THE
AMERICAN'S TEXT-BOOK:
being
A SER.IES OF LETTERS,
ADDRESSED BY
.4* ! • . (.»/ j
"AN AMERICAN,"
TO THE CITIZENS OF TENNESSEE,
In exposition and vindication of the Principles and Policy
of the American Party.
4i
"I
NASHVILLE:
published by order of the official board of the s. c. of tenn
1855.
INTRODUCTORY.
NUMBER 1.
Fellow-Citizens op the State op Tennessee:
I propose addressing you a series of articles in
exposition and vindication of the principles and policy of
our organization in this State, commonly denominated " The
Know Nothings."
The selection of the Nashville True Whig, as our medium
of communication, is one purely of personal choice; for, as
yet, the Know Nothing organization has not invested any
public journal in this State with the prerogative to speak
authoritatively for it, upon any question of principle or policy.
As our organization is composed of Whigs and Democrats
indiscriminately, therefore, in our admissions to membership,
or selections for office, we recognize no man's eligibility to
either from any antecedent relation he may have sustained to
either of the old political parties, Whig or Democrat. We
will oppose those who oppose us. We will sustain those
only who sustain us, be they Whigs or Democrats. We will
select from among ourselves alone, gentlemen of worth and
ability, who will faithfully represent our principles and pol¬
icy, for all offices; especially for both branches of our Legis¬
lature, for Congress, and the Gubernatorial Chair of State,
and this we will do through our various conventions, county,
4
Congressional and State, irrespective of any or all other
conventions.
Our organization being unique, distinct from all others in
some of its ends, aims and principles, we are determined
that it shall remain independent of all others, reposing alone
for its ultimate triumph, upon its own firm basis, the native
pulsations of the great Amrrican heart. Hence our motto:
At home or abroad, in peace or in war, Native Americans alone
shall sit in our watch-towers of State or in our council cham¬
bers, to preside over the destinies of America.
Let me assure you, fellow-citizens, that nothing, save the
overwhelming importance of the questions involved in our
organization, could have lured me, in my old age, from the
tranquil felicities of private life, to enter the arena of an
exciting public discussion. The glorious Revolution of'76
gave birth to our American constitutional liberty. The no
less glorious revolution through which we are passing, by
means of our principles, will perpetuate that constitutional
liberty to our children forever. The greatest glory of a
freeborn people should be to transmit their freedom unim¬
paired, to their children.
We would esteem ourselves much flattered if the press in
the State, favorable to the objects and principles of our or¬
ganization, would copy our articles as they appear. They
shall be written in language simple, in tone and sentiment
courteous and dignified, with all the attainments and ability
we possess. In our subsequent articles we will define and
defend our platform. Yours, I am
AN AMERICAN.
5
NO. II.
The American party composed indiscriminately of Whigs and Democrats
—Nominations for office, how made—Proposed repeal or modification oj
the Naturalization laws—Constitutional provisions hearing on the ques¬
tion—Proposed prohibition of foreign-horn citizens from holding office,
and considerations in favor of it, drawn from the history of other na¬
tions.
Gentlemen:
In our first communication we observed that the
Know Nothing organization was indiscriminately composed,
of Whigs and Democrats; that as a party we sustained and
opposed those only who sustained or opposed us, and that
our selections for all offices were determined by our County,
Congressional, State and National Conventions. We also
observed, that in this and subsequent articles, we would
present you with a faithful expose of our principles and pol¬
icy, and attempt their vindication to the utmost of our ability.
In the prosecution of our undertaking, should we provoke a
newspaper discussion, let us studiously avoid all scurrility
of language, all asperity of manner. Let us exhibit an
agreeableness of good nature, which is often the genial air
of a good mind, of a generous soul, and the prolific soil in
which truth and virtue best prosper.
First. We advocate a repeal of our laws of naturalization
by Congress, or such a modification of them as to require of
all future imigrants a residence in our country of at least
twenty-one years after they have taken the oath of allegiance
to the United States, and renounced the same to every other
potentate or power, whether temporal or ecclesiastical.
If our naturalization laws were repealed, then in the future
no foreigner could be eligible to a seat in the House of Re¬
presentatives, or the Senate of the United States; because
the constitution declares that he must be a citizen at least
seven years before he can be eligible to a seat in the former,
or nine years before eligible to a seat in the latter House.
Consequently, a repeal of these laws would divest him of
the requisite citizenship to make him eligible to a seat in
either branch of our National Legislature. Again, he would
not be such a citizen in the contemplation of the constitution,
as would render it obligatory upon each State to invest him
with all the "rights, privileges and immunities of the citi¬
zens of the several States." See sec. 2, art. 4., of the con¬
stitution. Thus, it would result, that no State, by illegally
or prematurely naturalizing foreigners, could send them into
other States to change their peculiar institutions; or would
organize immigrant associations to send them into our West¬
ern Territories, as was done in Kansas and Nebraska, to en-
6
graft upon their institutions sectional animosities or peculiar
political tenets.
Again, we advocate the enactment of a law by Congress,
prohibiting the President of the United States by and with
the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint persons of
foreign birth, to be our Ministers, Ambassadors, Consuls, or
Charges d' Affaires abroad, or Judges of the Supreme or
Federal Courts, or to employ them as heads, clerks, or other
officials in any of the departments of the General Govern¬
ment, as they have been by hundreds and thousands. Thus,
we would have no foreigners by birth prostituting their high
official position and duties to vile purposes of personal pique
and gratification, or to the more ignoble purposes of enhanc¬
ing the world-fortune of private Stock-jobbers and National
Bond-Shavers, such as the Rothschilds. If the naturaliza¬
tion laws were repealed, and this law by Congress enaeted,
then, from the President to the least official employed in the
General Government, or in any of its departments, whether
at home or abroad, in the civil or military corps—all would
be native Americans. Might we not congratulate ourselves
in the future, and repose in security, when we knew "that
none but Americans were on guard"—presiding over the
destinies of America.
If these laws were not repealed, but modified in such
manner as we designate, we would still accomplish many of
the great national objects for Vvhich our mysterious associa¬
tion was organized. It would require 21 years residence,
after the ceremonial of naturalization, before any foreigner
could be invested with the rights and immunities of a citizen.
If, therefore, he were 21 years of age when he took the oath
of allegiance and abjuration, he would be 42 years of age
before he could clothe himself in the Toga Virilis of an
American citizen. Perhaps, if ever, he would then appre¬
ciate American constitutional liberty — the spirit and genius
of our people and institutions.
Citizens of the State of Tennessee, we will submit to you
some of our reasons why no foreigner by birth should exer¬
cise the sacred privilege of the elective franchise, or be per¬
mitted to hold any office in the States or under the Federal
Government. There is not another civilized nation on the
globe—not one in Europe—that permits any foreigner to
participate in its national legislation—to represent it in any
diplomatic and ministerial capacity, or preside over any of
its departments of State. Does England, France, Prussia,
Austria, Russia, Spain, Holland, Norway, or Sweden ? No,
not one. Why have China and Japan, England and Russia,
preserved unimpaired for ages, their peculiar institutions,
amid the ever changing tides of time ? Because they have
7
erected adamantine barriers against the revolutionary influ¬
ence and aggressions of foreigners. China and Japan have
heretofore prohibited any foreigner, under the penalty of
death, from ingress into the interior of their empires. Eng¬
land and Russia have rarely permitted them to hold any
office in the legislative, judicial or administrative depart¬
ments. Besides, no foreigner is permitted to pass through
their domains without an omnipresent police ever dogging
his heels. When the British Parliament confers the rights
of a native born subject upon a foreigner, it is only when he
is connected by marriage with the royal family, and even
then it requires a double act of legislation.
Let us recur briefly, for further light upon this subject, to
the policy of the wisest and most potent of ancient common¬
wealths. How was it that the Greeks preserved so long
their language and laws; their genius and liberty, amid the
thiek gathering darkness of surrounding natural ignorance
and barbarism ? Because, to be a Greek citizen was the
most distinguished honor that could be aspired to by prince
or potentate—because no foreigner, upon pain of death,
could even intrude his voice in their deliberative or legisla¬
tive assemblies. But, alas! the national splendor and liber¬
ties of these renowned republics faded away like a vision of
night, when their offices of honor and trust—their popular
and national assemblies—were thrown open to foreigners.
'Twas then, that Philip of Macedon, through his seat in
the Amphyctionic Council, extinguished the last glimmering
trace of a once glorious nationality. Romans, too, were
no less jealous of the^'ws ciaitatus—the rights of the citizen.
When was it Rome was almighty called, and the shadow of
her haughty power encircled the globe 1 'Twas when / am
a Roman citizen, would have stood alone against a world in
arms. For Gibbon tells us that when the Emperor Cara-
calla, for purposes of a more extended taxation, levelled all
distinctions, and communicated the rights of the citizen to
the whole empire indiscriminately, the national spirit be¬
came extinct among the people, and the pride and honor of
their country were sunk forever. Yes, it was foreign influ¬
ence that trailed her eagle banners in the dust—that hushed
the voice of her Tullys, and made Rome the " Niobe of Na¬
tions."
Citizens of the State of Tennessee ! thus you see that the
putrid despotisms of the Old World—that the oppressive
monarchies of the New, have preserved their empires, for
ages, alone by excluding foreigners from their offices of
State, and guarding with an eternal vigilance their elective
franchise and institutions from their unhallowed influence.
How, therefore, can we preserve our most delicate and
8
beautiful flower of constitutional liberty, against the with¬
ering blight of foreign influence, unless we too, like them,
shall guard our elective franchise and offices of State with
the same segis of protection—the same invulnerable ram¬
parts ? Permit your shores to be continually deluged by the
ignorant and pauper emigration of Europe—their abusive
exercise of your elective franchise—their occupancy of your
high offices of honor—and not long shall, I am an American
citizen, raise a throb in every heart that loves liberty, and
force a reluctant tribute even from the most despotic op¬
pressor.
The same argument continued in our next. I am
AN AMERICAN.
NO. III.
The same subject continued, with reference to the Constitutional points
involved—Opinions of Washington, Ooverneur Morris, and Elbridgs
Gerry.
Gentlemen:—We promised in our last article to devote
this to a further consideration of a repeal of the naturaliza¬
tion laws, or such a modification of them as to require of
all aliens, in future, a residence of twenty-one years after
they have taken the oaths of allegiance and abjuration,
before they shall be invested with all the rights and immu¬
nities of native-born citizens.
Were Congress to reper 1 its present laws, the power to
naturalize foreigners, would revert to the States respective¬
ly, that possessed and exercised it exclusively anterior to the
adoption of the Constitution. And if the States did not also
repeal all their laws permitting foreigners by birth to exer¬
cise the elective franchise or to hold office within their sev¬
eral jurisdictions, or did not pass uniform laws upon these
points, the greatest embarrassments might ensue from their
repugnance and disparity. For the constitution expressly
declares that the " citizens of each State shall be entitled to
all the privileges and immunities of citizens in the several
States." Therefore, if the present uniform naturalization
laws of Congress were repealed, and the States exercising
this power did not enact general uniform laws, it would fol¬
low that one State or a class of States, by incorporating
aliens into their own citizenship, might force them as citi¬
zens upon other States, contrary to their own laws, policy
or institutions. Indeed, it would render the laws of one
State paramount to those of all others, even within their
9
own jurisdiction. If aliens, indiscriminately, were admit¬
ted to enjoy all the rights of citizens at the option of any
one State, the Union itself might be seriously imperiled by
a sudden influx of foreigners hostile to its institutions, igno¬
rant of its powers, and incapable of appreciating its privi¬
leges. Hence, whether this power is exercised by the Fed¬
eral Government or by the States, the naturalization laws,
to avoid all difficulty, must be uniform in their complexion
and application.
There are two constitutional points involved in this dis¬
cussion, that deserve a further consideration.
First. That, though Congress has the power to " establish
a uniform rule of naturalization," it has none to establish
any law prescribing the qualifications which the electors of
the several States must have to enable them to vote in any
election, or to hold any office within the jurisdiction of the
States. The power to define the qualifications of their own
electors or office-holders, has ever resided in the several
States, whether under the old or ilew form of government.
If Congress possessed this power, it might impose some pro¬
perty, abolition, political or sectional test or qualification, that
would be violative of the municipal regulations and institu¬
tions of the several States. Indeed, the General Govern¬
ment could not exercise this power without a most danger-
• ous usurpation of the rights of the States. It would anni¬
hilate all State power and influence.
Again, this clause: " The citizens of each State shall
be entitled to all the privileges and immunities of the citi¬
zens of the several States," does not mean that any one State
can prescribe rights and qualifications for the citizens or
electors of any other State, in contravention of the local laws
and policy of that other State. The privileges and immu¬
nities to which this clause refers, are of a fundamental
character—such as the protection of life and liberty, to ac¬
quire and enjoy property, to pass through or reside in the
State at pleasure, to pay no higher impositions than other
citizens, to exercise the elective franchise, and to hold office
according to the local regulations of each State. The adju¬
dications of the Supreme Court, and the concurrent opinions
of Judges Story and Kent, sustain these positions.
Therefore, whether the naturalization laws of Congress
are repealed or modified as we desire, or not, still each State
can prescribe its own qualifications or terms by which not
only its own citizens, but those of any other State coming
within its jurisdiction, shall hold office, or exercise the elec¬
tive franchise. Accordingly, you find in sec. 1, art. 4, of
your State constitution, the following: "Every free white
man of the age of 21 years, being a citizen of the United
10
States, and a citizen of the county wherein he may offer his
vote, six months next preceding the day of the election, shall
be entitled to vote for members of the General Assembly,
and other civil officers for the county or district in which he
resides.' The legislature of our State has passed laws in
pursuance of, and in accordance with this section of our
State constitution. Thus, gentlemen of the Know Nothing
party, if we mean to reduce our principles to practical utility,
(and assuredly we do,) we must commence by changing our
State constitution so as to preclude all future naturalized
foreigners from either holding office or exercising the elec¬
tive franchise within the jurisdiction of our Stale. We must
not vote for any member of our next Legislature who is not
in favor of this change of the constitution, and the enact¬
ment of laws accordingly. Without this change of our con¬
stitution, how can we prevent legally and constitutionally,
any foreigner who is a naturalized citizen of the United
States, of the age of 21 years, and having resided within
some county six months preceding any election, from voting
in that election ? If such a naturalized citizen has resided
in the State three years, and one year in the county, and is
of the age of 21 years, he can be a representative in your
legislature ; and if of the age of thirty years, he is eligible
to the senate ; and if a citizen seven years, he is eligible to
your Gubernatorial Chair of State. We can, at the next
sitting of our Legislature, enact a law—and it should be
done—that no foreigner, by birth, shall ever be eligible to
the office of Secretary of State, Comptroller, or Treasurer,
or Judge of the Supreme or Circuit, or Criminal Court of
this State, or any other office within the gift of the people
or the Legislature of the State, not (as this would not be) in
contravention of the constitution of the State. This we
must do, or be justly subject to the imputation of political
humbuggery and hypocrisy.
A latitudinarian extension of the right of suffrage to nat¬
uralized citizens, and in some cases even to aliens, is rapidly
destroying every constitutional check, every conservative
element intended by the sages who framed the earliest
American constitutions, as safeguards against the abuses of
popular suffrage. This is peculiarly the case vtith those
States formed out of the North-western Territory, under the
ordinance of the Confederated Congress of 1787. In Illinois,
an alien who has been a bona fide resident of the State for
six months, can vote in any election. Similar provisions
exists in the constitutions of Wisconsin and Michigan. Ohio,
by an act of her Legislature, passed in 1831, has restricted
the right of suffrage to natural born and naturalized citizens.
It is our paramount obligation and duty, gentlemen of the
11
Know Nothing part)7, to check forever this dangerous and
licentious exercise of the elective franchise. And should
not the American people do so ?
We will now submit to you, Tennesseans, the solemn
reflections of some of the wisest and best men that ever
influenced the councils of our nation, or presided over its
destinies — men who transmitted to their countrymen the
rich legacies of unsullied reputations of an immaculate
patriotism — a love of liberty that no presentation of peril
or death could extinguish. We will commence with thjose
of the illustrious Washington — the patriot without a par¬
allel ; a christian whose God and his country, were the only
objects of his supreme adoration.
The following is from Gen. Washington's letter to Gover-
neur Morris, of Pennsylvania, dated July 24, 1788:
" Dear Sir: The design of this letter is to touch cursorily
upon a subject of very great importance to the well-being of
these States; much more so than will appear at first view.
I mean the appointment of so many foreigners to offices of
high rank and trust in our service. * * * Baron
Steuben is also wanting to quit his inspectorship lor a com¬
mand in the line. This will be productive of much discon¬
tent to the Brigadiers. In a word, although I think the Baron
an excellent officer, I do most devoutly wish that we had not
a single foreigner amonsst us except the Marquis de Lafayette,
who acts upon very different principles from those which
govern the rest"
Again in his Farewell Address he uses this oracular
admonition:
" Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence, I con¬
jure you to believe me, fellow-citizens, the jealousy of a
free people ought to be constantly awake ; since history and
experience prove that foreign influence is on$ of the most
baneful foes of republican government."
