Part 12 (1/2)
Clay as follows:
”More than 3,000, it is confidently said, have been naturalized in this city (New York) alone since the first of October. It is an alarming fact that this foreign vote has decided the great questions of American policy, and contracted a nation's grat.i.tude.”
And after they achieved the victory of 1844, Brownson came out with this avowal:
”Heretofore we have taken our politics from one or another of the parties which divide the country, and have suffered the enemies of our religion to impose their political doctrine upon us; but it is time for us to begin to teach the country itself those moral and political doctrines which flow from the teachings of our own Church. We are at home here, wherever we may have been born; this is our country, and as it is to become THOROUGHLY CATHOLIC, we have a deeper interest in public affairs than any other of our citizens. The sects are only for a day; the Church for ever.”
When Gen. Ca.s.s made his speech in the Senate, in 1852, in favor of free wors.h.i.+p and the rights of conscience for Americans abroad, reflecting on the Catholics by name, Brownson came out in his October number, and said:
”We are glad to see Gen. Ca.s.s laid on the shelf, for we can never support a man who turns radical in his old age.”
In the same number, Brownson continues:
”The sorriest sight to us is a Catholic throwing up his cap and shouting, 'All hail, Democracy!'”
This too at the very time he was supporting the Democratic party in the Presidential contest! He would sooner have heard the cry, ”All hail, Catholicism!” and he was only using Democracy as an instrument to advance his primary wis.h.!.+
We offer no comments on the foregoing extracts, of our own, but leave every reader to judge for himself. The price of liberty is eternal vigilance. We apply the remark to religious as well as civil liberty.
All we ask of the people is to be vigilant. Do not support men at the ballot-box who are in league with these enemies of our Republic, and of the Protestant religion!
Behold the enemy is at our gates! A foreign priest has been lecturing here in Knoxville, within the last ten days, avowing sentiments similar to these, and claiming that this country would ultimately become a Catholic country! The crisis is approaching! Rouse up, Americans, and hasten to your country's salvation! Not a moment is to be lost! G.o.d AND OUR COUNTRY, must be the watchword of every Christian and patriot, of every political party in the land. America expects us all to do our duty!
And is there no cause for alarm?
Eighteen months ago, a Protestant minister, Baptist, Methodist, or Presbyterian, might expose Romanism, and warn his congregation against its corrupting influences, for hours at a time--come down out of his pulpit, and his congregation would, without distinction of party, say, ”Well done, good and faithful servant!”
But let him now dare _allude_ to Romanism--he offends one-half of his congregation--he is _preaching_ politics--they will hear him no more; or forsooth, which is more common, they will withhold his support and starve him out! Are not these signs alarming?
But here in Tennessee, _Protestant_ Tennessee, on the 15th of May, 1855, the _Nashville Daily Union_, the organ of the self-styled Democratic party, came out at the Capital of the State with this daring broadside against the Protestant clergy and their religion:
”A Church that can boast of an existence of thirteen centuries--pa.s.sing through all the various vicissitudes of her eventful career unscathed, can certainly show, with all her atrocious barbarity, many bright spots which may be placed in favorable contrast with the Protestant Church, with its thousand and one wrangling sects. Men are beginning to see through the transparent gauze that veils this Know-Nothing movement. They are beginning to ask 'What has Protestantism done for the world? What has she done to alleviate and elevate the down-trodden? Is the race any better off for having accepted her faith? THESE REVEREND HYPOCRITES--these scribes and pharisees, are treading on a terrible volcano. They will find their treasonable schemes and infernal plotting against the liberties of man tried and condemned by the pure light of G.o.d's own truth and love, which s.h.i.+nes and throbs in every pulsation of humanity's heart. If Protestantism prove recreant to her high trust, she will have to pa.s.s the ordeal of enlightened public opinion and be consigned to her merited obscurity.
”Popery, with all its crimes against G.o.d and man, adapts itself to the times and to the circ.u.mstances, and thus saves itself from being absorbed in the ma.s.s of conflicting elements.”
THE CATHOLIC QUESTION--No. 4.
