Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-02-01
The Truth about Romanism.

the cry breaks out again, and the echoes
fill for time the overarching heavens, I'M
Ill they are lost in the far off horizon
There is a wonderful periodicity in these
and subsidences. not less
marked and mysterious than the ebb and
flow of ocean tides, or the approach and
retreat of the flaming comets. 1t would be
an entertainment for one to sum up the
prophecies which have been uttered in re-
spect to the coming kingdom of ROmanism
in this Protestant land One might laugh
to notice how many times that well writ
ten sentence from Macauley's great essay,
so glittering with magnificent nonsense,
has been made to ring Ikea knell of doom
through these double loaded leaders. Now
we do not love Romanism any too WE'LL
We are not ignorant Of its false doctrines
and its foul practices Nor are we indif-
terent or unconcerned as to its present
strength and its future career. We are Just
now addressing ourselves with new dill
gence to Uncover its latest Vaccinations I.
and challenge our countrymen to the need |
ed resistance. But we do not believe that |
in this great battle that Professionalism is
now fighting with Romanism the issue is
doubtful. We do not look upon ourselves /
as leading forlorn hope in desperate
and useless assault upon an unconquerable
foe. And vet 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-this
effort to cipher out the equation so that
the answer shall even seem for a moment
to be against US. There has been a good
deal done in the way of counting heads,
and it has been made to appear that Ro-
manism is greatly gaining upon us in this
/ particular. Well, suppose that it is So
Admit for moment that in the number
of heads they are likely to Outnumber ours
But look into the heads What is in them?
Which carry the brains, the profound and
subtle intelligence, the daring enterprises,
the artistic skills, the marvellous discover
les and Inventions the fruitful liberties,
those dominant forces of the present and
the coming centuries? 1t was not in the
way of blind conceit that the great German,
when asked why God had created so many
Cinnamon, pointed the questioner to his
Prussian countrymen, whose fine brains
and splendid scholarship madethe teeming
millions of China to kick the beam in the
scales which weigh the real material of
national greatness. Again we say, as we
are bid to look at these ever thickening
ranks of Romish heads, eyes, but look of
these heads, of what kind they are But
: we challenge the count. There never was
such egregious laundering in arithmetic,
{ certainly since our early school days, as
, this which sums up the respective increase
of Romanism and Professionalism in this
land of ours. The Romish church among
US owes nearly all its strength, its real
: strength to immigration. 1t is an exotic
plant and the effort to propagate it has
e. failed. 1t has ever from the first lost in
freshness of leaf and Equality of fruit. These
/ free airs and this stimulating soil are not
at all favorable to its growth. Converts to
Romanism from the Protestant faith are
few. Their very fewness attracts attention
to them and magnifes their Importance
h And perverts are many. They are among
the children here born and nurtured by
h every influence that pours in upon them
from the government and school to an in
I, dependence of thoughtand kind of knowl
20 edge which greatly loosens if not altogethel
= breaks the bonds which hold their parent:
~ 10 the forms and sUperstitons ofthe church
,e II there has not been great gain to Prot
estantism from this source, there has Ger
~ tainly been no inconsiderable loss to Ro
manism. But this matter of immigration
l. which for so many years so nightly help
=, ed the Romish church, is now and is hence
-. forth to be fearful waste of its strength
- Ireland, Romish Ireland was once unde
: sails for America. The Irish immigran
60 ships once whitened the broad Atlanti
10. and crowded our harbOrs Today they ar
10 few in number and lightly burdened, Will
immigration from the Protestant nation
M has largely increased until now it great
20. exceeds that from the countries of Roman
-. ism.
for Look at this matter from what positio
~, we may, it is everywhere sorely against tt
=; Romish church. Such fact as that DIR
~ sented by Mansfield, of Ohio, the famol
statistician, shows the hollowness of Pro
49,, estants' fears and Romanists' hope. I
b., says that the whole number of Roms
~ Catholics in the United States today is n
nf more than half the increase of populate
- from 1860 to 1902
ara But then, look at their magnificent c
80. thedrals that are everywhere stretching o
- ward into the skies" Yes, they are bull
H. ing bravely. But what are stones heap
Mo into never such grace and height of forr
,.ir The pyramidsstand today, embracing ma
49, a rood Of earth with their vast foundatio
- and striking the heavens with their lo1
=. submits. But vino built them? WI
-, was their religion? Where is it? TIL,
80 stones in all their brave height are OF
md the tombs of dead people and de
H., faith
''"' Away then, with these groundless fea
nest that only serve to uhnerve our blows
But Fight on agaipst this towering heresy. |
-ous with undaunted courage and ever brig
ening hope. Watch, but watch as tn
who wait for the morning. JFatchman 9
lest Reflector.