This Mr. Morris was a delegate from Pennsylvania to the
convention which framed our constitution, and when it was
proposed in convention to make foreigners by birth eligible
to a seat in Congress, he used the following language, doubt¬
less the sentiments of Washington himself, for Washington
was his friend ;
" The lesson we are taught is, that we should be governed
as much by our reason, and as little by our feelings, as pos¬
sible. What is the language of reason upon this subject ?
That we should not be polite at the expense of prudence.
* # * He ran over the privileges which emigrants
would enjoy among us, though they should be deprived of
that of being eligible to the great offices of government;
observing that they exceeded the privileges allowed to for-
12
eigners in any other part of the globe. * * *
Admit a Frenchman in your Senate, and he will study to
increase the commerce of France ; an Englishman, and he
will feel an equal bias in favor of that of England. It has
been said that the State Legislatures will not choose for¬
eigners, at least not improper ones. There was no knowing
what the Legislatures would do. Some appointments made
by them proved that every thing ought to be apprehended
from the cabals practiced on such occasions. He then men¬
tioned the case of a foreigner who left this State in disgrace,
and worked himself into an appointment from another to
Congress."
Elbridge Gerry, one bf the Vice Presidents of the United
States, was also a member of the Convention that framed
the Constitution. Upon the eligibility of foreigners to offices
in the United States, in the Convention, he said:
" He wished in future that the eligibility (to seats in Con¬
gress ) might be confined to natives. Foreign powers will
intermeddle in our affairs, and spare no expense to influence
them. Persons having foreign attachments will be sent
among us, and he insinuated into our councils, in order to be
made instruments for their purposes. Every one knows the
vast sums laid out in Europe for secret services. He was
not singular in these ideas. A great many of the most
influential men in Massachusetts reasoned in the same way."
See Spark's Writings of Washington, Vol. VI, page 13, 14,
15. The Madison Papers, Vol. Ill, page 1277. 1299.
Fellow-citizens of the State of Tennessee, how shall we
best protect our liberty and institutions against the "insidi¬
ous wiles" of foreign influence and machinations, if not by
preventing the unhallowed abuse of our elective franchise—
by closing the doors of our offices forever from the admission
and prostitution of foreigners,
We shall continue the discussion of the same subject, with
citations from the opinions of other illustrious Statesmen, in
another article. 1 am AN AMERICAN.
NO. IV.
%
Evils and Dangers of Foreign Influence — Further Reference to the Viem
of Washington, Jefferson, Jay, Pinckney, Mason, Butler, Sherman, Ran¬
dolph, Madison, Hamilton, and Franklin, and other Statesman of the
Revolution.
Gentlemen:
Should the author of these communications ever
be known, we trust that our advanced age and unobtrusive
13
life will shield us alike from the unjust imputations of vault¬
ing ambition, or the rude assaults of a bigoted animositjr.
'Tis these alone that have given to our mature judgment that
achromatic cast that divests all objects of their glare of
color.
For forty years we have stood amid the political convul¬
sions that have agitated our Republic. But the storm which
will burst upon us in 1856, whose dark clouds, even now,
overcast our political horizon, seems to us with the most
appaling elements fraught. Abolitionism will
"Be rider of the wind,
The stirrer of the storm;
The hurricane it leaves behind
Is ever with the' lightning warm."
This Upas tree, with its baneful branches, sprung from for¬
eign seed, sown and nurtured by foreign hands. All the
disgraceful isms which are gradually undermining the foun¬
dations of our social, political, and religious fabrics, are
foreignisms—socialism, agrarianism, spiritualism, Fourier-
ism, skepticism, atheism, abolitionism, Jesuitism, and Ro¬
man Catholicism. They are Promethean vultures, ever
feeding.upon the vitals of our Republic — insidious enemies,
more to be dreaded than the plumed warrior or barbed steed
of invading armies.
We will now continue the discussion, as promised in our
last article, why foreigners by birth should not exercise the
elective franchise, or be eligible to offiee in the States or
General Government. Besides the letter referred to in arti¬
cle 3d, in which Gen. Washington opposed foreigners by
birth being employed in offices of high rank and trust in our
service, we will cite three others of his, relative to the same
subject — one to Benjamin Franklin, dated August 14, 1777;
the other two to Richard Henry Lee, dated May 17, 1777,
and June 1, 1777. Remember that this was during our
struggle for Independence, when our armies were deficient
in numbers and discipline — when, if ever, their employment
could be justified.
Thomas Jefferson not only concurred with Gen. Washing¬
ton in his repugnance to employing foreigners by birth in
these positions, but also in the lowest grades of the civil or
diplomatic service. He was of the opinion that Congress
should pass a law prohibiting them from being employed
even as Consuls—mere commercial agents—officers of the
Government abroad, who do not possess the least ministerial
power. While our Minister to France in 1788, he addressed
a letter to John Jay, dated Paris, November 14, 1788, in
which he uses the following language :
" With respect to the Consular appointments, it is a duty
. on me to add some observations which my situation here has
14
enabled me to make. I think it was in the spring of 1784,
that Congress (harrassed by multiplied applications from
foreigners, of whom nothing was known but on their inform¬
ation, or on that of others, as unknown as themselves,) came
to a resolution " that the interest of America, would not
permit the naming of any person not a citizen to the office
of consul, or agent, or commissary. Native citizens on sev¬
eral valuable accounts, are preferable to aliens, or citizens
alien born. Native citizens possess our language; know
our laws, customs, and commerce ; have generally, acquain¬
tance in the United States ; give better satisfaction, and are
more to be relied on in point of fidelity." * * * To avail
ourselves of our native citizens, it appears to me advisable
to declare, by a standing law, that no person but a native
citizen shall be capable of the office of consul. This was
the rule of 1784, restrained to the office of consul, and to
native citizens."
If Mr. Jefferson was so energetically opposed to the ap¬
pointment of foreigners by birth, or naturalized citizens, to
contemptible offices abroad, such as consuls, what think you
he would have thought of appointing them to represent the
dignity, the power and sovereignty of the United States, as
ministers, ambassadors, or charge d' affaires? Do you think
he would have concurred in the appointment of the red hot
French Republican Soule, or the Jewish bond-shaving agent
of the Rothschilds, Belmont ? He would have denounced
them in all the burning language of an indignant patriot.
John Jay, to whom Mr. Jefferson addressed this letter, was
one of the foremost men of the revolution. He was one of
the authors of the Federalist, the ablest production on or¬
ganic law and government, that ever emanated from the
brain of man ; was first Chief Justice ot the United States,
and the author of the celebrated treaty of 1784, which still
bears his name.
Let us dismiss this portion of our discussion, by a pertinent
interrogatory: Is it not remarkable that amid all the objec¬
tions so pertinaciously urged in the convention that framed
the constitution, against the eligibility of foreigners by birth
to seats in either house of Congress, none are urged against
their employment in the judicial departments of govern¬
ment, or in a ministerial capacity abroad? The reason
must be analagous to that given by the celebrated Athenian
Lawgiver, Solon, when asked why he did not, in his criminal
code, provide a penalty for the crime of parricide. His re¬
ply was, that it was a crime so horrible in its character, that
he believed no one so depraved as to commit it. So must
have thought the framers of the constitution relative to the
appointment of foreigners by birth, to such high and respon-
15
sible offices ; that it argued such a degree of folly, that no
President and Senate would commit it. It finds no paralel
in the diplomatic history of any modern civilized nation of
the globe.
We will proceed with the opinions of other illustrious
statesmen of the revolution, members of the convention that
framed our constitution, relative to the eligibility oiforeign¬
ers by birth to offices in the General Government, or seats
in the Congress of the United States, Charles Pinckney,
of South Carolina, arose from his seat in the convention, and
said: "As the Senate is to have the power of making trea¬
ties, and managing our foreign affairs, there is peculiar dan¬
ger and impropriety in opening its door to those who have
foreign attachments. He quoted the jealousy of the Athe¬
nians on this subject, who made it death for any stranger to
intrude his voice into their legislative proceedingsThis
Mr. Pinckney was elected four times Governor of South
Carolina, elected to the United States Senate in 1798, and
was our Ambassador to Spain from 1801 to 1805. George
Mason, of Virginia, said on this occasion: "Were it not
that many not natives of this country, had acquired great
credit during the revolution, he should be for restraining the
eligibility into the Senate to native citizensGeorge Ma¬
son, in intellectual energy, delicacy of wit, extent of politi¬
cal attainments, and thrilling eloquence, ranked among the
Lees, Madisons and Henrys. Pierce Butler, of South Caro¬
lina, in the convention said: " He was opposed to the ad¬
mission of foreigners into the Senate without a long resi¬
dence in the country. They bring with them not only attach¬
ments to other countries, but ideas of government so distinct
from ours, that in every point of view they are dangerous.
He acknowledged that if he himself had been called into
public life within a short time after his coming to America,
his foreign habits, opinions, and attachments would have ren¬
dered him an improper agent in public affairs. He men¬
tioned the great strictness in Great Britain on this subject."
Mr. Butler, before the revolution, was a major of a British
regiment stationed at Boston, and was a descendant of the
Dukes of Ormund, of Ireland, and one of the first United
States Senators from South Carolina. Americans, here is a
foreigner by birth, who rose to eminence in the councils of
our nation, who tells you, from his own experience, that it is
most dangerous to appoint foreigners to offices of rank and
trust in our country, because of their foreign attachments —
their habits, opinions, and ideas of government are so distinct
from ours.
We might proceed to give the opinions of such men as
Sherman and Randolph—the various delegates to the Con-
10
vention from New-Hampshire, New-Jersey, South Carolina,
Georgia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, who were opposed to
the eligibility of foreigners at all, to seats in Congress, or
advocates of the greatest restriction, but we presume we
have enlarged sufficiently upon this subject. Let us ob¬
serve, however, and we defy contradiction, that the para¬
mount consideration with all those who were in favor of
admitting foreigners, under any circumstances, to offices of
honor and responsibility in our government, at this period,
was that their total exclusion would incapacitate some of the
most distinguished men that had led our armies to victory,
or assisted in framing our constitutional government. This
ungrateful tribute to their merit influenced James Madison,
Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin, who, at the
very same time, expressed their great apprehensions of the
future. Could they have looked through the vista of sixty
years, and beheld the character and tide of our present emi¬
gration —• not men such as were of the revolution, of talent,
education, of fortune, distinction, possessing an ardent love
of constitutional liberty, law-abiding, and of high moral
worth — but the tide swelling from 3,000 annually to 400,-
000, the large majority ignorant, degraded men, the contents
of foreign penitentiaries, dungeons, hospitals, infirmaries, and
pauper houses — foreigners uneducated, the prolific source
of all our riots, murders, midnight robberies, house-burnings,
of religious and civil dissensions, that will bring upon us
ultimately, we fear, the loss of our political Paradise with
unnumbered woes; we say, could they have seen what we
now wicness, they would have then urged upon the States,
and the General Government, that at the expiration of a
future period, no foreigner by birth should exercise the elec¬
tive franchise, or be eligible to any office in the State or
under the Federal Government.
We will conclude this article by a reference to the senti¬
ments of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, in relation
to the dangers of foreigri influence exercised upon the coun¬
cils of our nation. Mr. Hamilton observed that, "One of
the weakest sides of Republics was their being liable \o for¬
eign influence and corruption. Men of little character acqui¬
ring great power, become easily the tools of intermeddling
neighbors. Sweden was a striking instance. The French
and English had each their parties during the late revolution,
which was effected by the predominant influence of the
former. What is the inference from all these observations?
That we ought to go as far in order to obtain stability and
permanency for our Republican principles as they will ad¬
mit." Mr. Madison, also, speaking of foreign influence over
the departments of the general government, says: " He
17
pretended not to say that any such influence had yet been
tried ; but it was naturally to be expected, that occasions
would produce it. As lessons which claim particular atten¬
tion, he cited the intrigues practiced among the Amphietionic
Confederates, first by the Kings of Persia, and afterwards
fatally by Philip of Macedon ; among the Achaians, first by
Maeedon, and afterwards no less fatally by Rome; among
the Swiss, by Austria, France, and the lesser neighboring
powers; among the Germanic Diets by France, England,
Spain, and Russia % and in the Belgic Republic by all the
great neighboring powers."
Thus We have heard the solemn admonitions of the wisest
and best men that ever adorned the illustrious pages of their
country's history. Our Congress has not yet become as pro¬
verbially corrupt as the British Parliament; yet, in time it
may so become. Corruptions of an. extraordinary character
have developed themselves in .other departments of the
general government. This will open the door to foreign
intrigue and gold. If millions are spent in Europe by Rus¬
sia, England, France, Prussia, Austria and the Pope, to
influence the councils of nations, and change the tides of
empire withersoever they may direct, think you, Americans,
that their secret spies and emissaries are not in swarms
amongst us? Shall we save our beloved country from the
thick gathering perils that surround her — from the fearful
vortex of ruin to which foreign influence is precipitating
her? If so, we must preserve our ballot box from their
abuse— our. offices from their prostitution. A wise precau¬
tion may avert danger ; but indiscretion will certainly bring
it on. Iam AN AMERICAN.
NO. V.
Natural and Legal Bights of Individuals and Nations, touching Emigra¬
tion — Extent and Character of our Foreign Immigration — Foreignism
a Prolific Source of Abolitionism.
Gentlemen: Our last article concluded with an allusion to
the extent and character of our present immigration, in con¬
tradistinction to that of the revolution. We spoke in a
general, not an exceptive sense. For well we bnow there
are many foreigners by birth among us, whose social virtues
ornament the varied circles of private life — some who
have illumined the councils of our nation by the light of
their experience and wisdom — some who have irradiated
the classic pages of our literature with the bright halo of
2
18
resplendent genuis; some who, on the battle-fields of
immortal memory, by their deeds of chivalrjr, by their
heart's blood of devotion, have shed upon our national
escutcheon the splendor of an unfading glory. Of such we
spoke not. But for you, also, and your children forever, we
wish to preserve the memory of your illustrious deeds, and
the ineffable blessings of our free institutions.
One word to our Know Nothing friends throughout the
State: Organize! Organize!! Be united in action, and
unanimous in council. In these consist our invincibility.
You may expect your motives and principles aspersed. But
we will be just, and fear not, for " all the ends we aim at,
are our country's, God's, and truth's." These shall vindi¬
cate our integrity and patriotism.
We will now proceed to discuss the subject of this arti¬
cle—-the extent and character of our immigration.
x The right of individuals to emigrate has been claimed by
some ethical and political philosophers as inalienable. They
reason thus: Every man is endowed with certain inalienable
rights, as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Now,
if individuals find that in the exercise and enjoyment of
these, the greatest amount of happiness of which their
varied condition is susceptible cannot be attained by the
laws and government of owe State, theyEave the inaliena¬
ble right to leave this, and go into another which they may
prefer. Thus, the right to emigrate as well as immigrate,
they claim as absolute and imprescriptable, because they
are correlative — the one being impossible without the
other. Judge Blackstone terms them absolute rights:
" For they belong to the persons of individuals in a state
of nature, and which every man is entitled to enjoy, whether
out of society or in it."—Ckitty's Blackstone, vol. 1 p. 87.
We confess that we were never fascinated with the illu¬
sive reveries of philosophers like the wild Rousseau ; or the
beatific visions of poets, who dream of the golden age of
innocent ignorance, of savage virtue, uncorrupted by the
vices of civilization. Has man any absolute rights, or
those of any character in a " state of nature," out of soci¬
ety, as Judge Blackstone supposes ? We answer no ! Man,
divested of his moral, social, and intellectual nature, is man
in a state of nature, He has but one of his natures remain¬
ing, that is his physical. Man possessing only his physical
nature, and "out of society," is but an animal in the forest;
less than a baboon, because, in his infancy, he is the most
helpless of all animals. Have animals inalienable or abso¬
lute rights? No, they have none at all. For we are told
by the " Lips of Inspiration," that all that wing the air,
or roam the woods, or roll along the floods, were placed
19
under the absolute dominion of man. Therefore, man, in a
" state of nature, out of society," is a mere animal; and
would have no rights, either alienable or inalienable. The
presumption of Blackstone is false ; for mankind has never
been found out of society, " in a state of nature," since the
commencement of the world. Can man reproduce himself ?
No. Therefore, woman is the complement of man, and as
such they were created together. And they, with angels
and the Creator of their beautiful world, formed their first
society — 'twas in Paradise. Adam and Eve dropped from
the plastic hand of the Almighty, perfect, fully developed
in all their physical, moral, and intellectual proportions.
Hence, society is coeval with the existence of man, being
as indispensable to his moral, social, and intellectual nature,
as food for his physical. But what is society without laws,
or government 1 or what are these, but to force individuals
to do what they should do, and abstain from what they
should not do, all in the varied, relations of life X There¬
fore, the rights of individuals, are as they have been from
the beginning of time, relative — not " absolute or inaliena¬
ble " — controlled by the societies or governments of which
they may be members. 'Tis phrase absurd to call the right
of emigration or immigration, absolute or inalienable. The
object of all Governments is to promote the prosperity and
felicity of their citizens. Therefore, the right of self-pro¬
tection is as inalienable and absolute in Nations as in indi¬
viduals, and each Nation is sole Judge of what will best
promote, or what may defeat these objects of its existence.
