Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-03


secret circular was distributed around
streets last Wednesday night,
charging certain Republican candidates
with being members Of the Crescents
or Order of the American Union" 1t
then publishes by request an official
exposition Of the views and purposes
OF this secret political organization; an
exposition intended for the public. that
is, Intended to afford the public just so
much light on the subject as to the or
der may seem advisable. 1t is a re-
markable document remarkable by
reason of its declarations, and still
more remar kable by reason of its con-
cealments. II sets off by declaring
against any ecclesiastical interference
in politics, and in favor OF religious
liberty and the maintenance OF our
common school system. It then at
firms that the Roman Catholic Church
Is striving to secure to itself all polit-
ical power in America. and calls upon
all true Americans to organize and re-
sist the attempt. It then promulgates
tine following declaration of principles:
First-We ACCEPT the Bible a. the
basis of all moral, religious. govern
entail and educational undertakings.
Second-We yield an undertaking
support to the Constitution and Gov
eminent of the United States and of
the several States.
Third-We urge that the present
system, of our general unsectarian free
school organization shall be maintained
inviolate.
Fourth-We claim that no part of
the public funds shall ever be used for
the support or maintenance of any Sec
tartan school or institution whatever.
Fifth-We are opposed to any inter-
ference in political affairs of any man
or body of men, acting in behalf or by
direction of any ecclesiastical body or
powers; yet We make no war upon any
mans religious creed.
To all OF the above %glittering gener-
alities, save and except the first, every
man in America will agree. They are
among the very axiorns of our polit-
ical system. But this declaration Is
like a rattlesnake, it carries its venom in
It's head. 1--WE accept the Bible as the
basis" Pray. what does the o. A. U.
mean by the " Bible?" Isthe Hebrew
Bible-the Old Testament referred to;
and are not the sublime teachings OF
Christ and his Apostles to form a part
of the political creed Of the American
Union? Or is the King James version
to he taken as the authentic foundation
OF our political system, and Roman
Catholics-who reject hat version
and two million Hebrew US, who reject
the New Testamsnt-thereby debarred
Of their political privileges? Or is the
Douay edition to be our infal!ible
guide. Must Protestants, to be citi-
zens accept the moral teachings of
Tobit and his dog and Susannah and
the Eldersf And will penance or re-
pentance be established a condition
precedent t the exercise of the elective
franchise?
We accept the Bible as the basis Of
all moral, religious, governmental and
educational undertakings" We UNI
derscore the vital words and their fau
reaching effect Is so evident that we
hardly need allude to it. The Bible
(which y is to be used in all our pub
lie schools as the basis Of education,
and those Of us who do not accept its
divine origin or who do deny the au-
thenticity of the particular Bible Sc
lected by the o. A. U. are to be de-
pr:ved Of the benefits Of the public
school to whose support We contribute,
or else our children are to be subjected
to religious teachings which we regard
rs p%ernicious. Is this the religious
liberty which the order claims in
sounding phrase to be its supreme OBJ
ject Z Our very Government, too, is
to have . biblical basis. Whether it is
to be patriarchsl, or theocralic, or aristo-
cratic, or democratic, or autocratic-for
all these forms are recog,- lied and au
thorized in the Scriptures; Oh whether
the tsaehing OF our Savior to " render
unto Caesar the things which are
Csesar'sn IL to be the basis Of the
"Crescent" system, we are not in
formed.
This order is ofthe mind Of the divine
who defined orthodoxy as my doxy and
heterodoxy as any other doxy. Its re-
ligious liberty consists in a liberty to
follow the religious teachings pre-
scribed by the order, and its political
equality consists in debarring from
office and employment in the State all
those who are not Endorsed by the or
der.
And further, this remarkable address
says:
The ways and means of conducting
business matters, the methods by
which w propose tn secure the desired
results, are peculiarly III own, and
we intend to keep item 10 ourselves.
That Is. all of TIE above objects are