National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1870-02-18
1he Truth about ROn,anism.

The Truth ABOUT ROmdnism.
If one should put himself to the
task of reading the files of our Pro
tcStant newSpaperS-re.igivus and
sccular-cOvering in the time the
last twenty. five years, he would be
certain to find every now and then
intiamatory editorials setting forth
in strong language the hightful
dangers impending over this Ameri-
can people from the rapid increase
Of RomaniSm. The cry of alarm
once raised it would be found to
run through the whole line Of Jour
naliSm. from the st. Lawrence to
the Gulf. This is followed by a pc.
riod OF cOmposure and silence. Then
the cry breaks out again, and the
echoes ill for time the Overarching
heavens, until they are lost in the
far Off horizon. There is IL wonder.
tul periodlcltY in these perturhations
and sulsidences. not less marked
and mysterious than the eJb and
and retreat Of the flaming comets.
1t would be an entertainment fol-
one to sum up the prophecies which
have been uttered in respect to the
coming kingdom OF Romansm in
thiS Protestant land. One might
laugh 10 notice how many times tlat
we'll written sentence from MaCau-
ley'S great essay, SO gllttering with
magnificent nonsense. has been made
to ring like kncli Of doom through
these double loaded leaders. Now
we do not love komanSm any too
well. We are not ignorant OF It's
, false doctrines and its foul practices.
/ Nor are we indifferent or unconcern-
/ ed as to It's present strength and iis
future career. We are just now
addressing ourselves with new dill
gcnce to uncover its latest machina
tions and challenge our couEtrymen
to the needed resistance. Bat we
do not believe that in this great bat.
. tie that Protc >tantlSm Is now fight
ing with RomaniSm the issue is
/ doubtful. We do not look upon
ourselves as leading a f0rlorn hope
/ in Il desperate and useless assault
upon an uncOnQueyable Zoe. Aud
/ yet this is the very conclusion to
which the logic and the predictions
/ and the statistics of many writers
would force us. We are profoundly
convinced that it is all wrong. and
worse than wrong-th.s effort To
cipher out the equation so that the
answer shall even seem Tor a mo.
ment to be against us. There has
been a good deaf done in the way OF
counting heads, and it has been
made to appear that RomaniSm is
greatly gaining upon as in this par.
tlcular Wen, suppose that it is so.
Admit for moment that in the
number OF heads they are Likely to
outnumhcr ours. Bat look into the
heads. What is in them ! Which
carry the brains, the profound and
subtle Intelligence, the daring enter.
prIses, the artistic skills, the marvel.
iouS discoveries and iavCntionS, the
fruitful liberties, those dominant
forces of the present and the com
ing centuries I 1t was not in the
way OF blind conceit that the great
German, when asked why God had
created so many Chinamen, pointed
the queStioner TO his Piussian coun
trvmen. whose fine brains and splen
did scholarship made the teeming
millions of China 10 kick the beam
in the scales which weigh the rea
material of national greatness
Again we say. as we are bid to look
at these ever thickening rauks O
Romish heads, Yes, but look o
q these heads, of what kind they are.
But we challenge the count. Their,
never was such egrcgious blunder
ing in arithmetic, certainly since oul
early school days, as this whicl
sums up tic respective increase %
; Romanism and Professionalism il
this land of ours. The Romish Churcl
, among us owes nearly all It's strength
to immigration. 1t is an exotic
, plant and the effort to propagate i
has failed. 1t has ever from Tho
, drst lost in freshness of leaf anC
! quality of fruit. These free air.
$ and this stimulating soil are not a
: all favorable to its growth. Con-
. vcrts 10 Romauism from the Pro-
+ testant faith are few. Their vcil
, iewness attracts attention to then
+ and magniiies their Importance
, Aud perverts are many. They az,
among the children here born, ant
I nurtured by every influence thai
, pours in upon them from the govern
: mcnt aud school to an independence
. of thought aud u kind of knowledg,
, which greatly looscns If not alto
, gether breaks the bonds which hol,
/ their parents to the forms aud 81
, pcrstiiions of the church. II thcr,
has not been Il great gain to Prot
,stantism from this source, thcr,