All nations, for the commission of crimes, imprison, and
even take the lives of the citizen. All nations claim the
right of expelling in peace or in war foreigners from their
realm, whose presence maybe dangerous to their welfare.
All nations claim the right of restraining the emigration of
their citizens when an invading foe threatens the destruc¬
tion of their national existence. And yet these indisputable
rights of governments, are in direct contravention of the
inalienable or absolute right; of individuals to emigrate or
immigrate. In international law, the comity of nations has
never recognized the right of one government to send its
citizens, even in a ministerial capacity, into the dominions
of another, without its authorized approval. From their
inalienable right, suppose we permitted all nations that
desired, to immigrate to America, what would become of
our language, our religion, our laws, institutions, and nation¬
ality ? There are in the world, 1,000,000,000 of inhabitants ;
the number of languages spoken, 8,000 ; different religions,
1,000. Would not one-fourth of these inhabitants, with
their different languages, religions, morals, and habits.
20
immigrating to the United States, obliterate Americanism
from the face of the globe ? Did not the immigration of
Goths and Vandals, of Huns and Ostrogoths in the Eoman
Empire, sweep away from the Roman world almost every
vestige of its arts and sciences — all the monuments of its
genius and civilization? It was from these very considera¬
tions that the Jews, who were called the peculiar people of
God, were commanded not to inter-marry with the heathen,
not to admit them to citizenship — to the blessings of their
civil or religious institutions. " For a little leaven leaveneth
the whole lump. But the Jews disobeyed these admoni¬
tions of the Almighty, and they have, with the Greek and
Roman, and every nation that followed their example, been
swept from the world's theatre, as with a besom of destruc¬
tion. This admission into our country of foreigners from
every realm, with their different languages, religions,daws,
and institutions, is to bring upon us also, we fear, a starless
night of desolation. Thus is it evident that all Govern¬
ments have the right to protect themselves and their citizens
against all foreign force or influence, whether of forcible
invasion or immigration. Let us examine first the extent,
then the character, of this foreign immigration.
First, its extent. We have examined various census
reports, not only from our own statistical bureaus, but from
those of Great Britain, France, and Germany — Hunt's Mer¬
chants' Magazine, DeBow's Review, as well as the estimates
of Tucket, Jarvis, and Chiekering. Our careful estimate
may be relied upon, therefore:
Total population of the U. S. in 1850, 23,200,000
Total white population in 1850, 19,561,192
Total foreign population and increase in 1850,* • 2,500,000
Total " " " 1854,. • 3,500,000
Our Census Bureau estimated the total population for
1850, at 23,191,876. Hunt's Merchants'Magazine, 23,257,-
723. The Census Bureau estimates the foreign population
and its increase in 1850, at 2,244,648 ; Hunt's Magazine at
3,191,909; Dr. Chiekering at 4,303,416. From 1850 to 1854,
there arrived at the port of New-York alone, of Germans
and Irish, 932,009; of Germans 458,261 ; of Irsh 474,748.
In 1851 the Germans amounted to 60,883; in 1854 to 168,-
728. The Irish in 1850 amounted to 163,256; in 1854 to
80,200. Thus the German emigration is much greater at
present than the Irish.
According to Hunt's Magazine and Dr. Chiekering, 1 out
of every 5 or 6 of our white population is a foreigner by
birth, or of immediate descent; by the Census Bureau, 1 in
8; and by our estimate, which is the most probable, 1 in
21
every 7 — fractions in all cases rejected. If the future
increment of our foreign population be as great as it has
been since 1850, the ratio will be reduced from 1 to every
7, to 1 in every 4 of our white population.
^Of the 2,500,000 foreigners in the United States, one-half
cannot read or write intelligibly our language; three-fourths
have no intelligent ideas of our language, institutions, or
the genius of our government. Yet the naturalization laws
presume, in the short space of five years, by some sort of
galvanism or exorcism — certainly by no educational pro¬
cess—that these illiterate foreigners can as thoroughly com¬
prehend them as a native citizen, and hence dignify them with
all the rights and privileges of American citizenship.} It is
selling our glorious heritage for a mess of potage. Our
language and complex machinery of government,.to for¬
eigners, are the most difficult to comprehend, and what it
requires us 25 or 30 years to accomplish, these ignorant and
unlettered "strangers" can do in the short spaceof five
years. How stupid we are, or how remarkably gifted they
must be. O age, art thou not ashamed of us ! O my coun¬
try, hast thou not lost the " breed of noble bloods /"
Foreignism is the prolific source of Abolitionism. For¬
eigners, upon their arrival in the United States, are taught
that slave labor is cheaper than free labor, and that to work
by the side of a slave, or for the same Wages, sinks them to
the degraded level of a slave. Besides, he is taught, from
national jealousy and hatred, to oppose slavery; yet in their
own Fatherland, themselves may be bondmen, without many
of the comforts or conveniences of slaves. According to
our Census Report of 1850, there were at that time in the
United States, of foreigners born in foreign countries, 2,210,-
830. There were :
In the Slave States,* * * 305,457
In the Free States, ... .1,845,382
Unknown, 33,809
Of the Slave States:
Missouri had
Louisiana "•
Maryland "
Kentucky "•
Virginia "
Texas "•
Delaware "•
72,474
66,413
53,288
29,189
22,394
16,774
5,211
Total, - ...265,743
Out of 305,457 of foreign born in the 15 Slave States,
these, seven contained in 1850,265,743 — residue in the 8
22
States, 40,714. Tennessee 5,740, There were in the States
of
New-York,* ••• 651,801
Massachusetts,* 160,909
Vermont, , 32,801
Pennsylvania, 294,871
Ohio, - 218,512
Illinois, • • 110,594
Wisconsin, 106,695
Total in these seven States, 1,543,441
These seven States contain out of a total foreign born
population in the Free States, 1,845,382, at least 1,543,441,
residue 301,941.
Thus we see that these seven Free States contain nearly
all the foreign population of our country ; and, as we will
soon see, nearly all the Abolition or ultra Freesoil vote of
the United States. In 1848, out of a total vote for Martin
Van Buren for the Presidency of 291,678, they gave 245,-
418 — residue 47,260. In 1853, they gave for John P. Hale,
the Abolition candidate for the Presidency, 122,929 votes of
the total given, 157,296—residue 34,367. New-York, Ohio,
Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Illinois, Vermont, and Connecti¬
cut, are the hot heels of Abolitionism.
If we look towards the South,-we will also see that Abo¬
litionism is the violent concomitant of foreignism. Missouri
has more foreigners than any other Southern State, and she
has also more Abolitionists or ujtra Freesoilers. Next come
Kentucky, Delaware, and Maryland, for their total popula¬
tion. These States have ever given for Van Buren and Hale,
and upon all test questions, the largest Freesoil vote. The
foreign population of Louisiana, South-Carolina and Texas,
are nearly all Frenchmen, Spaniards, or Mexicans. These
have never interfered with our local institutions, because
their vocations are generally mercantile; and being from
the West Indies or Mexico, are sympathetic in language,
blood, and institutions with many of tpe native citizens of
these States. Our emigration from the British Isles and
Germany, that overwhelmingly preponderate in the Free
States, are nearly all Abolitionists, from education and inter¬
est. Therefore, Americans, if we would dry up the fountain
head of all our national animosity and sectional disquietude,
we must extract from all future immigrants the power to
affect them. What care they for the compacts of the Con¬
stitution, or what know they of, or care for the rights of the
individualStat.es? Their fathers fought not for our inde¬
pendence, and framed not our glorious Constitution. And
when they witness our Anniversary Celebration of the
23
Fourth of July, and the Twenty-Second^of February, and
the Eighth of January, do their souls, like ours, swell with
the inspirations of the Divinity that presides over them?
When they tread upon the immortal dust that consecrates
the battle-fields of Lexington and Concord, of Yorktown
and Brandy wine, of Chippewa and New-Orleans, do they
feel, like we do, their souls rise kindling within them ? Do
they shed over our sweetest memories of the past, the
warm tears of gratitude and Iqve? Remember, children of
those ancestors who pierced with the death-shot and the
bayonet the bosoms of freemen struggling for liberty, that
with a generons forgiveness, the same bosoms are opened
as friends to receive you. They merely demand that they
alone shall administer the laws and government which they
alone fought for and established. Surely the ownem of the
Vineyard should select their laborers.
In our next we shall continue the same subject. I am
AN AMERICAN.
NO. VI.
Civil and Religious Freedom Maintained—The Fxtent-and Character of
our Foreign Immigration further considered in reference to our Territo¬
rial areaand as a Prolific Source of Abolitionism, and Pauperism.
Gentlemen: We have been charged with being the pro¬
moters of a religious animosity — the heralds of a religious
persecution. This is false. We would not, for any tem¬
poral boon, betray the great principles of our , civil and
religious freedom. We would not permit any temporal arm
to profane the sacred Ark of pur holy religion. Unlike the
the frantic Jacobin, we would not erect a splendid shrine,
even to Liberty, upon the ruins of the temple of the
Almighty. But we would preserve separate and inviolable
our political and religious- liberty. We would preserve
immaculate that other Jight, which is "light from Heaven,"
and which, like the fiery pillar to captive Israel, cheered
our forefathers through the storms of a seven-years Revolu¬
tion, and upon whose imperishable foundations rises the
splendid fabric of our national glory. We would sever
forever the adulterous connection between the Church and
the State — between the Throne and the Altar. For by it
Infidelity has achieved a more extended dominion than by
all the sophisms of her philosophy, or the terrors of a bloody
persecution. It has made Court appendages of God's apos¬
tles, and of the Almighty himself, a Court purveyor; "it
24
lias carved the Cross into a chair of State, where, with
grace upon his brow, and gold in his hand, the little Puppet
of this world's vanity makes Omnipotence a menial to his
power, and Eternity a pander to his profits." ites, we spurn
alike the temporal interference of the Pope, and the spiritual
jurisdiction of the State. We would-render unto Caesar the
things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are
God's. This must suffice upon this topic, for the present;
in due season we will confront all the charges made against
the American Order, and put them to the blush. Let us
proceed to the subject of this article — a further examina-
of the extent and character of our foreign immigration.
In our last article, we demonstrated the fact, that the
Abolition influence and vote of the North had increased with
the astonishing increase of our naturalized citizens. And
it is upon this ratio, asm basis, such Abolitionists as Thurlow
Weed, Horace Greely, and William H. Seward, have made
their future calculations of a disruption of this Union. For
have they not, throughout the entire North, allied themselves
with the foreign vote, and the Roman Catholic influence ?
Cheek by jowl stand, to-day, William H. Seward, the head
and front of the Abolitionists, and Archbishop Hughes, the
soul and body of the Roman Catholics of the United States.
How formidable this combination! O, my country! thou
art as dear to me as are the " ruddy drops which now visit
my sad heart." Like some sweet jessamine, thou hast en¬
twined thyself around about me, ever exhaling thy fra¬
grance and thy love. God of our beloved Washington,
snatch us from the jaws of the dreadful maelstroom to which
our Ship of State is fast drifting! For thou alone can min¬
ister to a nation whose mind is diseased, and pluck from its
bosom all rooted evils. For the children of thy adoption,
bare thy same Almighty arm, for hope and deliverance, upon
which reposed the strong faith of our Revolutionary sires.
Confound and overwhelm the councils of these plotters of
our national destruction, and bring thy favored people pure
and refined once more out of the terrible ordeal through
which they are passing.
We have given one — let us proceed to give another, of
the evil consequences arising from the extent of our foreign
immigration. A nation, like an individual, should he just
before it is generous; and a nation, like an individual, is
worse than an infidel, that will not provide for its own fam¬
ily. These are the evident duties of nations, as well as indi¬
viduals. Is our territorial domain of such unlimited extent
that it would he just or provident in us, as a nation, to invite
every stranger from abroad to a partition of this inheritance
of our children 1 For a great nation confines not its calcu-
25
lations to the present, but to the future it looks for its blazon
of immortality, and advances its standards to the very confines
of lime. Then, have we more territorial domain than we
want for our present population, and their succeeding gen¬
erations ? We will see. The deductions which we submit
to your solemn reflection, are from calculations based upon
two of the most reliable sources of statistical information in
the United States — the Census Bureau, and Hunt's Mer¬
chants' Magazine. The former supposes our total popula¬
tion in 1850 to have amounted to 23,191,876; the latter,
23,257,723. The former estimates our total territorial do¬
main at 2,936,166 square miles; the latter, at 3,136,447.
There is but a slight difference between these authorities.
We will take the Census Report for our first hypothesis. If
our future increase of population for 95 years be such as it
was from 1840 to 1850 — at the rate of 35.87 percent —
we will have a population
In 1860, 21,510,802
In 1900, 107,387,504
In 1950,- 497,246,365
jjt our future increase should be such as it has been from
1790 to 1850-7-^at the rate of 34.445 percent — we will
then have a population of,
In I860,..-.- 31,178,998
In 1900, ...101,838,397
In 1950, • • -447,159,670
Thus, by either of these calculations, we will swell our
'present population in 95 years to four hundred and fifty mil¬
lions— almost one-half of the present population of the
globe^ Our calculations based upon that of Hunt's Mer¬
chants' Magazine, estimating our future increase for 95
years according to his ratio of our increase from 1840 to
1850, at 36.25 per cent., would give us a population of,
In 1860. 31,686,647
In 1900, 109,206,811
In 1950,. 512,781,414
The average ratio from 1790 to 1850, without including
immigrants, according to Hunt's Magazine, is about 30 per
cent-, and according to this, our future population will be,
In 1860, 30,335,039
In 1900, 86,639,902
In 1950, -321.687,886
With these results staring us in the face, is it just or prov¬
ident in a wise nation to distribute among strangers, who do
not appreciate the boon, the inheritance of our own chil¬
dren, every inch of which they will need in 95 years? Re¬
member, too, that much of our national domain can never
26
be occupied or tilled. For it consists of barren wastes and
mountains, of wide lakes and rivers. We should question
the wisdom of that man's charity who would go abroad to
find objects for its blessings, while he leaves his own family
at home to future beggary and starvation. "Let thy charity
commence first at home," Americans ! Already our popula¬
tion is so dense that we have 7 to every square mile; and if
it equaled that of Norway and Sweden, it would amount to
45,000,000, or 15 inhabitants to the square mile ; if it equaled
Russia's, it would amount to 85,000,000, or 28 to the square
mile; if equal to Spain's, 200,000,000, or 78 to the square
mile ; if equal to that of France, 500,000,000, or 172 to the
square miip Do we desire this redundant population, with
its millions of paupers, and millions of money to sustain
them; with extreme poverty and extreme low wages of
labor; with millions of objects of charity ; with the loss of
our national vigor and health ; with crime and debauchery ;
with licentiousness aud decay? Let u's take one element of
an overgrown population—pauperism — and see what it
would cost us nationally, if our population was muqh more
dense. England and Wales in 1840 contained a population
of 15,800,000, and the public expenditure for pauperism was
over $22,000,000; in 1848, their population amounted to
17,500,000, and their public expenditure to $3*0,000,000; at
this time, 1855, it would amount to at least 840,000,000.
This immense amount is independent of private charities,
given in 1848, to over 1,600,000 paupers. This single ele¬
ment of a redundant population costs England and Wales
as many millions as would defray annually the total expen¬
ses of our Government. Let us look to Massachusetts, the
most densely populated State in our Union, affording as it
does, further evidence of this fact. In 1845 the city of Bos¬
ton alone paid for her pauperism $24,000, and the State paid
for the same $27,000 — total $51,000 ; and this sum is inde¬
pendent of private charities given to 3,478 paupers. In
1854, her pauperism, three-fourths of which was foreign,
could not have cost less, publicly and privately, than $100,-
000. New-York, with its 500,000 inhabitants, contained last
year ( as we are informed by the public press,) at least 80,-
000 inhabitants at one time, who were objects of public
and private charity, and these, also, were nearly all foreign¬
ers. If New-York had contained a population of 3,000,000,
what, last year, would have been the number of her paupers,
the extremity of their sufferings, and the vast expenditures
for their relief? Americans, this rapid increase of foreign
immigration must be curtailed and regulated ; our territo¬
rial domain husbanded for our own children, and our vast
public and private expenditures for foreign pauperism
27
abridged, or our future will be filled with the most terrible
consequences.
Contemplating the past, and glancing at the future, what
a powerful nation for good or evil, (if we remain united,)
are we destined to become — compared to which the storied
grandeur of Babylonian, Assyrian, and Roman Empires
dwindle into insignificance. Like Jonah's gourd, in a night
we have sprung into existence, and cast our shadow far
over the green earth. If fall we must, if not by suicidal or
fratricidal hands, it will be only by foreign influence and
immigration. United, even now, we could prevail against
invading Europe, bristling in arms. If sink we must, let us
go down beneath the waves, like a full orbed sun in a cloud¬
less sky, leaving as a golden radiance behind,the memory of
illustrious virtues, that will, illumine the tomb in which our
greatness lies inurned.
