The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-08-21
The BLACKS TO BIZ ENFRANCHISED
70 OFFSET The INFLUENCE OF
CATHOLICISM.
BEGINNING OF THE CRUSADE AGAINST
The CATHOLIC CHURCH AND
ct The IRISH ELEMENT In IL
AMERICAN POLITICS.
THE RADICAL PROGRAMME.

! From the New Orleans True Delta AugS
Ii has been frequently asserted and pre-
dicted that the radicals of the NORTH as soon
as the war for the emancipation Of the negro
was over, would originate and carry on
| crusade against the catholic religion or in
fact any religion or principle that did not
| square exactly with their own particular
ideas. The only freedom they are willing
should exist in the country, in regard to any
matter whatever, is freedom to agree with
| their own opinions on all subjects ecclesi-
astical, political and philanthropicaI. Those
who presume to dissent from any or all of
| these points, are at once denounced as inf
| deis in religion, disloy alists in politics and
Opposers OF the rights which common HUI
| mainly guarantees.
Having secured the freedom of the negro
at the expense of one million invaluable
white lives and national debt of three thous-
and millions of dollars. they at first proposed
to confer the right of suffrage upon the blacks
in the south, in order, as they said, TO stimu-
late a wide spread loyalty in thi. section of
country. II is true they very evidently ig-
nored the fact that they did not confer such
| privileges upon the free negroes in their own
state, to whom years of freedom had been
vouchsafed, and who ought to have been,
therefore. sufficiently advanced 10 appreciate
in some degree the elective franchise and TO
exercise 1t In a far better manner than the
entirely uneducsted aud lgnorat blacks of the
south and il is also undeniable that their
proposition involved direct violation of the
constitution of the United States and the
etates under it, as we'll as the uniform usage
which has existed since the foundation of the
government which left such matters to the
exclusive Jurisdiction of the states themselves.
But such small obstacles as these did not him
day tha # the rad ea ls for
Accustomed always Ito sleep on the field of
victory, Pas Senator Wilson has it, they rush
ed impetuosly forward, utterly regardless of
Consequences. II made no sort of difference
apparently, to them, what organic laws
were trsmpled under foot, what vested rights
were sacrificed, or what ancient customs and
usaged were overturned, so that the right to
vote WAS conferred upon the black southern
freedmen.
But they encountered a mighty obstacle at
the outset President johnson stood in their
way. lie had planted himself immovably
upon this constitution and the laws, and de-
clared that in the elections which were TO be
held for the organization of the southern
states, none but duly qualified white citizens
should vote, in accordance with the laws
which were in existence prior TO the passage
of che various ordinances of secession This
was . poser to the radicals they saw the
strength of the position assumed by the pres
ident; they felt it to be impregnable; and
knowing that the main pillar which had sus-
tanned their party tor years-slavery-was
dead and buried out of sight forever, they
feared, unless they could spring some new
question which would unite the fanaticism of
their section upon given point they and
their party were doomed to political destruc
ton as soon as recurring elections rave the
people an opportunity to enforce their opin
ions.
Feeling thus, the radicals adroitly changed
portion of their tactics. The southern ne |
gro IL to be made to act two fold character
hereafter. he Is to be brought forward |
prominently on the religious as we'll as on |
the political stage He is to be used as a |
regulator of southern palitics-as guuran-
tor of southern loyalty-as an agent of re- !
lgious persecution, and means to circum-
scribe, as well as TO prevent, the spread of
the catholic religion. BY combining relip.
inus fanaticisn with political intolerance and
sectional luminosity, these virulent agitators
hope to perputate their power. But they
never made greater mistake. The very
means they are employing TO secure their
ends will prove the chief instrument of their
overthrow. The people of this country are
not yet prepared TO tolerate an era of relip-
ous persecution, and if they were they would
,ot consent that the negro should be the prin
,ipal agent to carry it on.
But to the facts upon which the foregoing
emarks are founded. The New York Iade.
,endent, Henry Ward Beecher's organ. ia IN
loubtediy the moot influential radical ORGAN
IA the whole north. 1t is edited with prea,
bility, and its circulation is immense. A
hort time since it contained Communication
Untitled Free Suffrage Religious Safe :
uard, !" which advocated the comforting of ,
ne right of voting upon the negroes as the
My offset 20 the spread of the catholic reli- |.
ION In this country. The Independent in
orsed the communication, and characterized
ne increase of the religion spoken of as a
rowing danger and declared that the only
'ay OF stopping it was to bring in the votes
the southern negroes as counterpoise n :
We quote tew paragraphs from the com. =
lnnicasions referred to. TO show the spirit :
hich animated a leading portion of the
orthern radicals. That spirit, as manifest y
d, is altogether detestable. The illusions :
our felow-citizens of Irish descent are alike =
nfair. unjust. false and infamous. The wri-
r says:
The New York Observer has done, and is a
Ding, an excellent work by showing the :
anger to our institutions from 80 large q,
ody of catholics in this country. Bound to. :"
ether BY the tie of Q Common faith that n
llows political and religious headship 10 10
iore'gn potsntate, all secrets developed
trough the confessional. without mental cul-
ire. they constitute unit to be worked bv a.
ne string In the hsnds of the prisstly BODY. n
has been the misfortune of the Irish Cath -
ics to have been united, not only apains, h,
but against all those ideas Of 4,
eedom and equality that should be the h
rth-right of every American citizen. They nj
ave 70 man, been IN favor of slavery; they br