-
siderable portion Of that majority was COM
prised Of citizens protesting the Catholic faith.
Those journals have been trying to excite
popular prejudice among the people OF other
sects against the Catholic portion of our com
munity since the election, and with vim
dictive spirit which looks as If they de-
signed to provoke religious crusade. The
miserable and deluded fanatics who control
such papers as the Tribune, the Independent
and the Liberdtor ought to have lived in the
thirteenth century rather than in the nine
teenth. They belong more to the age In which
men and women were sacrificed at the stake
for their religious opinions in Smithfeld and
in Geneva than to the present era Of tolerance
and Christian charity. Perhaps if they had
acted in politics more like the Catholic clergy
they would reflect more credit upon the civili-
cation Of our day, would be more respected by
all classes Of the people, and would, no doubt,
be regarded with higher favor by the Al
mighty, whom they assume to serve.
Time after time this class has made assaults
upon the free action of the public, debating to
them. in their temperance laws and other alb
surd Innovations, what they shall drink and
eat, how aud when they shall worship, rsgu-
iating according to their own dicta all the
modes and habits Of life to suit their wild aud
fanatic notions. Weak, wandering and be-
logged az they are, these fanatics, animated by
spirit autagonistic to every settled principle,
make war upon conservative ideas wherever
Shey maoifest themselves. They would insist
shat the whole community must 60 mad upon
their own peculiar delusion, or else it shall
be consigned to eternal torments.
Thus it is that they are now engaged in a
vulgar assault upon the gentlemen who COM
prise the ecclesiastical orders oil. the Catholic
church, because they do not happen to accord
with theft views; body Of men who have
certainly never obtruded themselves in poll
tics; never defled their calling so far as to
make it tue agent of partisanship; but have
kept in mind always that their mission was to
cure the souls Of men. not to intermeddle with
their political concerns.
II these fanatical editors would but endeavor
to rival or initiate the spirit of Archbishop
Purcells address, how much better and more
loyal citizens they would be. at is time"
says Dr Purcell, NOV that the election is past,
that ali should return to their sober second
tho ught. and that we should rally round the
constituted authorities, the "powers" which
The apostle commands US to obey, and thus
presenting an undivided front to the enemy
re-establish the Union, without which there
can be no panacea, present or prospective. for
the ills we suffer The South beholding US
thus OF one mind will, we devoutly trust
hasten to make peace, and we, on our side, will
show them that we are ready and willing to
make greater sacrifices for peace and union
with them than ever we made for war"
There is lesson in these noble sentiments
which the would-be guides OF the people
Greeley Beecher; Cheever and the rest
might study to advantage. They would be
much better employed in putting them into
practice than in provoking strife between
sects "a they have already done between sec.
tious