The next branch of our subject is the character of our
foreign immigration — a volume whose gloomy pages har¬
row up the soul. Pauperism and crime are the chief fea¬
tures of this character. By an examination of the Census
Reports of 1850, you find that the whole number of paupers
supported in whole or in part by the States of this Union in
the year 1840, was 134,972; of which number there were
68,538 foreign paupers — over one half. They cost the
State Governments and the counties in round numbers $3,-
000,000. Thus foreign immigration, by pauperism alone,
entailed upon the States in 1849, an expenditure of more
than $1,500,000. Remember that this enormous amount is
independent of private charities to foreign paupers, which
throughout the North alone would amount to $500,000
additional. This was in 1849; since which time our for¬
eign population has increased much more rapidly. To-day,
foreign pauperism alone costs the citizens of the United
States not less annually than $2,500,000 or three millions of
dollars.
New-York has a larger foreign population than any other
State in the Union. The paupers of New-York, supported
by the State in 1849, amounted to 59,855, and they cost the
State $817,336. Out of this almost incredible number, 40,-
580 were foreigners. Massachusetts had in 1849, 15,777
paupers supported by the State and counties ; of this num¬
ber 9,247, were foreigners — the total cost was about $400,-
000. This was also independent of private charities. In
1855 the total cost of foreign pauperism to the State cannot
be less than $300,000. The same ratio of numbers and
cost of foreign pauperism extends throughout the entire
North —- proportionate to their foreign population.
28
This fact is proven also from the Southern or Slave States
in which, the foreign population is greatest. Missouri has a
greater foreign population than any other Slave State. In
1849, of a total number, 2,977 of State paupers, 1,729 were
foreigners ; total cost of support $59,243. Maryland, next
to Missouri in its amount of foreign population, had in 1849,
4.494 paupers; out of which number 1,903 were foreigners.
The total number of Slave States in the Union is fifteen.
Thejr had in 1849 total number of paupers 21,258 ; of thesa
only 4,848 were foreigners ; and the total cost to these fif¬
teen States for pauperism, was $602,902. Thus you see that
New-York alone is annually taxed to support twice as many
foreign paupers, as there are native and foreign paupers in
the whole fifteen Slave States ; and at a cost equal to that
of their entire pauper population; A very astute statician
calculates that annually the people of the United^States are
taxed ( $4,000,000 )—four millions Of dollars to support for¬
eign pauperism. This amount would in 20 years build our
Pacific Railroad.
How cursed are the Northern States with, and how blessed
are the Southern States without, this foreign population.
Rut this is only one of its features. How much better woukl
it be for us and our children, if we were rid of this foreign
incubus, and the millions we annually expend for its support
were expended for the education of our children, or the
internal improvements of the States !
Fellow-citizens, what think you, from this glance, of the
future unfoldings of the picture ? Are such fit persons to
exercise the elective franchise — to hold office — to enjoy all
the immunities and privileges of American citizens — to
wield hereafter the destinies of our glorious Republic ?
The same subject to be continued in our next. I am
AN AMERICAN.
NO. VII.
Objections to the American Order considered—Secrecy — Proscription —
Mystery — Mode of Nominating and Electing Candidates for Office,
opposed to Demagogueical Electioneering.
Gentlemen : Before we resume the further discussion of
the character of our foreign population, let ,us briefly notice
some of the objections which have been urged against our
Order.
It is said our organization is secret in its character, and
therefore dangerous to popular liberty and constitutional
29
government. But this objection is no less applicable to
Free-Masonry, Odd-Fellowship, the Sons of Temperance,
and similar kindred secret associations. It is said that the
members of our Order are bound together by the most solemn
obligations, and therefore it is criminal as well as objection¬
able. But this objection is likewise applicable to Free-Ma¬
sonry, Odd-Fellowship, and the Sons of Temperance. It is
said that our Order is political in its origin and end, and that
ambitious demagogues and parties will avail themselves of
its potency for the promotion of their selfish advancement, or
the subversion of our Republican institutions. But the same
has been alleged of Free-Masonry and the Sons of Temper¬
ance. Wm. H. Seward, the chief priest of Northern Abo¬
litionists and the " higher law party,'' owes his first political
elevation to his opposition to Free-Masonry, and every
beardless demagogue makes his opposition to, or advocacy of
Temperance, his firstpolitical hobby. Why do not these
fastidious opponenl s of our Order object to the secret councils
of the President and his Cabinet, to those of the Executive
Committees of the Whig and Democratic parties during the
sessions of Congress, and their District, State, and Federal
elections for all these are "sealed books" to the public eye,
and are of apolitical and party character; the most potent
auxiliaries of individual and party advancement ? Why do
they notobjectto those most secret and mysterious religious
denominations — the Jesuits and Roman Catholics — the
solemn and awful oaths of allegiance made by their Priests,
Bishops, Archbishops, and Cardinals, to their spiritual and
temporal sovereign, the Pope? Would the penalty of death
extort from Bishop Miles, or Archbishop Hughes, a transcript
of their oaths of ordination and allegiance to Pope Pius the
Ninth? No, never. Here is a religion that erects behind
all constitutions and governments a throne of obedience as
high as heaven — whose day-god has been universal domina¬
tion, spiritual and temporal — that amid all the changes of
thrones and dynasties, for hundreds of years, has struggled
for the keys of kingdoms, and the treasures of all nations.
To whom are we dangerous? To the American people?
'Tis impossible ; for native Americans of all political parties
may join us if they desire. Certainly, therefore, the Ameri¬
can people can not be dangerous to themselves ; they will
not commit political suicide ; they will not subvert their own
liberty and institutions. Do not the American people now
wield all political power in this government — are they not
its centre and circumference ? We do not seek to disturb
them, but to confirm and establish the same people in their
legitimate and constitutional supremacy forever. To what
30
are we dangerous ? - To the Constitution of the United
States, or to those of the States? No ; but these we swear,
upon the altars of the Fathers of our Republic and our God,
to support and maintain even by our hearts' blood-
Again, it is said that we exclude some citizens from our
Order, and, therefore, it is proscriptive. We exclude those
only unworthy of general confidence, or who do not regard
our obligations as obligatory upon themselves. All such
are excluded as witnesses in our courts of judicature ; from
the Orders of Free-Masons, Sons of Temperance, and Odd-
Fellows. We do not force or inveigle any to join our Order.
We seek no one, but are sought by all; and no one is permit¬
ted membership until he is made acquainted with the char¬
acter of our order and his obligations. No member of our
order is bound by any obligation repugnant to the constitu¬
tion of the United States or that of the State in which he
resides, for. we have no such obligations. If any member of
our order desires to withdraw, he receives an honorable dis¬
missal, and may, if he prefers, oppose privately or publicly
our organization, and he is not for this persecuted or de¬
nounced. We only demand of such not to reveal anything
which was confided to their honor and veracity as gentle¬
men and christians. In all this we do not differ from Free-
Masons, Sons of Temperance, and Odd-Fellows. The
objects and ends of these secret benevolent institutions, are
generous, noble,beautiful, to-wit: benevolence, charity, and
temperance; but those of our organization are loftier and
more comprehensive; to preserve perpetually our beloved
country with all of its glorious civil, political, moral,'and
religious institutions, in their pristine vigor and excellence.
Our order is called a mysterious and impenetrable associ¬
ation. Yet five hundred newspapers throughout the Union
have hung our banners upon their outer walls, openly and
defiantly proclaiming our principles and sentiments, while
distinguished statesmen in and out of Congress, and citizens
in every State of the Union, upon the house tops and in the
streets, are daily advocating them against the aspersions of
their enemies. We established the first council in this State
some five months ago, and now we number over 275 councils
and 50,000 members ; and should our future accessions com¬
pare favorably with our past, by July next we will number
over 400 lodges, and from seventy-five to one hundred thou¬
sand members. We are as united as a band of brothers, and
stand like " grey hounds in the slips, straining upon the
start," to avail ourselves of every opportunity to rescue our
country from the only fearful danger that now imminently
threatens it — foreign influence at home and abroad.
31
We are called a secret organization, and yet the Indiana
Sentinel, the Democratic Review, and the Ng.sh.vUle Union
have, as they presumed, published to the world our signs,
keys, pass-words, and constitution. Will gentlemen who
believe in their genuineness attempt to enter our Council
chambers through these delusive lattices ? Credulity is ever
the offspring or handmaid of ignorance, fanaticism, or ma¬
lignity. We once heard of Morgan's revelations of Masonry.
None enjoyed the hoax so much as Masons. For they would,
with those who were duped into the belief of their truth,
upturn their eyes, and with them exclaim, "'Twas strange,
'twas passing strange ; 'twas pitiful, 'twas wondrous pitiful."
An amusing occurrence happened in our little village yes¬
terday. One of the seemingly knowing b'hoys accosted a
lobster headed companion in the street with the " Nashville
Union" in his hand, bellowing out "Eastman's got 'um —
Eastman's got 'um." "Yes," replied the companion, "just
read it, so I have—-I told you so—I told you so." The far¬
cical occurrence reminded us very much of the trite story of
the calf and the grindstone. As the story goes — there was
once a doting husband who had a wife remarkable for her
prophetic ken, who, whenever her husband announced to her
any startling fact, always bounced upon her feet and replied,
" I told you so —I told you so." One day the husband wish¬
ing to have a little fun, rushed into the house and cried out
at the top of his voice' "Old woman ! old woman ! the calf
has swallowed the grindstone !" " The devil you say," she
exclaimed, " 1 told you so." " If you did old lady," very
coolly replied the husband, " you told a devil of a lie!"
One of the objects of ottr Order is to put an end to all
demagogueism and the present vitiating and bankrupting
mode of electioneering, Our candidates for all offices are
nominated by the majority of all the members legally com¬
petent to vote in their election; without their solicitation or
importunity. The office seeks them, they cannot seek it.
Hence we procure generally the very best men. No mem¬
ber of our Order can, when nominated, electioneer in cross
road groceries or drinking saloons, or use the ordinary cor¬
rupt mode of canvassing to secure his election. If so, and
the Order is cognizant of the fact, they will withdraw his
name, and besides he subjects himself to expulsion. On the
day of the'election each member proceeds quietly to the
polls and deposits his vote, and cannot solicit or bribe others
to vote for his candidate. This prevents riots, bloodshed
and strife at the ballot-box, and the illegal and criminal ex¬
ercise of the elective franchise.
How important these reformations, when we remember
the excitements, riots, affrays, bettings, buying up of votes
32
# 9
illegal voting, drunkenness, debauchery, and other iniquities
that have characterized past canvasses and election days.
Such are some of the plain and truthful expositions of our
Order.
One word to the gallant brothers of our Order, and we
will close this article. The canvass is opening — stand fast
to your colors, and victory will set upon our helms. Remem¬
ber the inspiring words of the heroic Nelson to his sailor sol¬
diers at the battle of Trafalgar — "England (your country)
expects every man to do his duty." I am
AN AMERICAN.
NO. VIII.
The Sublime virtue of Patriotism — Reflections suggested by the Exalted
Position of the United States among the Nations of the Earth—For¬
eign enmity to our Republican Government — Foreign elements of dis¬
sension and insecurity in our midst —In the Army, Navy, and Civil
Offices of the Country — The Foreign Vote and Influence in Presiden¬
tial Elections—The Balance of Power —The Character of our For¬
eign-bom Population further considered, with reference to Crime and
Ignorance-—Additional Views of Washington and Jefferson.
Gentlemen : Patriotism is a divine love of country — it is
the religion of liberty—a sublime virtue of the most ex¬
alted minds. Our country is our common Mother, in whose
unity all isolated individuals are merged and blended —
whose sacred name expresses the voluntary fusion of all in¬
terests into one sole interest, of all lives into one perpetually
enduring life. This holy fusion of all interests and life into
one, is the prolific source of ineffable blessings ; the inex¬
haustible origin of a continual and otherwise impossible
progress; the pure fountain from which issue all moral, in¬
tellectual, and national development, productive energy,
security and prosperity. It exists and is perpetuated, by the
devotion of each to all, by banishing from the heart all
abject selfishness, and sacrificing one's self for the good and
the general welfare of the whole. This is our oum beloved
country, the model of fraternal organizations, based on
natural justice and equality. Therefore our untiring zeal
should be, to preserve in its entire integrity the salutary
principle of the perfect and absolute equality of rights of
all citizens and States —from which emanate all private
and public liberty, all individual and national felicity. We
should not permit attacks from any quarter upon the sple,
legitimate sovereignity — that of the people; nor the sus¬
pension of its exercise for any cause whatever; nor a sub-
33
stitution of any domination, whether temporal or spiritual;
nor should we bend the knee to any master, save the Al¬
mighty. To do so is to renounce for ourselves and our chil¬
dren. all true dignity and equality ; to prostrate ourselves
.upon the ruins of society at the feet of despotism ; to betray
the saered cause of right and humanity; to deny the hal¬
lowed name of country. The stall, where beasts of service
eat and sleep, cannot be one's country.
This patriotic devotion to one's country, in all ages, and
amid all nations, has been the inspiring theme of bards and
orators; it has made the animated marble speak, and the
breathing canvass glow in mute omnipotence; it has be¬
queathed to immortal memory names that cannot die, and
deeds that consecrate the spots where lie inurned the holo¬
causts of liberty. For this, the noble Cato shed his own
heart's blood, rather than behold any longer the national
degradation of his country, which he might be said to have
loved with a religious adoration: for his purity and patriot¬
ism, like Egypt's Pyramids, towered sublimely amid an
almost universal desolation. For this, the last of the Grac-
chii expired, whose scattered dust toward Heaven gave birth
to a Marius, less distinguished for having exterminated the
Cimbri, than for having prostrated forever the aristocracy of
the Patrician nobility, beneath whose blows the heroic sons
of Cornelia fell. For this, Codrus, the last of the Athenian
Kings, and the patriotic Deceii, voluntarily immolated their
lives. When was it that the Athenians became the protec¬
tors of Greece, and appeared the most patriotic and formid¬
able? It was when Xerxes, with his Persian millions, had
invaded their country; consigning their houses and posses¬
sions to the flames of the enemy, and transfering their
wives, their children, their aged parents, and the symbols of
their religion, on board of their fleet, they .considered them¬
selves as the Republic, and their fleet as their country, and
then struck that terrible blow at Salamis, under which the
greatness of Persia sunk forever. When was it the Romans
.appeared at once the most terrible and invincible? " It was
when seventy thousand of their sons lay bleeding at Cannae,
and Hannibal, victorious over three Roman armies and
twenty nations, was thundering at the gates of their imperial
city." It was then, swearing on their swords in the pres¬
ence of the fathers of the Republic, never to despair of it,
they marched forth with the patriotic determination to con¬
quer or to die. From this resolution, the power and glory of
Carthage evanished forever.
But why should we roam abroad to find examples of a
religious love of liberty — of patriotic devotion to one's coun¬
try ? Immortal sires of our Revolution ! Your Declaratkm
3
34
of Independence gave new birth to liberty, inaugurating at
once a new era and a new world. Thus suspending your¬
selves between magnificence and ruin, with a patriotism
that no temptations of earth could seduce, you dashed from
your lips the poisoned chalice of European despotism, and
spurned her crowns and principalities as you did the haugh¬
ty legions with which she sought to intimidate you. Amid
all the vicissitudes of your seven years' conflict, you dis¬
played a love of liberty that defied all misfortune, and
patriotism that gave new grace to victory. Washington
and Jackson, Scott, Taylor, and Harrison, at Concord and
Lexington, upon the Thames and the Brandywine, at New
Orleans and in Mexico — for their country, you and your
children have fought and bled ! Hamilton, Madison and
Franklin, Rutledge, Jay, and Jefferson, Webster, Clay, and
Calhoun — your wisdom and patriotism are the land-marks
of the nation—its imperishable monuments forever. Amer¬
ican heroes and patriots, your race is the last and noblest of
time. Yes, my countrymen—
"The first four acts already past,
A fifth shall close the drama of the day;
Timers noblest offspring is the lasV
These reflections have been forced upon us from the
exalted position which a mysterious Providence has assigned
us among the nations of the earth, and from the alarming
dangers that are gathering and thickening all around about
us, both at home and abroad. Look to the distant heavens;
upon the horizon lowers a storm-cloud from agitated Eu¬
rope—a fearful combination of potent States against us—
England and France, Austria and Spain. The latter, the
miserable instrument of provocation and menaced ven¬
geance. Look into your own bosom ; you feel already the
tremblings of a quiescent volcano — civil disorders, sectional
animosities, national disruption. Do you doubt the Euro¬
pean combination against us ? It has been announced upon
the floors of the British Parliament by Lord Clarendon;
echoed by the London Times, the mouth piece of the British
Ministry; it has been insinuated by the Emperor, and the
Press of France; it has been proclaimed by Senator Cass
in our own Congress — by our Ministers to France, England,
and Spain ; and it has been confirmed by the direct inter¬
ference of their Consuls and Ministers in our Diplomatic
negotiations with China, the Sandwich Isles, Central Amer¬
ica, the West India Islands, and Spain. Even now, from the
waters of Havana, the bristled cannon of their combined
fleet indirectly point to our shores. How shall we weather
this storm, that threatens from abroad ? How shall we
extinguish the volcanic elements that are gathering within
ear own bosom?
