The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1869-06-20
REVIEW OF THE WEEK.
Presbyterians Enemies Of the Government.

LAM, as we reeolIect that the Catholic Church
Was the deadly enemy of the Government and
reople of the United States. Such was the bur
son of the elder Beecher in the West, and of
Rrownlee in the North. Bishops, priests and
,eonle were held up emissaries OF the Pope,
whose principal earthly duty it was to subvert
all free governments.
This was the origin of Know-Nothingism,
the history of whichis written in the blood of
thousands of innocent victims. This devilish
crusade was insidiously fomented by so-called
ministers of the gospel of peace; defended,
tostered and justified by such papers as the
New York Observer and Evangelist, Philadelphia
pyesbYterian, and the Creole of New Orleans
papers whose tactics appear to be adopted by
the Methodist Christian -idrocdtc and SOUTH
rcsterp Presbyterian of this day-the former OF
which, on the occasion Of q recent election
issued its editorial in a handful, with the view
of arousing the lowest passions of the mob.
This oft-refuted, charge of Catholic hostility
10 repubhcanism and to this Government espe-
cialy, has been brought to mind by reading the
proceedings of the Reformed PresbyterianS Synod
fo s. assembled at Newburg lately. The
manifesto of these Christians demonstrate who
the opponents and enemies OF the Government
really are. These people declare that the Gov
ernment is irreligious, the nation lrreligious,
the legislators irreligious. They declare that
the people are destitute of all Constitutiondl
ra,rapt to worship God, and are under no 4os-
stitational obligation to abstain from violating
His law. They solemnly assert that no Chris
tian people can accept this Constitution with
ont sim and insist that it is the duty of every
citizen of the nation to. maintain an active
dissent by refusing to incorporate with II Gov
eminent thus constituted. And all this because
"our fundamental law contains no reference to
the Supreme Source of civil authority, eN-
cludes the name of God even from the oath
which it prescribes, and negects to provide
for the observance of the sabbath by the de-
partments of the Government"
Now, with the theological question involved
i'll the foregoing views, we find them printed
in a Northern paper, it is not our present pur-
pose to interfere, as that would lead us from
the design we have IN view. Our purpose il
simplv to show that the Reformed Presbyterian
synod %. s. is in direct hostility to our free
form of government, and inculcates that il i,
tie duty Of erery citizen Of the nation 10 ntGtdiH
an aere dissent by refusing to Incorporate rih q
Government cORstitUtcd-that ii is q sin not Il
refuse allegiance to Our Government as coitsfit"tcd
1t may be thought exaggeration of Il fact
which is susceptible of satisfactory eXplana.
tion--a Pigment of the brain--er Il discrcdit-
able perversion OF truth to say that there is a
Presbyterian Synod 90. s. whose tencts are as
above embodied. To show that it is so, we
annex an extract from paper-the New York
TibHRe-whose testimony will be deemed nm
objectionable. Cur,-Aonting on the fulnllna
tons of this Presbyterian body, Mr.. Greeley
says:
"Zophar, Eliphaz and Bildad have come
once more to Judgment. No doubt but they
are the people, and wisdom shall die VIII
them. Yet there is something to be SAID II
answer. Religion beiug-according to an Ole
definition which has not been bettered-to dc
Justly, to love mercy, and to walk humhly be
fore God we submit that government found
ed upon the idea of the Fatherhood of Coo
and brotherhood of Man is not an irreligiou'
government, whether it parades the symbols o
Its faith or enshrines that faith in the nobl
declaration of its Bill of Rights. We submi
that that nation is not irreligious which
learning wear by year that the State is i'll dan
ger when it's lowest citizen is oppressed, tina
political economy is one with large ana homes
dealing, that knowledge and conscience ar
thelcvers that move the world--secks to cnae
Just laws for the freedman, for the workln;
man, for children; which incorporates pcneNC
lent societies, and asylums for inebriatcs an
insane, and Social Science Associations WHO
-eat:h-snn1- an1-cICM- SXIIOu IN III
land freedom TO follow the highest after. IT
own best conception. 10 demand = consult
tional Warrant to worship God, OF II Constlt,
tionar obligation to keep His law, sounds
that largelnity not represented in this Syno
of Sages as ii n Convention OF sanitary Ia
formers were to insist on Constitutional wa
rant for breathing the air, or CONSTITUTION 81
obligation to observe the laws OF the bod
The race has lived the sweet air since II
barry gIsrrd hrcsrrrsei e..'."!t+'@
of its existence. The race has worshlpcd
Supreme Source of authority siuce that eide
day, before history, before prophesy before Il
Incarnation, before. the Reformation, befo
the first Synod, because it was equally the co
dition of it's existence.
Therefore, when these Reformed Presb
teriaus of the Old School go on to say that
IS 4 SIN not to TgfusU Ttfcgrurcc- T--r"-+
ment as constituted, n grave. doubt arts
whether they have not, after all, III tins TIT
ing of mint and cumuIn, passed over JudSme
aud the love of God, expressed in certa
virtues called gratitude, loyalty, charity, Ii
mil,ty. For nearly q century has this demon
nation received a, gracious hospitality at t
hands of the nation. In that century 1T /
grown in numbers, wealth and influence,
God willed When the day of trial came