The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-07-22
from Harper's Weekly.I
The Catholic Vote"
BY EUGENE LAWRENCE.

b1 EOGENE LAhhENCE.
The growth of a clerical Democratic
party among US, designed to advance the
political objects of the Papal Church, has
been so rapid or so silent that it has es-
capped general observation, and many of
our intelligent contemporaries still refuse
to believe that the contest between ultra
montanism and human progress, which
is agitating almost every other country,
has also to be decided in our midst; that
we too, like Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala,
Germany. Italy, and France, must defend
our free institutions against the malevo-
lence of the Roman Curia, and are in
plain danger from that blind fanaticism
which has ever sacrificed the peace of
nations to the supremacy of a single
creed. There is, indeed something sin
gularly repulsive to US as Americans in
the notion of political contest of which
religion is the chief impulse. We had
hoped that the liberal provisions of our
Constitution and laws had forever stilted
the strife of rival sects. But that hope
must be now at last abandoned. The
strict union between our Democratic par
ty leaders and the Roman Catholics has
become so plain that even their own Leg
islatures submit to be threatened and in
Inundated by the papal journals, and seem
able to refuse nothing to the foreign
priest The first instance of this was in
the City and State of New York; and
the enormous robberies of the public
treasures committed by the new alliance,
and the great sums granted to Roman
Catholic seminaries and converts by our
Democratic masters, showed how per-
fectly they were ruled by the foreign
Church. During the reign of Tweed and
his allies the power of the papacy in our
city was almost supreme. The press was
silenced, the people overawed. If any
writer ventured to express his disgust at
the strange transfer of papal morals and
manners to an American metropolis, he
was assailed by ribald journals and all
the gross license of q Catholic World If
he persisted he was threatened with Sc
cret or open violence. Assassination was
held up before him in frequent letters.
He who assailed the political supremacy
of the Papal Church in New York in
1870 was in as real danger from its cruel
fanaticism as if he were in Rome itself;
and the fearful barbarism and degrada-
ton of our Roman Catholic rulers were
shown in the fact that they cultivated
among their followers the practice of in
timidation and terror 1t was the Gus
tom with those miscreants to threaten
the lives of persons who opposed them.
These men were sustained and kept in
power by the "solid. unbroken Catholic
vote" and it was soon discovered that
their papal masters had one plain object
in view-the ruin of the common schools.
This they attempted, under the patron
age of Bishop, now Cardinal, MCloskey,
by establishing rival system at the cost
of the city. Had they remained much
longer in power, they would have effect
ed their aim. But those who had for
some time studied the conduct of the
ultramontane faction among US also OBJ
served that it had long shown a guarded
hostility against our republic itself, and
had resolved to change the form and
spirit of our government. This was what
was naturally to be looked for. Ten, or
even twenty, years ago the world seemed
fast sinking into despotism, and the Pa
est foe of every form of human freedom.
A republic in the New World seemed to
excite the people of Europe with dan,
gerous aspirations Its example was obi
Gus to tyrannous popes or despotic kings
| and hence the solid, unbroken Catholic
vote" must be used for its destruction
| The rebellion of 1861 tested the loyalty
of the Papal Church, and it was found
that the foreign priesthood were uni
! formly the defenders of slavery, if not oi
disunion, and that their ignorant follow
ers were being tempted into treason
! The city of New York has for many years
been the centre of the ultramontane fac
ton among us, and, like Belgium Oh
France, has been ruled by the "solid, un
broken Catholic vote" 1t is in New
York, therefore, that we can best discov
er the aims of the Roman Catholic HE
rarchy; and careful study of their con
duct here shows that they have not only
labored to destroy the common schools
but the Union itself. Until 1861 the
solid, unbroken Catholic vote" had beer
given to the cause of slavery, its natura
opponents, the two Woods, Herman, Hoff
man, Tweed, Sweeny, and their allies
had diligently used every means to main
tain the ascendency of the Shareholder
in the nation, and at the opening of thu
rebellion New York was plainly in th'
hands of men who avowed their sympa
thy with Davis and their close allianc
with the South.
The enraged people terrified them int
silence or submission. For q momen
the Catholic vote" was powerless. Ever
Fernando Wood and Herman showed
brief loyalty to the Union; but it wa
only for o moment, nor could they, ha
|
exterior influence that now governed tn
Catholic vote The Pope was the onl
European ruler who ventured to offe
, Davis an open recognition. The papa
courtiers of the French Empress sui
, rounded themselves with the adherent
of American slavery. Archbisho
Hughes demanded in his letter to th
Tribune, the cessation of the war. An
r when disaster and dismay fell upon tn
s Union forces, the Catholic vote" in Ne
York-for it is here that we can be-
q study the ultramontane movemer
j among us-was once more aimed at til
? ruin Of freedom. Its leaders in Congress
Wood and Herman, were never weary
It assailing the "Cesarism" and "usurp
tions" Of Lincoln, and inciting their fc
2 lowers to the overthrow of Republics
despotism. They sighed, evidently, f
the mild rule of Davis and Beauregar
At last decisive moment arrived, wh'
the effect of their teachings had near
proved the ruin of the republic. f.
1t draft riots of 1868 must be necessarily
r. cribed to the peculiar politics Of t
Catholic vote" The Irish Cathol
a were the only portion of our people
=" the Free States that actually rose In