35
Citizens of Tennessee, if there ever was a time when such
illustrious examples of an ardent love of liberty and patriotic
devotion to country could inspire us above ordinary men, it is
even now. Foreign influence has attempted abroad to thwart
our expansion, prosperity, and power. Foreign influence
has employed at home every means to produce a national
disruption, by sowing all seeds of civil discord, and foment¬
ing mutual distrust and sectional alienation. Our only sal¬
vation lies in the stalwa> t arms and patriotic bosoms of united
Native Americans. Native Americans, do you rule America,
or are you and your destinies in the hands of strangers to
your institutions —foreigners by birth 1 Look at your di plo-
matic corps abroad — to your armyj navy, and Federal offices
at home. You are becoming politically proscribed. A
French Red Republican was sent to Spain—an Austrian
Jew to Holland — an Irish Fillibuster to Portugal—an Eng¬
lish Socialist to Naples ; while a Roman Catholic has been
appointed to a seat in the Cabinet, and another is Chief Jus¬
tice of the United States. Your Merchant's Marine consists
of 112,000 seamen — of these one-third are foreigners; your
Navy of over 8,000 sailors —of these one-fourth are foreign¬
ers: your Army, over 10,000 officers and soldiers — of these
7,000 are foreigners; your officers in the various depart¬
ments of the General Government in 1854, amounted to
natives 982 -—foreigners 3,321 !*
Americans! you ask yourselves why all this? We will
tell you, and let the solmen truth sink down deep into your
hearts. The Foreign vote and influence now hold the bal¬
ance of power in our government, and they have elected
every President of the United States since 1836. The for¬
eign vote in 1836 amounted to 150,000, and Martin Van
Buren, who received it, was elected over all opposition by
25,413 ; in 1840 it amounted to 200,000, and Harrison's ma¬
jority over Van Buren was 146,000 ; in 1844 it amounted to
250,000, and Polk's majority over Clay was 38,801 ; in 1848
the foreign vote was 325,000, and Taylor's majority over
Cass 3.9,605 ; in 1852 it was 400,000, and Pierce's majority
over Scott was 202,679. In 4856 the foreign vote will in¬
crease to 600,000. According to the Census Report the
foreign vote in 1850 amounted to 372,000, while there were
372,000 foreigners additional, capable of voting. Thus to
conciliate this foreign vote and influence, the true lords of the
manor and their children, have "been driven from their inher-
* This last statement, as to the " departments of the General Govern¬
ment," is taken from the leading American Journals. It is denied by the
Washington Union, but its contradiction is no proof that the statement is
not true, for the Union is one of the bitterest enemies of the Order,
36
itance, and its possession and government are rapidly being
transferred to the hands of strangers. This has been the
vortex and sepulchre of nations; and unless we at once
rush to our country's rescue, its declination will be as rapid
as its ascension.
But alas, the character of this foreign population ! This
brings us to our concluding remarks upon this topic. We
have spoken of its pauperism, let us now speak of its
crime and its ignorance.
The total number of persons convicted for the various
offences in the United States during the year ending in I860,
were of natives 12,855—foreigners 13,691 ; and this not¬
withstanding our native population was seven times greater
than the foreign. According to the Census Report, for vari¬
ous offences there were confined in the jails and penitentia¬
ries of the States during the same time, of every 10,000
natives, 1,882 ; of every 10,Q00 foreigners, 6,690. To prove
most conclusively that crime, like pauperism, ever dogs the
heels of otir foreign population, we will instance a few
States in which it most abounds. The number of criminals
convicted in 1850 were in Illinois, of natives 127 — foreign¬
ers 189 ; Maine, natives 284 — of foreigners 460 ; in Massa¬
chusetts, of natives 3,366 — of foreigners 3,884; in New
York, of natives 3,962 — of foreigners 6,317 ; in Louisiana,
of natives 197—of foreigners 100 ; in Missouri, of natives
242 — of foreigners 666. New-York in the North and Mis¬
souri in the South have had the greatest sectional amount
of foreign population.
The ignorance of our foreign population we will next
briefly consider. There weredn the United States in 1850,
foreigners who could neither read nor write, over the age of
twenty, 195.114; at present, 225,000; and under this age and
over five years, 400,000. In Connecticut there were of
natives 4,013 — of foreigners 5,235; in Maine, of natives
4,149 — of foreigners 6,282; in Rhode Island, of natives
1,217 — of foreigners 2.359; in Massachusetts, of natives
1,861 —-of foreigners 26,484 ; in New-York, of natives 30,-
670 — of foreigners 68,052.. We might proceed with other
statistical information relative to the foreign blind, deaf, dumb,
insane, and idiotic — the annual cost of these, and foreign
paupers, and convicts, and inmates of jails, penitentiaries
and almshouses, to the people of the United States; but
what we have already exhibited ought to suffice to convince
the most skeptical of the imminent dangers which threaten
our country. Are these degraded and ignorant persons com¬
petent to understand and appreciate our constitution, insti¬
tutions, and the genius of our government? It is impossible.
Who, therefore, can doubt the propriety of out* Order's refu-
37
sal to permit them to exercise the elective franchise, or to
hold any office under the jurisdiction of the States or Fed¬
eral Government 1- We confess that there are exceptional
instances, of foreigners who are highly educated — gentle¬
men of moral, social, and even national worth. But they
are lamentably few, and cannot adequately compensate for
the demoralization, ignorance, degradation and destitution
of an overwhelming majority. A still greater objection to
this population is, that sixty per cent of the males are over
20 years old, and forty-nine per cent of the females are over
19 years of age. Again, the Census Report states on page
120, that our foreign population almost universally inter¬
marry among themselves; and associating exclusively
among themselves for a long length of time, they are separ¬
ated from our native population in clans, both in the cities
and the country — at once preserving their foreign idiosyn-
cracies of character, language, and nationality. France,
England, Ireland, Germany, Russia, and Spain, have their
foreign supporters and sympathizers within our country. „
This will ever prevent homogeniousness of character, union
and nationality, among our citizens.
Americans ! These evils must be immediately remedied,
or our glorious America will be lost amid the ruins of rev¬
olutions, or swallowed up by a fearful vortex of civil dis¬
ruptions. Let me conjure you, by the most hallowed recol¬
lections of the past, by the most glorious anticipations of the
future, once more lay aside your sectional and political ani¬
mosities, for the overpowering cause in which we are em¬
barked. Remember, the contest is for our children, our
country, and our God. Remember, the day which shall once
more unite all free Native Americans, shall be held in all
time as another birthday of American Constitutional Lib¬
erty •—when upon another mid-morn another sun shall rise
in unfading splendor. Then may we hope, when European
and Asiatic despotisms, with all their columns and triumphs,
with all their crescents and crowns, shall have mouldered
into dust.. civilization, rising upon her Olympian wings, shall
still shine in the sky of a Franklin,, and "glory rekindle at
the tlrn of a Washington." Then shall pure religion and
popular liberty walk abroad in the ubiquity of their benev¬
olence ; for their bounds will be the extremities of creation.
Americans, trust in yourselves--trust in the God of your
fathers; for there is a "Divinity that will.shape our ends,
rough hew them as we may."
Below, I submit to you the reflections of Washington and
Jefferson. Those of Gen. Washington, the first, in a letter
addressed to Governeur Morris, dated White Plains, July
24, 1778:
. „Baron Steuben, I now find, is also wanting to quit his
38
inspectorship, for a command in the line. This will be pro¬
ductive of much discontent. In a word, though I think the
Baron an excellent officer,! do most devoutly wish we h^d
not a single foreigner amongst us except the Marquis de
Lafayette, who acts upon very different principles from those
which govern the rest."
From another, dated Philadelphia, November 17, 1794.
and addressed to John Adams, the elder:
" My opinion with respect to immigration is, except of
useful mechanics, and some particular descriptions of men
and professions, there is no need of .encouragement."
A letter dated from his residence, January 20, 1790, in
reply to a letter applying for office, has this passage :
''It does not accord with the policy of this government, to
bestow offices, civil or military, upon foreigners, to the ex¬
clusion of our citizens."
Those of Mr. Jefferson may be found in his "Notes on
Virginia,"
" Civil government being the sole object of forming socie¬
ties, its administration must be conducted by common con¬
sent. Every species of government has its specific princi¬
ples. Ours are more peculiar than those of any other in the
universe. It is a composition of the freest principles of the
English constitution, with others derived from natural right,
or natural reason. To these nothing can be more opposed
than the maxims of absolute monarchies. Yet from such
we are to expect the greatest number of immigrants. They
will bring with them the principles of the governments they
leave, imbibed in their early youth; or, if able to throw
them off, it will be in exchange for an unbounded licentious¬
ness, passing, ^as is usual, from one extreme to another. It
would be a miracle were they to stop precisely at the point
of temperate liberty. These principles, with their language,
they will transmit to their children.
" In proportion to their numbers, they will share with us
in the legislation. Th'ey will infuse into it their spirit, warp
and bias its direction, and render it a heterogeneous, inco¬
herent, distracted mass. I may appeal to experience during
the present contest, for a verification of these conjectures.
But, if they be not certain in event, are they not possible,
are they not probable ? Is it not safer to wait with patience
twenty-seven years and three months longer for the attain¬
ment of any degree of population desired, or expected?
May not our government be more homogeneous, more peacea¬
ble, more durable V
The next topic of discussion will be the relative position
of our organization with the political and religious parties
and denominations of the day. I am
AN AMERICAN.
39
NO. IX.
Religious Liberty — The American Party vindicated against the charges
of Intolerance and Proscription.
Gentlemen : We promised in our last article to devote this
to the discussion of the position of the American party on
the question of religious liberty. To do this effectually, we
must recur to the language and spirit of the Constitution of
the United States, and the State of Tennessee: for both of
these we aie solemnly obliged faithfully to observe.
t First. The Constitution of the United States declares, in
Article 1st of its Amendments — "That Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of religion ; or prohibit¬
ing the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press." This is all it has to say upon this
topic. Did the American party, or any portion of it, ever
ash of Congress to pass a law respecting an establishment of
any religion; or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;
or abridging the freedom of religious speech, or of
the press? They have never done So, nor could they
meditate such a thing. Because they are solemnly sworn to
oppose any amalgamation of Church and State, and forever
to defend the freedom of conscience, of worship, of speech,
and of the press. Thus, the American party, instead of
violating any portion of the Constitution, pledge their honor
and life to maintain it in its spirit and letter.
Secondly. The Constitution of the State of Tennessee
declares, Sec. 3, Art. 1st — "That all men have a natural
and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to
the dictates of their own conscience; that no man can be
compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or
to maintain any minister against his consent; that no human
authority can, in any case whatever, control or interfere with
the rights of conscience ; and that no preference by law shall
ever be given to any religious establishment or mode of
worship." Again, Sec. 4th—"That no religious test shall
ever be required as a qualification to any office or public
trust undei; this State." This, also, is all that our State Con¬
stitution says upon this subject. We submit to every mem¬
ber of the American party in the State of Tennessee, if he
is not bound by every consideration of honor and patriotism
to maintain each and all of these requirements of the Con¬
stitution of the State of Tennessee ? Why are we so im¬
placably opposed to the "Higher Law" party of Northern
Abolitionists, of which Wm. H. Seward is the head and front?
Because they have attempted to influence the issue of elec¬
tions, and the decision of purely political questions, by bring-
40
ing to bear the power of ecclesiastical denominations and
religious fanaticism; because, instead of the plain language
of laws and constitutions, and the decisions of Supreme
Courts, they have erected over these, as ultimate tribunals
of sup°rior obligation, their own private, moral, and religious
rights of conscience and judgment. Why is it that our
party are opposed to Roman Catholics? Because we sin¬
cerely believe, that the very spirit and soul of their Church
polity, as well from its experimental illustration in other
nations, as in our own, are opposed to these fundamental
requirements of our State Constitution ; because, behind the
supreme and ultimate tribunals of our constitutions and laws,3
upon mere civil and political questions, they have erected, as
of primary and paramount obligations, the dicta of Priests,
or the adjudications of their ecclesiastical or Papal authori¬
ties.
In addition to what we have already said, in Article sixth,
' explanatory of our position on the question of religious lib¬
erty, we will add the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth Arti¬
cles of our creed, published semi-ojficially in our metropoli¬
tan paper aWashington, "The American Organ." They
are as follows:
Sixth. " We shall oppose, nowu,nd hereafter, any "union
of Church and State," no matter what class of religionists
shall seek to bring about such union.
Seventh. " We shall vigorously maintain the vested rights
of all persons, of native or foreign birth, and shall at all
times oppose the slightest interference with such vested
rights.
Eighth. " We shall oppose and protest against all abridg¬
ment of religious liberty, holding it as a cardinal maxim, that
religious faith is a question between each individual and his
God, and over which no political government, or other hu¬
man power, can rightfully exercise any supervision or con¬
trol, at any time, in any place, or in any form.
Ninth. "We shall oppose all 4 higher law' doctrines, by
which the constitution is to be set at naught, violated, or
disregarded, whether by politicians, by religionists, or by the
adherents or followers of either, or by any other class of
persons."
We are denounced as proscriptive, because we do not ad¬
mit to membership Roman Catholics; and because we are
opposed to their election or appointment to offices of trust
and honor, within the limit or under the jurisdiction of any
or all of the United States. Our association is a voluntary
one, and like the Free Masons, Odd Fellows, Sons of Tem¬
perance, and analagous societies, we have the right to admit
whom we please. Again, at the last Democratic State Con-
41
vention, held in the State Capitol, for the purpose of nomi¬
nating a candidate for the Gubernatorial chair, there were
passed resolutions establishing a Secret Central State Execu¬
tive Committee, with subordinate county committees. Why is
it, that the Democratic party will not permit any Whig to
become a member of these secret Executive Committees ?
Because they wish to conceal from their opponents, the
Whigs, their secret plan of organization, by which they can
most successfully and efficiently conduct the canvass, and
elect the candidates of their choice. Hence, to admit the
Whigs, their opponents, to membership in their Executive
Committees, would be to defeat all the objects for which they
were instituted. For these reasons was the American party
secretly organized, and do they reject from membership their
opponents, the Roman Catholics. If the one is objectionable
and proscriptive, so is the other. But these committees are
alike common to all political parties, and are almost coeval
with the formation of our government.
Again, every good Catholic, once annually at least, is
obliged to confess to his Priest, Bishop or Archbishop. Should
he be asked by the priest, during the progress of his disclo¬
sures, if he were a member of the American. party— what
were its distinctive features—its plan of organization, or
whom its candidates for office, he is bound by his church
obligations to reveal all these things, or be anathematized.
The priest, he believes, has the power not only to absolve his
obligations and oaths of honor and patriotism, but also to
remit all his sins. Thus to admit Catholics to our Order is
but to defeat the attainment of all of its salutary objects.
Again, we will not vote for or appoint Catholics to office,
because when installed in office they swear to support the
Constitution of the United States, as the fundamental and su¬
preme law of the land ; and this they do with the mental
reservation of a superior allegiance to their church and its
ecclesiastical authorities. This is, in civil or political
affairs, elevating the church upon the ruins of the State, and
for legal and constitutional obligations, a substitution of
ecclesiastical prerogative and Papal domination. Again,
why do Whigs vote for and appoint to office Whigs rather
than Democrats ? Because they so wish. Why do Catholics
and naturalized foreigners oppose us, and refuse to vote for a
Native American for any office? Because they so wish.
Now, have not the members of the American party the same
right to vote for whom they wish? What constitutional
obligation is any citizen of these United States under to
vote for Catholics rather than Protestants—foreigners b*y
birth rather than Native Americans? I answer, none.
Then why call it proscriptive because a Native American
42
votes for whom he pleases for office, a right which every
freeman in America enjoys ? Whig and Democratic parties
vote for, and appoint to office, only the members of their own
parties. Have not the American party the same right ? O.
" do not, as some ungracious pastors do, show us the steep
and thorny way to Heaven, whilst like puffed and reckless
libertines they, themselves, the primrose path of dalliance
tread," and practice not the precepts which they teach.
It is not the religious faith of the Catholics" to which we
are opposed, but their church polity and its tendencies. With
the same pertinacity would we oppose any Protestant de¬
nomination whose hierarchical tendencies were analagous.
We cannot be charged with being a religious bigot —&
wretch whom no philosophy can humanize, no charity soften,
no religion reclaim, no miracle convert. We belong to no
religious sect, but we would preserve religion pure as the
immaculate source from which it emanates. " The union of
Church and State only converts good christians into bad
statesmen, and political knaves into pretended christians.
It is at best but a foul and adulterous connection, polluting
the purity of Heaven with the abominations of earth, and
hanging the tatters of a political piety upon the cross of an
insulted Savior. The hands that hold her chalice should be
pure, and the priests of her temple should be as spotless as
the vestments of their ministry."
Thus much just now, we have deemed necessary, prepar¬
atory to the main argument in our subsequent articles, the
chain of w;hich we wish not to be interrupted, as it will be
more elaborate and historical. For these we beg a careful
and thoughtful consideration.
Before Heaven, we do not cherish for any religious denom¬
ination the least degree of unkind feeling. The same laud¬
able motives now prompt us, that impelled us, when in mant¬
ling youth, beneath the ensigns armorial of the Republic,
we bared our bosom to the rude thunder shocks of battle.
