The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-14

probable Revival of knOw-NothIngisn''
1t would be strange indeed if the disturb
aices created by the Catholics in New YORK
on Wednesday did not cause partiai revival
al at least a talk of the revival, Oh Native
Americanism. A more outrageous proceed
log cannot be imagined than that of which
The Irish Catholics were guilty. Admitted
themselves to all the privileges of American
citizenship, they seriously propose to abrdge
the rights of their fellow-citizens. Their in
tolerance and reckessness exceeded all
bounds, and the fact that they possessed in
flLence enough in the metropolis of America
t. overawe the local maeistracy and to secure
therefroW compliance with their unreason-
able demands will be to many minds proof
that the time has fvlly come when an organ
lied resistance must be made to power that
is at once SO formidable and so inimical to our
institutions. To many persons it will seem
clear that further liberation of foreigners as
our political equals will finally place us at the
mercy of those with whom the fiercest intol
erance is the most sacred religious duty. We
may confidently expect, therefore, that the
old cry of "Place only native Americans on
guard" will arise in many quarters and that
the spirit, if not the form, of Know Nothing
ism will revive.
But we should regret exceedingly to see so
inappropriate movement get beyond the
stage of discussion. 1t is not worth while to
revolutionize the whole theory of tine relations
OF our government to the outside world for
the sake of ramadvino on OWL fbat is II, SC
nature temporary and local. The bigotry
and violence which were SO unpleasantly ex-
hibited in New York are not necessarily the
characteristics of foreigners but of uninstruct-
ed people, whether foreign or native born.
Our efforts, therefore, should not be directed
SO much to the exclusion of foreigners from
our country or to the Elimination of the rights
of those, who are already here as to their as
similation with the native population by
means of education. Care should be taken
that their children are not like their fathers
in repect to lack of culture, and with this end
in view a determined resistance should be
made to all efforts of the priesthood
to control the secular education of the
young, for by such control their identity
as foreigners, and especially as Catholics, il
preserved indefinitely. We recommend M
religious crusade, and we protest against any
prescription on account of religious belief
but we insist that the young should receive
such an education in our common schools al
will cause them toview in the proper light
demonstrations like those of Wednesday.
We repeat that the disturbances created by
uneducated Catholics are local and will be
temporary unless priestly influences cause the
second generation to become like the first
The position of the Catholics in New York i.
purely exceptional and calculated to develol
their worst traits. They have been so mucl
INDUCED and petted by the Tammany politi
clans for the sake of their political support
that it is no wonder that they have come t.
think themselves stronger than the govern
ment they create. Besides, there are owe
two hundred thousand of the Irish alone il
New York-mOre than twenty per cent. O
the entire population. In no other city in tn
Union is there such combination of circum
stances calculated to inspire these impulsv
people with a lawless and dictatorial spirit
And already the tide of Catholic emigration
has sackened. Protestant Germany already
sends more of its people to our shores than
Catholic Ireland. The time is rapidly passins
when any possible danger can be apprehend
ed from Romish bigotry and intolerance, an
1t would be matter of lasting regret if pol
icy OF general hostility should be adopted to
ward class that has given us, under favora
BILE circumstances, some If our bravest, ables
and most patriotic citizens