Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1871-09-09
Anecdotes of Public Men.
BY CoLoNEL-JoH w. FoRNEY.

[From the Washington Morning Chroncle.1
We are all the unconscious actors and
spectators in the worlds theatre. The
parts we play, and the scenes we applaud,
are the double substance of the current at
traction. In 1914 we had the drama of the |
Native American riots in Philadelphia in |
1854 the sensation of Known othingism I;
and seven years later the tragedy of the re-
bellion. And now, at the end of another
decade, the curtain rises before the New
York outbreak of the 18th of July. 1871. |
This last is too fresh for the historian, and |
so we refer it to the tribunal of time, con-
tent to let its seeds work their way among |
the minds of men, and sure of the harvest |
for the right. For as the riots of 1914, and
the frenzy of 1854, and the tragedy of 1861
60, were each followed by good results, so
will the last sad evidence of bad passions
attain its ultimate compensation. In our
happy country our better nature secures
the final mastery. Evil men and evil mea-
sures dominate for while, but they are
finally crushed, inevitably, and without ex-
ception.
Leaving the authors of the rebellion to
the fate they deserve, it seems to me not
inoppor tune task to recall some of the lead
ers of the eXcitements of 1871 and 1854.
They are nearly all in their graves, but
they are keenly remembered in the light of
recent events. The face and form of Lewis
G.. Levin rise before me as L write. In this
section, at least, for six years the uncon-
tested Native American chief he is concc-
ded to have been the founder of his party.
| Born in South Carolina, on the 10th day of
November, 1903, and dying in Philadel-
phia ON the 14th of March, 1860, he was
qualified for longer career, though it may
be claimed that in his day he filled q large
| in tho ,,ullic nyn IJn hol on
mense following. Blending religious with
political passions, lie dominated in conven-
tions, electing himself and others to Con-
gress, carrying most of the local officers in
Philadelphia, and erecting in the First
Pennsylvania District, now the stronghold
of the very Catholics he apposed, a power
that was, while it endured, really invnci-
Die. Perhaps the very onset of Mr.. Levin
and his cohorts gave the sympathy Of 9TH
crs to the Catholics. a tGrvid speaker and
nervous writer, he was conspicuous on the
open platform, the Congressional forum,
and the public press. Some of his speeches
in the House were models of popular ora
tory. One of his finest was that of the I'd
March, 1913, from which take these pas
sagcs:
''If Rome will not 90 to America, Ame-
rica must 90 to Rome This is the new
doctrine Of an age of retrogrcssive progress.
If the Pope will not establish n Republic
for his Italian subjects, we, the American
people, must renounce all the ties of our
glorious freedom, and endorse the Papal
system as the perfection of human wisdom,
by sending an ambassador to Rome to con-
gratulate his "llohness on having made
what The Roman people free Oh, no
but on having made tyranny amiablc on
having sugared the poisoned cake. And
IL.
we are to commission an ambassador TO
Rome Is there an American heart that
does not recoi from the utter degradation
of the scheme
The flood of immigration is sweeping its
millions of foreign Roman Catholic voters
over the land. The past is gloomy enough,
the present awfuly portcntous-but the iu-
, turc is black with shadows, clouds anl
darkncss.n This country seems destined
to be the grand theatre of Roman Catholic
/. powcr-not American Papstry, but the
Papistry of Rome, of the Old World, o!
Austria and of the Pope. Shall We grow
; wise in time, or shall we surrender ON
rights without resistance ? Shall we make
a stand now, or n Government proposition
> to unite this free Republic with absolute
, Rome or shall we surrender in anicipa-
ton of the day of trial, and ask the Pope
in despair, to tGttCr our hands before VI
; strike blow ?
I Sir. ifit be written in the black book o
Q fate that this great Republic is yet to be
come a dependency Of the Court of Rome
> let us not hasten our iniamy 10y any pre-
: mature weakness, by any act That shall eX
S peditc our downfall or accelerate our bon
= dacc. We are now asked to become volun
: tary agents in cnthralling ourselves W.
t are implored to send an ambassador tt
- to ho, f,pr,l in, l.,
s imperial city, under the special care of the
8 Holy Father, who acknowledges no human
V authority in matters of government, bu
G who pleads divine right TO bow down the
: neck Oft man in the dust and yoke him t,
the iron car of absolute power.
= Will gentlemen who propose to rivet thi
a religious chain think of the future, for it i
:. to the future we are to lock for bonds, itt
q tcrs, and disfranchisemcnt ?-that futur
: which in n few years will expand our pnpu
iation to an hundred millions when on
y wild Indian lands, embracing Oregon anC
! the far West, shall have been settled by 70
;, reign Roman Catholics and their children
- all under the control and guidance of Jes
uit leaders, bound to obey their general
the Pope's nuncio, whose head quarters ar
4 to be the seat of government, and that sea
9 of government the City Of Washington
- Let us imagine for moment all this cX
IS pansG Of empire, embracing some fifty o
Y sixty States, to be settled by its proporto
+ of the foreign slaves Of foreign Jesuits ; an
- inlGrring the future hom the past, tina
- they have been successful i'm eXtendn
le their invaSions upon the spiritual and pc
j. litical rights of the American people, whn
would be the direful consequences of hi
!. dreadful oyerShaGowmg OF the moral an
In intellectual world
\. Are the religious wars and Ielentlcs
70 prosecutions Of lire, rack, and other demon
N stralious of bigotry, with which Popcry Ia
nj deluged Europe for ages, again to be acte
- over here, on the fair and unstained bosol
rc of our vast RepublicY Heaven forbid tn
IS foul desecration Of our equal rights An
.e yet what hope of exemption CLEANS in IL
nj future, unless the friends OF civil and rel
IN g0us liberty, animated by sublime dey,
A. ton to the welfare OF their children an
a. the freedom of posterity, now combine
n, arrest the march of PHpal usurpation b.
ht fore II oyerspTeads the hnd, aud plants i
H. "garrisonsn of power deep into the bosoI
~, OF our valleys, Irresistible aud irresisted