All we seek is the boon denied to none — to emulate the
deeds of our noble ancestry, that we too, when we c^e, may
repose beneath the same evergreens of immortal memory
which national gratitude has planted in the bosoms of our
children. 'Tis laudable to serve one's country.
As the American party in this State have no official organ,
they tender through me, the official exponent of their creed,
their grateful acknowledgements to the public press for the
publicity which they have given to this series of articles,
lam AN AMERICAN.
43
NO. X.
.The Government of the United States is founded on the Eternal Principles
of Human and Divine Justice—All Religious Power and Authority
are Constitutionally separated from all Political— This complete separ¬
ation of Religious from Political Power is the peculiarly distinguish¬
ing feature of American Republicanism, for in no other Government has
it ever existed — The History of all Nations proves that a union of Po¬
litical with Religious Power and Authority is dangerous to Popular Lib¬
erty and promotive of Despotism. .
Gentlemen: We solicit your thoughtful consideration of
our historical argument, to demonstrate the . three proposi¬
tions which we announced in the close of our last communi¬
cation :—-First: That the Government of the United States
is the only one that ever existed, in which all religious power
and authority areLseparated from all political — the Church
from the State — in all their varied departments and details.
Secondly : That the Roman Catholic Church is a cunningly
devised admixture of Paganism, Christianity, and political
Despotism. Thirdly; That the union of the Church and
State — of the religious and the political authority ■— in the
organization of governments, has invariably led to the usur¬
pation of the rights of the people — to national corruption,
degradation and ruin.
In relation to the first proposition, 'tis true, that when our
constitutional form pf government was adopted, for the first
time in the world's history was announced the birth-day of
a nation, which based the foundations of its government
upon the eternal and immutable principles of human and
divine justice—-that recognized in ail civil power the indis¬
putable sovereignty of the people — in all divine authority
the undivided sovereignty of the Almighty ; that tore away
from between eachcitizen and the people, the legitimate source
of all sovereign power, all former intermediate obstructions
of kings, nobles, and aristocratical classes — that tore away
from between the aspirations of the human heart and its
God, the holy object of its sublime adoration, all interven¬
ing obstacles, of temporal Popes and Potentates, of mitred
Bishops and Priests. 0, happy, proud America! you have
rendered unto God the " things that are God's;" and may thy
people be the happiest —thy reign the noblest of time!
May ages on ages ever thy splendor unfold ! In this histor¬
ical argument we are obliged to avoid all collateral points,
and lengthened details, and confine ourselves strictly to a
comprehensive but condensed analysis of the organic struc¬
tures of all governments. We shall, therefore, commence
with the most ancient.
44
In ascending the acclivities of.time to the twilight of au¬
thenticated history, the first regularly organized government
that emerges from all poetical and mythical obscurity, is
ancient Egypt. This was a government decidedly of castes,
of which the most predominant were those of the warriors
and Priests. The Priests prescribed all forpis and ceremo¬
nies. for every important action^ which even the haughtiest
King dared not violate. As the stars were consulted on all
momentous occasions, and the Priestly Astrologers possessed
the exclusive right to interpret their omens and deliver their
oracles, this gave to them paramount control over all public
and private affairs. The Priestly caste held the Kings and
the people in awe of their displeasure, even after death ;
for they alone formed that fearful tribunal that determined
whether the dead bodies even of Kings merited embalming
and a mausoleum, or should be cast away for loathsome
decay. The first usurper of the royal throne of the Pha¬
raohs, was the PriestSetlios, who, at the head of afi army of
undisciplined laborers and artificers, expelled from the con¬
fines of Egypt the renowned Assyrian conqueror, Senacherib.
The established religion of Egypt was Paganism, arid it was
intimately interwoven with all the various departments of
the civil authority. Here, priestly domination united with
royal usurpation, in the universal sacrifice of the people's
rights. Yes, Egypt, thy colossal statues and solemn tem¬
ples, thy catacombs, labyrinths, and lofty pyramids, are the,
eternal monuments of thy ancient grandeur and shame.
For they were erected upon the ruins of the people, and wefe
wrung from the toil, sweat, and Sacrificed lives of millions.
'Twas here, ill-fated Israel, that thy children drank the
bitter dregs of an unmitigated servitude* Modern differs
from ancient Egypt but little ; for whether as a Viceroyajty
of Turkey, or as an independent nationality, whether Pagan¬
ism or Mahometanism be the prevailing national religion,
all civil and religious authority is blended, and the sove¬
reignty of the people is usurped.
India, Persia, Syria, Assyria,, and Media — the Persian,
Assyrian, and Babylonian Empires ; we have grouped to¬
gether the ancient history of these, from the striking analogy
of their forms of government-—their political and religious
institutions. For whether as separate kingdoms, or united
under overshadowing Empires,, over all, despotism in its
most rampant form was established—the civil and religious
authority blended, and the slavery of the people rendered
complete. The Kings were regarded as the heads of the
Church and State, and very frequently claimed of their na¬
tions divine homage. Their will was the supreme law of
the land, and the only countervailing order that existed to
45
restrict their judgment or resist their decrees, was that of
the Priests, who, however, always seemed identified with
the throne. These Priests, called Chaldeans, like those of
the Jews and Egyptians, were a hereditary order. Their
Idolatry was of Samian character; for they worshiped the
sun, moon, and stars. Besides, they deified mortals, whom
they supposed connected with these celestial luminaries, and
they called them, as the Eastern monarchs of the present
day are called, " Brothers of the Sun and Moon." The peo¬
ple, who were extremely depraved and superstitious, were
the veriest slaves of these Chaldean Priests and Jugglers.
This sacerdotal order, which in Media and Persia was called
that of the Magi, was much reformed by Zoroaster. Yet,
through their sooth-sayers and sages they ruled here in the
courts of royalty — there in the judicial tribunals of State.
Their order and power extended from celestial China through
interior Asia, to Northern Africa, and Eastern Europe: and
such were their potency that the most powerful monarchs,
as Cambyses, Cyrus and Darius, could not extirpate them.
They were ambitious and usurping, for it was these Priests
that elevated the pretender, Smyrdis, upon the throne of
Persia.
The Carthagenian form of government was analagous to
that of the Phoenicians, their ancestors. It was based on
Paganism, and distinguished ior its sanguinary rites, and
bloody, human sacrifices. Here, top, there existed a sacer¬
dotal order, whose priestly functions were united with the
magisterial — the religious with political power, to enslave
the people.
Thibet, Mongolia, Bucharia, China, India, Tartary, and
Cashmere, in their governmental organisms, present a strik¬
ing similitude. Lamaism, a species of idolatry or theocracy,
extending to all temporal as well as spiritual affairs, formed
the basis of their imperial governments. The Grand Lama,
who resided at Patoli in Thibet, in a gorgeous palace sur¬
rounded by 20,000 craven priests, was the Papal God, or vis¬
ible Deity. This religion, 'tis said, has existed for three
thousand years, and is the prototype of the Roman Catholic.
For history records the fact, that when the first Catholic
missionary penetrated Thibet, and witnessed its imposing
ceremonial, he exclaimed, " that the Devil had instituted
there an imitation of the rites of the Catholic Church that
he might more effectually destroy the souls of men." The
Priests of Lamaism, like those of Catholicism, for money,
offered alms and prayers for the dead — their Bishops wore
mitres, and their Priests used beads—they used, too, the
holy water,, and had a singing service — they, too, had a vast
number of convents filled with lazy monks and friars; and
46
had confessors chosen for royal personages, or superior offi •
cers of' State. Here, too. as in all Catholic countries, Bish¬
ops and Priests united their religious with political despotism
to degrade and enslave the people. In the magnificent pal¬
ace at Pekin, of the celestial Emperor of China, might be
seen entertained the Nuncio of the Grand Lama of Thibet.
Greece or the Hellenic States — their political organiza¬
tions were all based upon Paganism ; and their religion was
the bond of their common nationality. Its elements were
said to have been of Asiatic and Egyptian origin, but ren¬
dered extremely beautiful and sublime by the fascinating
fictions of theirpoets, especially Homer and Hesiod. Almost
every action of their lives, whether private or public, was
accompanied with religious rites, while the voice of oracles
was heard every where, and omens and diviners were found
in all places. The functions of civil authority were hal¬
lowed by religious ceremonies; and all their celebrated na¬
tional games were intimately identified with their* establish¬
ed religion. The oracles of Dodona and Delphi — the tem¬
ples of Olympia and Delos — were national.. The most dis¬
tinguished national oracle was that of Delphi, which, with
its Priests, was under the control of the Federal Amphic-
tyonic Council. By the influence of this oracle and its
Priests, this National Council regulated the federal affairs of
the States, and superintended the administration of the Laws
of Nations. Here, too, cunning Priests were ever ready,
by bribes, to administer to lawless ambition, avarice, and
usurpation.
Rome, whether as a monarchy, republic, or empire —
whether ruled by Kings, Senates, Councils, Decemvirs, Mili¬
tary Tribunes, Dictators, or Emperors — still had its form of
government based on paganism, as the established religion.
When the Roman Empire had attained its zenith of splen¬
dor, Rome contained 420 temples, crowded with an infinite
variety of Divinities. Every Divinity had its troupe of
sacerdotal servants or Priests, through whom, upon every
occasion, however important or trivial, the oracles of the
gods were consulted. No General ever dared to march
against an enemy, unless assured by priestly soothsayers that
the omens were propitious. The Kings of Rome possessed
priestly with royal prerogatives. Noma, the second King
of Rome, under the fabled supervision of the goddess Egeria,
first systematized the civil and religious forms of govern¬
ment. Their sacrifices at times were extremely supersti¬
tious and repulsive. The ancient Romans, like the modern.
(who ascribe to the Pope authority belonging only to God,)
deified men; for Virgil informs us that Augustus, as did
Nebuchadnezzar, procured altars to be erected, and sacri-
47
fices to be offered to him. Caius, surnamed Caligula, whose
sanguinary caprices knew; no bounds, erected a temple to
himself, and instituted a College of Priests to superintend
his worship. He could have as easily procured Priests to
reverence his celebrated horse, Incitatus, which he frequent¬
ly dined at his imperial table, on gilt oats, and costly wines
drank from jeweled goblets. Roman Priests, then as now,
were ever ready to obey the absurd and sanguinary behests
of Potentates — ever allied against the people. Rome and
its history, after the establishment of Christianity in the em¬
pire, belong to a modern age, of which we are not now
speaking.
Apotheosis was common among many nations. The Ethio-
peans, regarded all their Kings as Gods; theValedaof the
ancient Germans, the , Janus of the Hungarians, the Thaut,
Woden and Assa,of the Northern Nomadic tribes, were doubt¬
less men the most renowned of their day and generation. The
government of the ancient Gauls, Britons, and Ger mans,
was politico-religious. Druidism was their national religion,
and the Druids or Priests, in many respects,- resembled the
Bramins of India. These Priests being chosen from the most
noble families, associating the honors of birth with the
highest religious functions, comrpanded of the people the
greatest veneration. They were the interpreters of religion,
and judges in all civil affairs ; and whoever disobeyed them
was declared as impious and accursed. At the head of these
Priests stood the Maximus Pontifex, or High Priest, whose
authority was absolute; for he commanded, decreed, and
punished, at pleasure. We are told by Julius Cassar, in his
Commentaries, that the Druids on some occasions offered
human sacrifices. In their religious ceremonies, they wore
an ornament about the necks encased with gold, which was
called the Druid's egg. Among all these rude nations, the
religious and the civil authority was blended, to stultify and
enslave the people.
The Hebrew is the last ancient nation of which we will
speak. The form of their government was a Theocracy.
If we are permitted so to speak, the Almighty- was their
King — the High Priest or Judge, his Minister of State—the
Princes and Elders his Legislators. The latter, who consti¬
tuted the National Legislative Assembly, could not impose
taxes upon the people, for this was the prerogative of the
High Priest, directed by God ; nor could they enact laws un¬
sanctioned by the people. For the people, not only in their
primitive assemblies sometimes proposed laws, but they
would have repealed, by petition, those enacted, which to
the nation were exceptionable. Josephus supposed from
these facts, that this was a mixed Aristocratic and Democra-
48
tic government. Under the Judge or High Priest, Samuel,
the people demanded a King, and as it was a virtual rejec¬
tion of the Almighty, he gave them Saul in his wrath. From
this period to the subjugation of the Jews by the Romans,
there was a gradual departure from the original features of
their Theocratic government/ and an approximation to ec¬
clesiastical and political despotism.
Thus have the various forms of government of all the
nations of antiquity, of the least note, passed under our
vivid review ; and we now stand upon the grand vestibule of
the Modern World, with all of its varied States and diversi¬
fied institutions looming up before us in the distant prospec¬
tive. But as an analytical investigation of the organic struc¬
tures of their government will be more appropriately em¬
braced in the discussion of our last two propositions, we will
now dismiss them wit ha few general remarks. Whether
amid the putrid despotisms of Asia and Africa/with now and
then an obscure ray of a higher order of a Christian civiliza¬
tion ; or whether amid the various governments of Europe—
here with established national churches, as in Italy, Spain,
Portugal, Austria, Russia, Norway, Sweden, Turkey, and
Great Britian — or there by prevailing national religions, as
in France, Germany, and Prussia — everywhere Christianity
or religion by some means or in some way has become the
most potent auxiliary of despotic administration — is allied
with civil power to enslave the people/ and deny their ina¬
lienable rights. Thou, Genius of civil and religious Liberty,
' alone in our happy America, after six thousand years of
roaming, canst thou find a resting place for thy wearied
wing ! Here, alone, canst thou rest thy sacred Ark that
contains the germs of a new world, and of a superior gen¬
eration. Like the last Mountain in the deluge, America
sublimely towers, thy first and last resting place amid a
world in ruins!
Before we bid a long farewell to the ancient nations of
the old world, let us for a few minutes linger upon their
horizon, that we may educe out of their chaos, some solemn
truths that may serve as practical lessons in our future ca¬
reer. We discover nowhere among ancient nations either
a recognition of the sovereign rights of the people, or a
separation of the Church or religion, from the State ; but
everywhere, through Priests or sacerdotal orders, religion
employed as the handmaid of political despotism. We see
everywhere, these orders of Priests enlarging and establish¬
ing their power by all the expedients of an ambitious pol¬
icy— aspiring to a permanent guardianship over nations not
only in sacred but in worldly affairs :♦ and to this end, sur¬
charging t&en as now religion, with heterogenous additions
49
veiling the minds of the people by superstition, substituting
authority for free investigation, the terrors of penal power
and excommunication, for conviction, usurping the monopoly
of the sciences, and with this, the administration of the
State—employing the vocation of Magic, and even mira¬
cles, as at present, to debase and plunder the people; and
in an aggrandizing and Selfish manner appropriating to them¬
selves all the advantages of civil union without participa¬
ting in its burdens.
History, thou faithful chronicler of the past, show me one
solitary nation since the establishment of the Roman Catho¬
lic Church, in which it was the established religion, where
its Pope, its Bishops, or its Priests were the champions of
the sovereign rights of the people — where .they were not
allied with political despotism to forge the chains of the
people —where they did not trample upon, plunder, degrade
and enslave the people ! Ah ! thou canst not, faithful pens-
man, thou canst not.
This brings us to our second proposition — "That the
Catholic Church is a cunningly devised admixture of Pagan¬
ism, Christianity and political Despotism."
With what we have said we can now understandingly
proceed to the discussion of our last two propositions. We
must invest the entire walls, and undermine the citadel,
before we commence the general bombardment. I am
AN AMERICAN.
NO. XL
The Roman Catholic Church or Hierarchy a cunningly devised admixture
of Civil and Religious Despotism, of Paganism and Christianity—First
triumph of Christianity over Paganism in the Roman Empire—Consoli¬
dation of the Spiritual and Temporal Power under Constantine the
Great—Struggle between the Eastern and Western Churches, for Su¬
premacy—Triumph of the latter—Origin and Practice of the despotic
powers of the Popes in Political as well as in Ecclesiactical A fairs—Re¬
cent instances of Papal Interference in the Civil Affairs of Independent
Nations—The St. Louis Church Property Case in New York—Mental
Reservations—Does the Catholic Hierarchy serve Mammon or Christ?
Gentlemen: We will now proceed with the discussion of
our second proposition, that "The Roman Catholic Church
or Hierarchy is a cunningly devised admixture of civil and
religious despotism; of paganism and Christianity." First,
it is a religious and political despotism.
O, Rome ? from the sword which the warrior brood of thy
wolf-nursed founders drew, sprung an empire — the most
4
50
majestic monument in the desert of antiquity; gigantic in
all of its proportions ; sublime in its associations ; splendid
in its galaxy of heroes and statesmen, in its poets and sages;
it was Eternal called, and veiled the earth with its imperial
shadow. But when its stars were one by one expiring,
when it was sinking in glory and fading in worth — then
from the martyred blood of St. Paul and St. Peter, whom
cruel Nero had in the Circus slain, arose the astounding
structure of a temporal and spiritual throne of the world.
