The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-11-25

guilty of the very offense which they coo
denned in foreign born peoples. and tii
majority of Americans, after time, abali
doned the political association If Amer
cans as, such, and Kuownuthin2ism v.u
dead- Sam Houston, honored everywhy.'
Tor hIs genius, wisdom and PATRIOTISM,
was drawn into this organization. Il
lives no more, aud especially was
that feature Of Know ownothingism repre-
bended which made Professionalism test OF
fitness for Office. Let US ask, in view OF
these facts and in view Of the course OF
events In Montreal, where quasi war reigrs
because the body of \ recreant Romanist Is
sought to be ejscted from consecrated
ground; and in Ohio, where priestcraft of
one sort and another has made the Bible-in-
the-schools question an issue between DEM
! ! ocracy and Pepublicanism-let us ask
whether, in idition to this religious CON
tiict, we are to have one involving native
Americanismi This supposed organ of
German opinion in Austin would precipitaie
such a conflict 1t would have us vote for
or against a candidate because. he NAV he
or not a-German by birth, or even becans4
hA naa1 or nat be member of the TuTnve-
rein. If we published paper and were
citizens of Prussia it should be Prussiau in
all things. Our leading purpose would be
the adoption of Prussian habits, and GER
tainly of Prussian modes of thinking in
politics. Otherwise we would be periured
when swearing allegiance to the great EN-
psror; but here in Austin we have German
instructor of the people telling them they are
to support Germans, per Sc, as Germans.
OF course the wise editor would have
Frenchmen adhere to Frenchmen, Texans
to Texans and ex-citizens of each State. in
one like this, to vote Tor those who came
from the same commonwealth beyond the
Mississippi. Would it not be wiser if our
neighbor forgot, at least in American poll
tics, that he was not born an American and
should he not rather advise his aecGs-
toned readers to do here as Americans must
who accept Prussian citizenship. If this
be not the course of foreigners in the Uni
ted States, where more foreigners than ma
tives, in proportion to the numbers of
both, hold Offices, not only will Grant
and Simpson succeed in injecting the relig-
iouS and school and Bible questions into
politics, but Americans will be forced to
act as this unwise German newspaper would
have them and reproduce all the absurdi-
ties and hates and national prejudices of
Know nottingham. The Austin ''organ"
of German opinion would cause the Pres
idential election of next year, as asserted
by the Boston Pilot, to stir fathomless
ocean of religious prejudice; and such will
be the aim of a large party of politicians
The recent speech of President Grant was
intended to be the keynote of the cleo
ton. Obtuse and stubborn, he will stick to
his utterance, and repeat it. He has just
enough to be the leader of
prospective knownothiug party. Some |
men would enter such scheme knowing
its vlleness and injustice; but man of
Grants low organization would be likely |
to take specious showing tor the truth,
when it tailed with h s own re-
publican press will keep before the people
the scars-crow of."Popish plots" foreign |
!" and '.Romish designs on the |
public schools" How cleverly they stirred |
up the anti Catholic feeling for the late
.lectionsl They have succeeded so well
that they will surely repeat the trick; and
if Catholic citizens and all decent people |
are not prepared for the issue, they may be
induced or forced to play into the hands OF
those who are pulling the wires.
The attempt will be made to force Cath
olics into angry opposition, so as to make
a clear division, or to compel them to aban-
don their principles for the sake of popular
favor. Both attempts have succeeded OF
late. The Pilot says that:
Seeing it constantly in print, some
weak-kneed Catholics have arrived at the
belief that good Catholic cannot be true
American citizen, and that 10 ask for relig-
ious education for children is opposed to
the fundamental principles of the American
Constitution"
We are quoting from the ahlest and most
liberal of Romauist publications in America
and see how unworthy of its liberalism is
the spirit of this Austin German nswspa-
per. The Pilot thinks that all appeals to
religious and national prejudices should be
frowned down and contemned; but if we
are to have German and Irish and French
newspapers everywhere persist in follies il
lustrated in the pages Of this Austin publ
cation, the end is inevitable, and not
only must political contests result in
conflicts of nationalities, but even
the churches must become agencies of
bleodshed, and they who pretend to love
and follow Christ, the veriest demons that
have blackened with crime the annals OF
any age or country.
But those narrow prejudices, whether
evolved from facts of nationality or Of re-
ligieus faith, should never be suffered, as in
the case before Us, to provoke Americans or
Germans to angry speech or narrow party
action. Germans, like Catholics and
Protestants, have nothing. as such,
Ito do tn politics. Iu this aren'
we are all Americans. Each class
should express its sentiments freely,
and il Just and wise they will have on theiI
side all the intelligence and justice OF the
country. There is no necessity to belong
to this party or 20 that; they may belong t.
either, and, if good ProtestSnts or Catho
lies, ere necessarily good.
GIVE THE DEVIL HIs does.