A Catholic Priest the Minister from the Rivas-Walker Government--Nicaragua, Texas, and Gen. Jackson--Bishop Hughes and Orestes Brownson--Buchanan bidding for the Catholic vote--A. H. Stephens, of Georgia--Lord Baltimore and Religious Toleration.
Three months ago, PARKER H. FRENCH arrived in Was.h.i.+ngton, as the Representative of the Walker Government of Nicaragua--an American-born citizen and a Protestant--but the Government declined to recognize him, upon the ground that Walker's Government was not established even _de facto_. Since then, our Government has recognized Walker's Government, and endorsed his war upon Costa Rica, although the former objection of our Government lies with as much force against such recognition now as it did three months ago. That the approach of the Cincinnati Convention, and the importance of conciliating the ”Young American” wing, and the Filibustering division of the Democratic party, had great influence in producing this recognition, there can be no sort of doubt. But a still more palpable reason why this Government gave its sanction to the Rivas-Walker Government is, that PADRE VIJIL, the second Minister sent here, is a ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST, and a shrewd Spaniard--better understands the influences that prevail at Was.h.i.+ngton. When we remember that a Roman Catholic, and a member of the Order of Jesuits, is a member of Pierce's Cabinet, the Postmaster-General--and when we remember that Democracy now, without the Catholic-Foreign vote, is almost a nullity in the United States, we have a clear solution of this preference given the Spanish priest, PADRE VIJIL, over the American citizen, but a few weeks afterwards! As a sign of the times, the fact is one worthy of note. It shows, at least, that when Protestantism cannot prevail with the Administration of Pierce, Roman Catholicism can; and that hence, when we proclaim the power of the Pope, even in America, we but utter demonstrable facts. Romanism is even carrying Democracy from all its old wayside land-marks. In December, 1836, GEN. JACKSON sent a special message to the Senate of the United States, in relation to a proposition to recognize the new Government of Texas, and he gave reasons _against_ it, which are exactly applicable to this Rivas-Walker affair:
”Upon the issue,” he says, ”of this threatened invasion by Mexico, the independence of Texas may be considered as suspended; and were there nothing peculiar in the relative situation of the United States and Texas, our acknowledgments of its independence at such a crisis could scarcely be considered as consistent _with that prudent reserve with which we have heretofore held ourselves bound to treat all similar questions_.”
The existing Government of Nicaragua is in a far more critical condition now than that of Texas was in 1836, when Gen. Jackson went on to say:
”It becomes us to beware of a too early movement, as it might subject us, however unjustly, to the imputation of seeking to establish the claim of our neighbors to a territory, with a view to its subsequent acquisition by ourselves. Prudence, therefore, seems to dictate that we should still stand aloof, and maintain our present att.i.tude, if not until Mexico itself, or one of the great foreign powers, shall recognize the independence of the new Government, at least until the lapse of time or the course of events shall have proved, beyond cavil or dispute, the ability of the people of that country to maintain their separate sovereignty, and to uphold the Government const.i.tuted by them. Neither of the contending parties can justly complain of this course. By pursuing it, we are but carrying out the long-established policy of our Government--a policy which has secured to us respect and influence abroad, and inspired confidence at home.”
But Romanism is rapidly leading Democracy to the Devil! Archbishop Hughes--the head and front of the Papal Hierarchy in this country--has openly declared the grand aim and object of the Catholic Church is ”TO MAKE ROME THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FOR THE WHOLE WORLD!” This same Archbishop is now engaged in raising an immense fund, for the avowed purpose of ESTABLIs.h.i.+NG A COLLEGE IN ROME, for the education of a high order of Priests and Jesuits for the United States; the Roman Pontiff deeming the education of Priests defective if obtained in this land of liberty! This same Archbishop Hughes has now actively enlisted for the Presidential contest, for 1856, in order, to use his own language, ”TO BREAK THE SPINAL CORD OF THE AMERICAN PARTY.” The Irish Catholic vote is to be fused with the Black Republicans in the North, to prevent the success of the Fillmore ticket, and the Irish and German Catholic vote is to be cast for Democracy in the South and North-West--the Archbishop stipulating for special legislation for Rome, and for promoting this mammoth college!