The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-06-01
The National Pre,estans League

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The National Protestant League.
Unless the signs of the times are unu
sually deceptive, the old struggle for TIT
maintenance of religious freedom isabou'
to be renewed in this country. The op
position of the Protestant churches t.
what they consider the dangerous spread
of Catholicism, has taken shape in thu
recent action Of the General Assemblies
Of both branches Of the Presbyterian de
nomination, one being now in session in
Pittsburg and the other in Brooklyn.
Measures looking to the formation OF Q
great National Protestant League" have
been adopted by both bodies, and an
effort is to be made to secure the cooper.
alton Of all the Protestant denominations
in he land. The object of the League
is, in the language of the resolutions
adopted at Pittsburg and Brooklyn, to
bring about % bold, vigorous, and con
tinuous protest, by word and act, against
~Infidelity and Roman Catholicism" styl,
ed in the resolution "arch enemies OF
truth in the midst of the protesting
Church of God, and arch traitors to civil
and religious freedom throughout the
world The New School Presbyterian
Assembly went a step further and rec
commended that the right of suffrage be
conferred upon the negroes in order that
their vote might "counteract that of the
Roman Cathollss." g.
There are, in these declarations Of the
highest tribunal in the Presbyterian
Church, and in the tone of the newspa-
per organs of the Methodist, Baptist, and
other denominations, in reference to this
matter, many things that are really
alarming to the true friends of civil and
religious freedom. We had hoped that
the day was past, never to return, when
liberty to worship God according to the
dictates of ones own conscience was to
be nieuaeed in America. With the ex-
ception of the "Know Nothing" Juror,
which was merely a scheme of selfish
politicians to acquire political power,
and of which nearly all who were duped
into the organization are now heartily
ashamed. there has been no attempt III
the United States, since the adoption of
the Constitution, to prescribe any ma
on account of his religious opinions
That snch an attempt should be made
now, serves to show that those who make
the attempt have lost sight of the grand
fundamental principles of Il Govern
ment. There is a free and open field for
the growth of religious opinions OF every
kind, and any denomination which
labors to build itself up by pulling 9th
ers down, and strives to increase its own
influence by the imposition of civil dis
abilities upon its opponents, confesses
its own weakness and its lack of faith
in the ultimate triumph of truth. 1t is
too late to spread religion by the sword
Men are not converted days by
agencies of that kind. The friends OF
Professionalism would better secure the
triumph of their religious faith by labor
ing in the spirit of love and true Christ
ian charity to convince men OF their
error, than by organizing such a crusade
against ecclesiastical and civil rights as
is contemplated by the National Protest
ant League.
1t will b noticed as a little singular
perhaps, that the Roman Catholics are
bitterly denounced as traitors TO civil
and religious freedom by those who are
themselves in the very act of striking 6
more serious blow at the cause OF relig
ions freedom than any the Catholic
church has. ever attempted here. That
the Roman Catholics are traitors to civil
freedom, very few persons, with the his
tory of the past four years fresh in theiI
recollections, can readily believe. SHEER
IDAN, and MEADE, and RosECRANs, and
MEAGHER, and thousands of their co
religionsts, have fought as nobly and
well for the cause of the Union as any OF
their Protestant brethren. 1t is true
that there were Catholic soldiers in both
armies, but there were Presbyterian and
Methodist and Baptist soldiers in both
armies as well. The fact that the Bish'
ops and clergy and membership of the
Catholic church have differed so widely
from each other in political opinion and
action, is, Of itself, proof that that solid
arity of political sentiment and influence
which in the estimation ofsome persons
renders the Catholic church a powerful
politicalengins, does ~notexist. The plea
that in order to cOunteract the Catholic
vote it is necessary to confer the suffrage
upon negroes amountsto GA confession thai
the negroes are really not fit to vote and
should not be permitted to approach the
ballot ox ; because if the negroes vote
all one way under the influence of scheul
ing politicians, without forming any in
dividual opinion as to the merits Of the
question in controversy at the polls. they
ought not to be allowed to vote at ALL
1t is o very poor argument in favor o.
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