The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-05-31
A ReligiouA Civil War.

|
The question seems an absurd one,
and yet some of the sectarian nowspa-
pers are discussing it and attempting to
prepare the public mind for it, They
| could hardly undertake more wicked
and mischieveus 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 TO 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 its head at any rate with all
the hideOus machinery of the inquis-
tiOn to torture us into support of its
faith and authority. The descriptions
given of the frightful things to be done
by the Pope's government Of the United
States, when fully established, are
enough to make ones blood freeze with
horror, if read with seriousness and
credulity. The monstrous barbarities Of
the darkest Of the dark ages are all to
be reproduced here What do our Prot
estant editors mean by attempting to
excite sncb sectarian alarm and bostili
ty' 1t is impossible to sgppepsaa. epsa. that
b6Wer 56sT riI as sect, or that they carry their
sectarianism into politics. In fact, they
are less obnoxious to this charge than
the Protestants, for while in many parts
of the country Catholic cannot be
nominated for any Office because Of the
fact that Protestants will not vote fer
Catholics, we never heard of an instance
of a Catholic refusing to vote for the
candidate of his party because of his
being Protestant If there is any big
otry In this matter, the Catholic ID by no
means the chief offender. But let us see
what some of the prophets of evil have
TO saw. This is from the Boston Pecorder,
the organ of first proof Orthodoxy in
Massachusetts,:
"The real extent of Romish control at
this moment is unsuspected. 1t may be
sufficient in 1863 to give us President,
two-thirds of both houses Of Congress,
and the Governors and majorityin both
houses of three-fourths Of all the States
An amendment of the Constitution could
thus be effected, making Papacy the ma
tional 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 no further in 1863 than to Vice
President. To make President of him
would need but skillful dose Of poison
"A trife that Rome never wanted when
the motive was adequate. Rome hopes
that at some future day some future or
| nresent party shall find itself obliged
openly to sell itself to her. If so, and
another rebellion arise in consequence OF
| it's ruin OF success (and either would bring
| it on) mightier means on this side OF the
| Atlantic, and certain recognition on the
other, will attend its very opening.
Villainous is the only word that car
describe the meaning end intent OF such
language as this. The Catholic can read
ily find means to retort by showing that
there have been Protestant rs well az
Catholic despots and assassins, aud that
neither political ambition, nor intoler
ance, nor cruelty have pertained exclu
siyely to any one denomination. Bu
the great objection to such sectarian as
saints is that they tend to provoke tht
very evils they are professedly directed
against. Nothing is more to be depreca
ted than the creation Of hostility and
suspicion between the sects into which
our communities are divided, and espe
llcially the attempt to introduce the pro
scription of any denomination into poll
, II tics. When tho Catholics, or any othe
sect, make an assault upon our free In
stitntions, it will be met. II is mon
D strous injustice to attempt to excite 50.
picion and i'll will against them in ad
/ vance We can secure ourselves in n
| such way Our safety lies in the educa
tion of the people The peril growinl
, ont of the large addition Of foreigners I
our voting population comes not froI
! their religion but their ignorance. w
must educate the whole people. w
e must insist upon intelligence as quaiif
! cation for the ballot. Then, whsthe
f the voters are black or white-Cathoil
7 or Protestant--they will know enough
e vote for their own welfare and that
D their children, and will jealously resi'
!. the first approach of dsspotic. powe
: come whence il may. Let US have
attempts to excite UNCONVENTIONAL pa
IA sion and prejudice, and no nnoustror
nsrrsI