The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-07-20
Political Religion.

They Radical press. which is eagerly fan
ming the flames of religious intolerance, IN
the hope of making some political capital
out of it, falls into the egreglcus blunder oil
assuming that the principles represented by
"Orangeism" are those of all Protestants-
They are not so no, not even In Ireland
Some of the most eminent Irish patriots.
who died on the scaffold. or in prison, or IN
exile, the victims Of British tyranny, were
staunch Protestants. and joined hands with
their Roman Catholic countrymen in resist~
ing the political oppression which Radical-
ism now espouses, under the name of "Or-
angeism," and lauds with blundering igno>
rance, or wilful disingenuousness, as the
representative of religious liberty. 1t is
gross Misrepresentation of political history.
In sthe catalogue of Irish patriots, some of
the most eminent were Protestauts. Wolf
Tone was Protestant, and his thrilling ap-
peals to his countrymen called on Protest
ants and Catholics to unite in one common
cause, the regeneration of their country
They did thus unite in the well-knewn or
ganization, The United lrishmen." Lord
Edward Fitzgerald, the Emmetts, and many
more of names known to fame in the strug-
gle for Irish liberty were Protestants. When
the victims took their places In the criminal
dock. it was Curran, the Irish Protestant.
who defended them with blaze of eloquence,
some snatches of which were familiar to all
school boys. In the days when their books
took examples Of oratory from the great eff
forts made in defense of civil and religious
liberty. Robert Emmett died on an Eng
lish scaffold. Thomas Adds Emmett
escaped with his life came to New York ;
received there the hearty welcome of the
people, and sCrmounted the opposition
which the Fedora lists-the fOrefathers of cur
Radicals-displayed to him and his cause.
1t is not the religions element in OEaugeism
that now attracts the Radicals /; it Is the
political element in it, the despotisrn OF the
English domination Of Ireland, so like the
military subjugation which is the political
policy of the bastard Americans whe have
forsworn all the principles on which Ameri
can liberty is founded. They cannot row
cover mp their political designs with snivel-
ling. hypocritical zeal for Professionalism,
which they falsely represent as ths same
thing as Orangeism. This IS either blum
der. or falsehood, and as such every decent
" we'll informed man recognizes it. The
political significance of modern Irish Orange
ism lies in its sympathy with English rule
in Ireland, imposing political disabilities
and religious tests upon the majority of the
people in the interests Of a miHority. This
is as well recognized now as it ever was in
Ireland, BY the lovers of liberty of every
creed The leader Of young Ireland"
Smith O'Brien and many others of his party,
were ProtestaDts, and in earnest antagOni:m
to the political element in the Orange organ
ization. It is an impertinence to dwarf, be-
little and deneau American Protestantism,
embracing various denominations wholly
founded on religious principles. by confound-
ing il with Orangeism. We utterly repadi-
ate the imputation neither as Protestants
nor Americans will we wear the badge of
English misruls and oppression in Ireland.
The Age.