The Pope appears not only as the highest Keystone of this
hierarchical structure, but as a crown of rays, whose bril-
lancy was the inexhaustible source of all ecclesiastical
splendor; who as God's Vicegerent is above all potentates
of earth ; who may dispose of crowns and kingdoms ; the
supreme legislator and judge ; the dispenser of divine grace
as well as divine wrath; in all things omnipotent, in all things
infallible, for unto him is given the power "to loose and to
bind on earth and in heaven : hence his word can absolve from
all natural, civil, and divine commands. To rise against the
Pope therefore, is rebellion against God. Thus history informs
us that a mere perishiable puppet of this world's vanity,
with grace upon his brow, and gold in his hand, has made
the Almighty " a menial to his power, and Eternity a pander
to his ambition and avarice."
Let us pass by the incipient struggles of Christianity with
infidelity and paganism, as well as its lamentable persecu¬
tions under Nero, Domitian, the noble Trajan, Hadrian, arid
the Antonines, Severus, Decius, Valerius, Diocletian, Gale-
rius, and Maximinius-Daza, to the edict of Milan, issued by
Licennius and Constantine, investing Christianity with all
the immunities of pagan religions, and proclaiming an
universal unrestricted frepdom of consicence. But the
great battle for world-empire between Christianity and pa¬
ganism was yet to be fought. It took place in the year of
our Lord 324, in the straits of Gallipolis, and near Adrian-
ople, in Thrace, between the armaments and legions of
Licennius and Constantine. Then did the Cross and the
bannered Eagle united, under Constantine, for the first time
and forever, triumph over the ancient standards of idolatry ;
then to the Cross yielded forever, the guardian Genii of the
haughty mistress of the world, and those gods, whose ven¬
erated names had so often inspired Romans to victory, and
had been invoked amid the thunder-shock of a thousand bat¬
tle fields.
Constantine the Great, having become, by the death of
his rival, sole Emperor, commenced the organization of the
empire in accordance with his lofty position — the only head
and fountain of ecclesiastical and civil authority. The card-
Sp¬
inal object being to harmonize and consolidate his temporal
and spiritual power, he therefore divided the empire into
four prefectures — Gaul, Illyricum, Italy, and the East; and
these again were divided into a number of dioceses, and
these into provinces. Constantinople, Cesarea, Alexandria,
Antioch, and Ephesus constituted the Capitals of the dioceses
of the first prefecture ; Thessalonica was the Capital of the
diocese of the Second ; the third contained^three dioceses,
Gaul, Spain, and Britain; and the fourth contained as the
Capitals of their dioceses, Carthage, Sirmium, and Rome.
The Bishops of the dioceses were estimated in dignity and
authority, according to the civil magistrates of their respec¬
tive Capitals. Gradually over the Bishops were elevated the
Metropolitans, Primates, Archbishops, Exarchs, and Patri¬
archs. The dignity of the latter was exclusively confined
to the Bishops of Rome, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch,
and Alexandria, and was the zenith of ecclesiastical prefer¬
ment and ambition. By appropriating the revenue of cities
to the endowment of churches, and for the support of the
clergy — by lavishing upon the higher order of ecclesiastics,
immunities, honors, and wealth — by establishing their juris¬
diction in matters of church and conscience, as well as their
right to hold councils, and legislate for their classes, and de¬
termine questions of faith, Constantine the Great, added to
the terrors of the Imperatorial power, the imposing pageantry
of Oriental Courts, and cemented and fortified the structure
of unlimited dominion, by the introduction of an artfully de¬
vised hierarchy. The first council that was ever held, in
which these rights of the church and clergy were guarantied,
and idolatry as a national religion prohibited by an edict,
took place in A. D. 325, at Nice, by the sanction and under
the supervision of Constantine. Thus we see that Christi¬
anity under Constantine, like paganism under the Kings and
Emperors of the Roman Republic and Empire, as well as
amid all the nations of antiquity, was united with the civil
authorities in a multifarious and reciprocal relation, through
the instrumentality of priestly orders or the clergy, to degrade
and enslave the people. It was a change in the form of relig¬
ion, but none in the servitude of the people. Thus was laid
the ground-plan of that stupendous ecclesiastical organiza¬
tion or hierarchy, by which at times Popes were omnipotent
in Europe, and through which Roman Catholicism is estab¬
lished in almost every land under the sun.
The word Pope is derived from the Greek papas, father,
and was indiscriminately applied to all Bishops; and this
name is still given to all the priests of the Greek Church in
Russia. It was never exclusively applied to the Bishop of
Rome, till it was so ordered by a council held in Rome, at
52
the close of the elventh century, under Gregory the Eighth.
The Pope of Rome is now addressed by way of pre-eminence,
as the " Most Holy Father." It is indispensable that we
should give a concise history of the gradual elevation of the
Bishops and diocese of Rome over those of the other divisions
of the Empire, before we prove the despotic temporal and
spiritual power which the Popes of Rome for ages exercised
over the Princes and nations of Europe, and which they
have not yet abandoned over the world.
When the deliberations of the Council of Nice were term¬
inated, Constantine visited the Western portions of his em¬
pire. At Rome he met with the bitterest execrations from
the Italians, because in his edict against paganism he had
abandoned the ancient religion of his fore-fathers. From
this fact, as well as the menacing attitude of the powerful
dynasty of the Persian Sassanides, who boldly aspired to
the ancient empire of Cyrus ; from the threatened irruptions
of the Goths and Samaritans, beyond the Danube; from a
desire also to resuscitate the lucrative commerce of the
Mediterranean and Euxine seas, Constantine determined to
transfer the Metropolis of the empire from Rome to a more
central point: Byzantium or Constantinople, on the confines
of Europe and Asia. From this moment commenced a
spirit of rivalry, ambition, and struggle for supremacy be¬
tween the Western and Eastern divisions of the empire,
between the Bishop and diocese of Rome, and those of By¬
zantium and the East. The following are the most promi¬
nent causes which, in the lapse of four centuries thereafter,
gave to the former undisputed pre-eminence in all ecclesias¬
tical councils and affairs : Rome, though declining, still had
a population of 4,000,000, and was the most wealthy, vener¬
able, and numerous of the Western congregations ; some of
her Bishops had been distinguished for piety and benefi¬
cence ; for great ability displayed in civil and religious
affairs ; for the influence they exercised by intercourse and
correspondence, over the barbarous nations of the West,
over the office is of State, and the congregations of the em¬
pire ; because they had early entertained the idea of spirit¬
ual supremacy, and had prosecuted their plans with energy
and wisdom, with uniformity of maxims and expedients, so
that the goods, honors, and power of each Bishop might in¬
crease the fiduciary inheritance of St. Peter, and give to
each successor enhanced means for further aggressions and
ac-quisiiions ; because they had established various churches
in Britain, Germany, and other portions of the West, through
their Priestly Missionaries, subject to their exclusive control;
because they had been arbitrators in many important dispu¬
tations in councils and synods, as in that held at Sardica in
53
A. D. 344, as well as by the decree of Valentinian III, in
445 ; because in all schisms between the Eastern and West¬
ern Churches, the West always united under the Bishops of
Rome ; again, from the vast superiority of some of these
Bishops or Popes over all their contemporaries, as Leo the
Great in the -fifth, Gregory the Great in the sixth, and Leo
III, who crowned Charlemagne, in the eighth centuries ; and
finally by the Jalse decretals of the pretended Isidore, forged
between 830 and 850 by Benedict, a Deacon of Mentz,
which in those days of ignorance and superstition, among
the Catholics especially, greatly strengthened the claims of
the Roman See to supremacy ; and because Rome had been
for ages the great heart of the world-ruling empire, from
which all pulsations of power had emanated. All these
causes combined, gave to the Popes of Rome a civil and
spiritual predominance which those of the East could not
attain, and against which the power of Crowns and Princes
could not avail.
We Wish before we further proceed to propound a few
interrogatories. During the limetime of St. Peter, was he
ever regarded by the Apostles or the Christian world, as pos¬
sessed of any exclusive spiritual or temporal power; or as
the chief corner stone of the Apostolic Church; or did he
claim to be God's Vicegerent, with exclusive power to "bind
and to loose on earth and in Heaven;" or were these ever
claimed for centuries after his death by any one for him?
Again, for the first six centuries after the death of St. Peter,
were the Bishops or Popes of Rome regarded as the Su¬
preme Heads of the Christian churches and the world; or
from their succession to the Bishopric of Rome, was there
conceded them by the Christian world any exclusive spirit¬
ual or temporal power? We answer all in th e negative;
and he who affirms it, forfeits all claims to historical vera¬
city or attainments. We will hereafter prove by what foul
intrigues, murders, rapine, civil and spiritual usurpations,
the Popes of Rome in the eleventh and twelfth centuries
became lords paramount in all ecclesiastical and political
authority. But now we will attempt to establish beyond
controversy the despotic power both temporal and spiritual,
claimed and exercised by them over the princes and nations
of the world, and which, even to this good day, they have
never abandoned.
The coronation of Pepin by Zachary, and his two sons by
Stephen III, were the first recognitions of the divine right
of Popes to pronounce upon the claims of royalty. In the
usurpations of this Carlovingian dynasty, both the Kings
and Popes profited by the outrageous fraud. The Bishops
to whom Charles the Bald acknowledged the right to depose
54
Kings, passed a canon in their council, binding themselves,
to remain united — "For the correction of Kings, the nobil¬
ity and the people." Pope Nicholas I., who constituted him¬
self "sole Judge of Bishops and Kings" in 860, deposed the
Archbishop of Ravena — annulled the second marriage of
Lothair, King of Loraine, forced him to take back his first
wife, and to appear before his dread tribunal for confession
and repentance. Pope John VIII, obliged Charles the Bald
to confess " that he held his Empire by the gift of the Pope,"
and when the Saracens invaded Italy, in reprimanding
Charles for the delay of his promised support, he bade the
Emperor to remember " that he who had given him the em¬
pire, if driven to despair, might change his opinion." ' Otho
the Great received the iron crown of Lombardy and the
revived title of Emperor of the West from Pope John XII.
Pope Benedict VIII., before he crowned Henry Emperor of
Germany, made him solemnly promise " that he would ob¬
serve his fidelity to him and his successors in everything."
Pope Nicholas II., gave to Richard Guiscard the principali¬
ties of Capua, and to his brother Robert, the title of Duke,
with the investiture of all the lands he might conquer in
Sicily, Apulia, and Calabria. The cruelty and desolation
which ensued is said to have produced even to this day, the
depopulation and desolation around Rome. Pope Alexan¬
der II., forced the Normans in Italy to resign their conquests
to the Holy See ; he summoned the Emperor of Germany to
appear before him'to answer various allegations; and re¬
cognized the claims of William, the Norman Duke, to the
crown of England by a papal bull, in which "was sent a
hair from the head of St. Peter, inclosed in a diamond ring
of great value, and he accompanied this with a consecrated
standard." In the eleventh century Pope Gregory VII., in a
council assembled at Rome, excommunicated the Emperor
of Germany, absolved the allegiance of his subjects to him
in France, Italy, and Germany, deposed Prelates at will in
the Empire, and published a series of constitutions of which
the following are a portion: " That the Roman Pontiff alone
can be called universal — that Princes are bound to kiss his
feet and his only — that he has aright to depose Emperors —
that no book can be called canonical without his authority—
that his sentence can be annulled by none, but that he may
annul the decrees of all — that the Roman Church has been,
is, and will continue infallible — that subjects maybe ab¬
solved from their allegiance to wicked Princes." This is the
haughty Pontiff who forced the Emperor Henry IV., of Ger¬
many, during one of the severest winters, in the outer court
of his palace, to remain for three days and nights in the
garb and posture of penitenee, with his feet and head bare
55
tortured by cold, hunger, and thirst, to implore him for
mercy. 'Twas also said of him that he personally presided
over the most cruel tortures and massacres, with an inimita¬
ble serenity of countenance and placidity of manner. Pas¬
chal II.. the successor of Pope Urban, excommunicated
Henry V., Emperor of Germany, and at a council held in
Rome in 1116, forced all grades of the clergy to take oath
" of implicit obedience to the Pope and his successors ; to
affirm what the Holy Church affirms and condemn what she
condemns." Pope Celestine III., kicked the Emperor Henry
the IV.'s crown from his head while kneeling, "to show his
prerogative of making and unmaking Kings." Pope Celes¬
tine IV., when elected Pope, entered Aquila seated upon an
Ass (in blasphemous imitation of our Saviour's entrance
into Jerusalem) with two Kings holding the bridle : Charles
II., the perjured Sovereign of Naples, and his son Charles
Martel, nominal King of. Hungary. Pope Gregory IX.,
excommunicated the Emperor Frederic II., of Germany,
because he in the fifth crusade, delayed the expedition, and
when he had entirely failed, this Pope addressed the clergy
of Sicily as follows; "Let the Heavens rejoice and the Earth
be glad; for the lightning and the tempest wherewith God
Almighty has so long menaced your heads have been
changed by the death of this man into refreshing zephyrs
and fertilizing dews." Pope Alexander III., forced the Em¬
peror Frederic I., to hold his stirrup while mounting his
steed; and brought to unconditional obedience in all reli¬
gious affairs, the Kings of England and Scotland. Innocent
III., deposed John, King of England, and threatened the
whole world with excommunication. Henry III., King of
France, was assassinated in 1589, by the Dominican, Clement
Jacques, and although torn to pieces by horses and after¬
wards burnt by the enraged subjects of the King, Pope
Sextus V., pronounced an eulogy upon the assassin in an
assembly of Cardinals, and impiously "compared him to
Judith and Eleazer."
We will now instance a few cases of recent occurrence, of
Papal interference in the civil affairs of independent nations.
Pope Pius VI., in June 10th and 11th of 1810, issued two
formidable bulls against Bonaparte,'and one against Switz¬
erland, for permitting a free distribution of the " heretic's
bible" among its free citizens. Pope Pius IX., the present
successor of St. Peter, issued the other day a Bull or Allo¬
cution against the independent King of Sardinia for sup¬
pressing Monasteries within his own dominions. These
hot-beds of sloth, indolence, superstition and crime, have
been suppressed in various European States, and Heaven
grant that gallant Tennessee may never be afflicted with
56
one of* these Pandora's Boxes. Read this portion of the
Pope's " allocution " which we submit for your careful peru¬
sal, for it is a literal translation of the original, as published
by the American and European press:
" Words fail us to express our grief at such criminal
and almost incredible acts againts the Church and against
the inviolable supremacy of the Holy See in that kingdom,
where there are so great a number of fervent Catholics, and
where formerly, and in particular among the Sovereigns,
such examples were to be found of piety, religion, and re¬
spect for the chair of St. Peter. But the evil having arrived
at that point that it is not sufficient to merely deplore the
injury done to the Church, and that we are bound to do
everything in our power to put an end to this state of things,
we again raise our voice with an apostolic liberty in this
solemn assembly, and we reprove and condemn not only all
the decrees already issued by the Government to the detri¬
ment of the rights and authority of the Church, and of the
Holy See, but likewise the bill lately proposed, and we de¬
clare all these acts to be entirely worthless and invalid.
Furthermore, we warn, in the most solemn manner, not only
those persons by whose Orders such decrees have been pub¬
lished, but also those others who may not fear to sanction,
favor, or approve in any manner whatever the bill recently
proposed ; we warn them, we say, to consider in time what
penalties and censures the apostolical constitutions and the
canons of the Holy Councils, and in particular the canons
of the Council of Trent, have established against the plun¬
derers and profaners of holy things; against the violaters
of the liberty of the Church and of the Holy See, and
against the usurpers of their rights."
Here you see the Pope asserts that the act of the Sardin¬
ian government, " is against the inviolable supremacy of
the Holy See," merely because there are a great many " fer¬
vent Catholic " citizens of the government. Again he de¬
clares the acts of this independent Government "worthless
and invalid," merely because he thinks them " to the detri¬
ment of the rights and authority of the Catholic Church and
Holy See."
Again, he threatens the King if he do not repeal them,
" with all the penalties and censures with which he is clothed
by the Apostolic constitutions, and the canons of the Holy
Councils."
Americans, just think of it, the Pope of Rome claiming
inviolable supremacy for the " Holy Church," because the
Kingdom of Sardinia, or any other independent State, might
chance to have many "fervent Catholics" as citizens. Well,
let us continue for a few years longer to permit unchecked
57
our present ocean-tide oT Catholic immigration, and the
Pope of Rome will claim America as a part of his Holy See,
and will declare our acts of Congress as "worthless and in¬
valid," should they be the least repugnant to his sensitive
taste, or his " Holy See." But we need not wait longer, for
he has directly interfered, by the sanction of the Archbish¬
op and the Bishops of New-York, in our civil and judicial
affairs. We will impartially state the case. In 1829 Louis
Le Couteulex, of Buffalo, New-York, conveyed certain real
estate for the use of a Catholic congregation to be there¬
after organized. In 1838 the congregation was organized
under the law of the State, and seven trustees were elected,
in whom was vested the title in pursuance of the act " in
relation to religious corporations." Now, because these
trustees would not violate the laws of the State of New
York, by divesting themselves of the title of the real estate
and Church of St. Louis, which was built upon it, and vest
the same exclusively in the Bishop and his successors—
thereby creating a " corporation sole " — the Pope, through
the instigation of the Bishop and some of the foreign laity,
sent his Nuncio, Bedini, over to New-York to force these
rebellious Catholic Trustees to vest this title in the Bishop,
or to excommunicate them. The few that refused were
publicly excommunicated for not violating the laws of the
land and the express language of the deed of conveyance.
