Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-30
Religious civil war.
From he Springfield Republican. /

ktARA. - ofAA sa1tA hSp
The question seems an absurd one and vet
some Of the sectsrisp newspapers are discussing
il and attempting to prepare the public mind for
H. They could hardly undertake a more wicked
and mischievous work; but they assume TO be
merely giving needful warning Of what must
soon come. The pretence Is that the Roman
Catholics have a deep plot 10 get possession Of
the Government Of the United States destroy
our free Institutions, make their religion the
State religion, and in fact establish a despotism,
with perhaps the Pope in person at it, head; at
any rate with all the hideous machinery Of the
IuQuistion to torture Us into supper, Of its faith
and authority The descriptions given Of the
frightful things TO be done BY the Pope's Gov
eminent Of the United States, when fully estab-
lished. are enough to make ones blood freeze
with horror. II read with seriousness and credu.
lity. The monstrous barbarites OF the dsrkes,
of the dark ages are all TO be reproduced here.
What do our Protestant editors mean by attempt
ing TO excite such scc;arian alarm and hostility
II is impossible to suppose that they believe there
is any cause FOX il They briLg no facts to show
that the Catholics Of this country seek political
power as a sect, or that they carry their sectari-
anism into politics In fact. they are less obnox-
ious TO this charge than the Protestsnts. for while
in many parts of the country a Catholic cannot
be nominated for any office. because of the fact
that Protestants will not vote for Catholics,
never heard Of an instance Of Catholic refusing
to vote for the candidate of his party because of
his being Protestant. Ii there is any bigOtry
10 this matter, the Catholic is BY no means the
chief offender. But let what some of the
prophets of evil have to say. This is from the
Boston Recorder, the organ OF the first proof
Orthodoxy of Massachusetts,:
1.-The real extent OF Romish control at this mo-
ment is unsuspected. Ii may be sufficient in
1865 TO give Us a President, two-thirds of both
houses of Congress and the Governors and a
majority in both houses of three-fourths of all
the States An amendment 10 the Constitution
could thus be effected, making Papacy the Ma
tional religion and the only one to be tolerated
But the most sanguine may not hope so much so
soon. Rome may see it safe to aspire fur
ther 10 1865 than TO Vice President To make
a President OF him would need but skilful dose
of poison trife that Rome never wanted when
the motive was adequate. Rome hopes that at
some future day some future or present party
shall find itself obliged openly 10 sell Itself TO
her If So and another rebellion arise in conse
quence of its ruin success land either would
bring il on mightier means on this side of the
Atlantic, and certain recognition the other
will attend its very opening.
Villainous IS the only word that can describe
the meaning and intent OF such language as this.
The Catholic can readily find means TO ret0rt by
showing that there have been Protestant well
as Catholic despots and assassns, and that
neither political ambition, nor intolerance nor
cruelty, have pertained exclusively to any one
denomination. But the great objection to such
sectaran assaults is that they tend 10 provoke the
very evils they professedly directed against
Nothing j. more to be deprecated than the crea
ton OF hostility and suspicion between the sects
into which communities divided, and Is
pecialy the attempt to introduce the prescription
of any denomination into politics When the
Catholics. or any other Sect make an assault up
on our free Institutions, il will be met II is
monstrous injustice to attempt excite suspicion
and i'll will against them in advance We can
secure ourselves in no such way. Our safety
lies in the education of the people The peril
growing out of the large addition of foreigners
TO our voting population comes not from their
religion but their ignorance. We must educate
the whole people. We must insist upon iutell-
gence qualification for the ballot. Then,
whether the voters black or white-Catholic
or Protestant-they will know enough to vote
for their own welfare and that of their children
and will jealousy resist the first approach of
despotic power, come whence II NAV. Let US
have attempts to excite UNCONVENTIONAL pas
sion and prejudice, and no mOnstrous predictions
OF sectaran civil war.