Now, the Archbishop nor the Bishop of New-York, would
not abide by the decisions of our own courts, that could
alone adjudicate and decide this question, but must resort to
a foreign potentate and his religious authority, to force the
refractory trustees to obedience — to interfere and annul the
deliberate acts of a sovereign State of this Union. And
what is most strange, the Catholic press, the Bishops and
Priests, and all the Catholic congregations of the Union
have acquiesced in this excommunication. Read, Tennes-
seeans, the bitter lamentation of these poor fellows because
of their excommunication. Really we are sorry for them :
" For no higher offence than simply refusing to violate
the Trust Law of our State, we have been subjected to the
pains of excommunication, and our names held up to infamy
and reproach. For this cause, too, have the entire congre¬
gation been placed under ban. To our members the holy
rites of baptism and of burial have been denied. The mar¬
riage sacrament is refused. The Priest is forbidden to min¬
ister at our altars. In sickness, and at the hour of death,
the holy consolations of religion are withheld. To the
Catholic churchman, it is scarcely possible to exaggerate
the magnitude of such deprivations.
" We yield to none in attachment to our religion, and
58
cheerfully render to the Bishop that obedience in spiritual
matters, which the just interpretation of our faith may re¬
quire : but in respect to the temporalities of our Church, we
claim the right of obeying the laws of the State, whose
protection we enjoy."
Do you think that the Pope has ceased to interfere in the
temporal affairs of independent nations? No, nor never
will he, when his Catholic subjects are sufficiently numer¬
ous as citizens in any State to permit him. We will give
you now the eternal maxim of the Roman Court, pursued
through all ages, and amid all the vicissitudes of empire,
and among all nations. Read it, and never forget. 'Tis
this: " Never to give up the slightest of its claims, but to wait
only for the opportunities." We will close this article by
stating one fact additional—that when the archives of the
Popes were carried to Paris in 1809, among other astonish¬
ing things, a practice of theirs came to light, which they
had, of declaring null and void by secret mental reservation
the contracts which they made in public. Thus Alexander
VII., in February 18th, 1664, made such a reservation with
regard to the treaty of Pisa; ClemenlkXIII., in September
3d, 1764, with regard to the banishment of the Jesuits from
France; Pius the VII with regard to the tolerance of the
philosophic sects, bible societies and translations of the
Bible. If Popes have these mental reservations in the sol¬
emn oaths and treaty stipulations, what think you of " fer¬
vent and faithful Bishops and Priests." Should the Ameri¬
can Party trust such men 1
Read my proposition or text, and you will see that we
have proved a portion of it, " the political and religious des¬
potism of the Catholic Hierarchy."
Roman Catholics of the United States, we wish you to
read the 25th, 26th, and 27th verses of the 20th chapter of
St. Mathew, and tell us whether the Pope, the Bishops and
Priests of your Church are the disciples of Mammon or the
followers of the meek and lowly Saviour ? They are as
follows: "But Jesus called them (the Apostles) unto him
and said : Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exer¬
cise dominion over them; and they that are great exercise
authority upon them; but it shall not be so among you;
but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your
Minister; and whosoever will be Chief among you, let him
be your servant."
Jesus did not say Master, gentlemen. The same subject
continued. I am AN AMERICAN.
59
NO. XII.
Despotic Constitution and Policy of the Roman Catholic Church further
Examined— The Absurdity of her Saeriligious Pretensions to '■'■Infalli¬
bility " and " Divine Holiness " exposed by the light of History — Vices,
Crimes, Feuds, and Follies of the Popes — Mysterious System of Ordi¬
nation and Oath of Allegiance, of the Romish Clergy — Numerical
Strength and Progress of the Romish Church, in the United States and
other countries — Dogmas of the Roman Catholic Faith, derived from
Text books of the Church — Excerpts from Roman Catholic Writers in
further illustration of her Despotic Policy in Political as well as Reli¬
gious Affairs — Funds appropriated in Europe to aid the Romish Church
in the United States.
Gentlemen : We will resume the discussion of our second
proposition, — The Roman Catholic Church or Hierarchy is
a cunningly devised admixture of Religious and Political
Despotism, of Paganism and Christianity.
Religion, thou immaculate emanation of Divine mercy
and love ! as a dove reposing upon her nest, thy guardian
spirit with genial warmth penetrates the immortal germ
hidden in the depths of a good man's heart, and it comes
lorth pure and beautiful as some new creation. Illumined
by the light eternally shining in the bosom of an infinite
God, man discovers by revelation the true, immutable, the
ever subsisting ideas and models of all that is, and all that
can ever be. From this sublime height alone, he contem¬
plates his own destiny, which no duration limits — where
hope spreads in immensity her indefatigable wings — where
he feels within himself a secret force, bearing him upward
and onward, as a light body rising from the depths of the sea.
Christian revelation proclaims popular liberty, universal
equality, more beautifully, more impressively than Confu¬
cius, Solon, Lycurgus, and all other human legislators. It
teaches the true relation which one man sustains towards
another: and of all men to God. The former is that of
brothers — the latter is that of children of a common Father.
The former relation teaches fraternal affection—the latter
supreme love. Therefore they who claim supreme spiritual
or temporal power, or any prerogative derived from revelation,
impiously pervert its holy teachings — 'tis indeed an en¬
croachment upon society, a revolutionary usurpation, a germ
Of tyranny.
Americans, we conjure you in the name of Heaven, be¬
ware of the insidious wiles of those crafty, avaricious, and
ambitious men, who preach servitude in any form to you, in
the name of God; who plunge the people into ignorance,
superstition, and stupidity, and then say, " behold the people
want understanding and reason — thpy know not how to
60
think, to conduct themselves, or worship God ; therefore,
their own interest requires that they should be directed —
should be governed — we will be their masters— they ought
to be our slaves !" Shut your ears, we beseech you, against
this delusive Syren's voice — close your hearts against the
deadly poison it seeks to convey. But, this is Roman Catholi¬
cism. For does it not proclaim that Christ appointed Peter
alone, "his successor and Vicarthat upon "this rock he
built his churchthat to him only he gave the power to
" bind and loose on earth and in heaven that as the. Vicar
of him who fills the heavens with his majesty, he may in¬
deed behold the Kings and Potentates of the earth, no less
than the servants of the church, submissive at his feet; that
by the " symbol of the two swords" he conferred upon Peter
all spiritual and secular power; that the spiritual alone
exists by itself, and shines like the sun, with its own bril¬
liancy : while the temporal power borrows from the spiritual,
a feebler and more dependent light, like the moon from the
sun —that the Churches of Christendom, and the.thrones of
the earth derive their glory and glitter from the resplen¬
dence of St. Peter's chair.
The chief objection to Boman Catholicism is that it never
improves. Whilst other orbs are brightening more and more
unto the perfect day, it remains ever the same cheerless,
changeless, and opaque spot on the face of an illuminated sky.
What is it connected with the Roman Catholic religion
which forms the golden chain that has bound its members
in every age and nation to its communion ? what the talis-
manic influence that ever retains them within its magic
circle ? what the oblivious antidote that allays all their
doubts and misgivings about the propriety of any act of
faith, or ecclesiastical administration ? what the magnet
that attracts the wavering and desultory of other persua¬
sions within its gloomy sphere ? what was it to vindicate and
establish, the Crusades were commenced and prosecuted:
nations and individuals were persecuted with fire and sword;
Kings and people, Empires- and Continents were arrayed
against each other for twelve hundred years, and the blood
of 40,000,000 of victims flowed like water? Why, it is the
claims of " infallibility" and "divine holiness" of the Ro¬
mish See, of " Holy Mother Church." These form that
nimbus, which veils and justifies the pride, ambition, avarice,
debaucheries, crimes, and murders, of Popes, Cardinals,
Bishops, Priests, Jesuits, Monks, Convents, and Monasteries,
of this most holy Mother. She is infallible, and therefore
cannot err in wisdom. She is divinely holy, and therefore
all her deeds and actions are righteous. But Jesus said
"Every tree shall be known by its fruit — a good tree can¬
not bring forth evil fruit."
61
, History, thou friend of my boyhood, prop and beacon light of my matnrer
years, by thy truthful records expose these blasphemous pretensions, by
which every tint and hue of crime has bec-n sanctified, and every means
justified to enslave and degrade mankind. This investigation of the acts
and deeds of Popes and Cardinals, of Bishops and Priests, of assemblies,
conclaves and councils, will range through a period of nine hundred years.
When we have concluded tell us what you think of the " infallibility " and
" divine holiness" of Holy " Mother Church," and her " most holy
Fathers "—the Popes of Rome, as well as the means she has employed to
beguile the world into a passive obedience to her divine behests.
The first recognition of Papal supremacy occurred as follows: From the
implacable hostility which existed between the Bishops of Rome and those
of Constantinople and the East; between the Greeks and Italians; be¬
tween the Western and Eastern portions of the Empire; the Popes of
Rome early resolved to expel the Greeks from the Romish diocese ; to be¬
come independent of the Bishops and Emperors of the East, and to become
the spiritual and temporal potentates of all the Italian Slates. To ac¬
complish this, they entered into a solemn compact with Pepin, and the
other Carlovingian Kings, to publish bulls deposing the lawful King Chil-
peric, of the Franks, and absolving the allegiance of the Catholics of the
Western Empire to him—that they would bestow the crown upon Pepin
his usurper, and his legitimate successors forever. For the aid thus given,
and for their future security upon the throne, these Kings assisted the
Popes to. wrest from the Greek Exarchate the territories of the Lombard
Kingdom ; to establish their sovereignty over the Italian States, and were
the very first to acknowledge their divine right to depose and elevate Kings.
This is the first outrageous fraud perpetrated by infallible and Holy Moth¬
er Church for worldly aggrandizement. Pope John VIII stipulated with
Charles the Bald that he would bestow the usurped crown of Lorain upon
him, (although his predecessor attempted to bribe Charles to yield it to Lou¬
is II,) if he would confess that he received it from him and acknowledge
his dependence upon the Roman See. Hence in an assembly held in Pa-
ria, in 878, the infallible and holy Italian Nobles and Prelates recognized
him as the lawful Emperor in these memorable words—"Since the divine
favor, through the merits of the holy Apostles, and the Vicar, Pope John,
has raised you to the empire according to the judgment of the Holy Ghost,
we elect you our protector and Lord." This is another specimen of holi¬
ness in Mother Church.
Pope John XII was elected at the age of 18, and so distinguished did he
become for his lechery and other outrageous crimes, that the Emperor Otho
the Great had him driven from his pontificate, and Leo VIII chosen as his
successor. Upon the departure of Otho from Rome, John and his freinds
deposed Leo, and again resumed his official duties. But he did not long
survive, for he was assassinated by a young Italian nobleman, whom he had
supplanted in the affections of his mistress. 'Twas at this period that two
infamous courtezans-"Theodore and Marozia—by their influence with the
nobles and clergy, procured the throne of St. Peter for their paramours
and their illegitimate children, one of whom, Benedict IX, was elected at
the age of 12 years. What thinks " Holy Mother" of these instances
of her " infallibility " and " holiness ?" Again, Pope John XIII was
strangled to death in prison by the leader of the popular party, Cincius,
62
for his despotic sway, and support of the Imperial cause. Pope Bonifac<
VII murdered his brother, Pope Benedict VII, whom he supplanted. Pop<
Benedict IX was forced to abdicate for his notorious, infamous conduct
Popes Damascus II and Clement II, were poisoned by the Catholic emissa
ries of Benedict. Pope Gregory VII, the Napoleon of Pontiffs, besides hii
barbarity, bribery, and general corruption, lived in sinful dalliance with th<
Countess Matilda, a fervid member of Holy Mother Church Urban I
was several times driven from the chair of St. Peter by his rival, Popi
Clement III. Alexander III, during his reign, between 1160 and 1181
survived two rival Popes, and vanquished a third. When Pope Gregorj
XI died, the French Cardinals elected Urban VI his successor. But h<
having personally offended the Queen of Naples, they assembled al
Fondi in the Kingdom of Naples, and annulling their former election
chose Clement VII. As both of these Popes claimed the pontificate, the)
thundered against each other, and their Cardinal adherents, counter an
athemas, and divided all Christendom for thirty-nine years by their disputes
and contentions. Benedict XIII, Gregory XII, and Alexander V, wert
three rival Popes who lived at the same time in Rome, plundering the
people, and the treasury of the Romish See; alt duly elected legitimatt
successors of St. Peter, by "Most Holy Mother Church" of "infallible
wisdom" and of "Divine Holiness." How richly the picture unfolds.
Again : after the death of Nicholas, the papacy, exhausted by all sorts
of crimes and excesses, left the Holy See vacant for two long years. Ol
course, during the whole of this time, there was a suspension on earth
and in heaven of all infallibility, all mercy, all holiness, because there ex¬
isted no Pope through which alone these God-like attributes flowed ; no
successor i f St. Peter, who held alone "the keys, and the power to loose
and to bind." But now the solemn farce culminates ; for the populace and
clergy were threatened by an insane old Monkish Hermit with divine
vengeance, if they did not at once proceed to an election of a Pope. The
Conclave met, and elected a feeble old fanatic, and dubbed him with the
name of Celestine IV. This is the Pope who, in blasphemous imi¬
tation of our Saviour's entrance into Jerusalem, entered Aquilla, seated on
the back of an Ass, with two Kings holding the bridle of his gallant steed.
The Cardinals becoming disgusted with the pride and folly of this idiotic
Pope, deposed him, and elected Boniface VIII, one of their number, his
fiUccessor. Pope Benedict XI revoked the Bulls of his brother, Pope
Boniface VIII, against the King of France, and died by poison in 1304.
Again, the Holy See continued vacant for one entire year, on account of
the bitter contentions and criminations of the Cardinals, which, however,
terminated in the election of Clement V, who had been previously bought
up by the King of the French. As proof of this, he restored theColonas
in Italy to their ecclesiastical dignities; abrogated the hostile bulls of his
predecessor against King Phillipe, and gave him a bounty of five years
tenths from the clergy of his kingdom. Pope Clement is distinguished in
history for his avarice and extortion. Benedict XII issued a bull, by
which he condemned as heretical the doctrine of his brother, Pope John
XXII, "that the beatific vision of God was not fully realized till the resur¬
rection." Alexander VI, whom Mosheim calls the " Nero of Pontiffs,"
expired along with his abandoned son, Cardinal Caesar Borgia, after an en¬
tertainment, in which they inadvertently drank the poison they had pre-
63
pared for four rich cardinals. Julius III died March 23d, 1555, leaving a
character the most detestable for his crimes and debaucheries. He adopt¬
ed his nephew, and created Cardinal the boy who had been his page, and
keeper of his monkeys. Such was the infamous character of Pope Paul
IV, that the people of Rome, in 1559, when he expired, broke his statue
to pieces, and dragged its head through the streets publicly burnt the prison
of the inquisition, and released from imprisonment hundreds of the doomed
victims of his diabolical passions and vengeance. His dying admonitions
to the Cardinals were, "the universal establishment of the inquisition, and
the extermination of unbelievers and heretics."
We might extend indefinitely historical instances of the crimes, de¬
baucheries, intrigues, knavery, murders, schisms, and collisions of the
Popes, Cardinals, conclaves, assemblies, and councils of this "infallible,"
and most "Holy Mother Church but what we have presented ought to
suffice to expose her blasphemous pretentions to the attributes of Divinity,
and the wicked means by which she has sought to degrade and enslave
mankind.
The reform of Pope Nicholas II in A. D. 1059, was the finishing stroke
of that grand consolidated system of spiritual and temporal despotism by
which the Roman Catholic Church has preserved its organization, rigidly
and uniformly for ages, amid all nations, through all the changing tides of
time. What was this reform ? First, that the elections of all Popes should
be exclusively confined to the Cardinals. For centuries the nobles of
Italy, the French Monarchs, and the German Emperors, nominated, or
had elected, their favorites to the papal chair; hence these Popes could
not pursue their selfish and aggrandizing policy without partial depen¬
dence upon these potentates. They must be independent, and consequent¬
ly must be elected alone by Cardinals, who themselves were created such
by Popes, and had no ties but those that bound them to Mother Church.
Secondly, the prohibition of the investiture of the spiritual order, such as
Bishops, by secular heads, as kings and princes. This was to prevent any
dependence of Archbishops, Bishops, or Priests, upon any Prince or State
for office, or its honors or emoluments; but to bind all these ecclesiasti¬
cal dignitaries, like all the Cardinals, alone to the Throne of St. Peter.
' Thirdly, the injunction of Celibacy, which was to be ridgidly enforced
against every grade of the clergy. For the first centuries, like the Apos¬
tle Peter and others, the clergy all married if they desired. But this
identified them with society; they formed attachments for wives, children,
relatives, friends, and country, and all this was contrary to the single, iso¬
lated and despotic attachment to the Romish See, which was necessary to
compass her spiritual and temporal domination ; her enslavement of all
men and nations. Thus, as history proves, ever since the perfection of
this religious organization, the Archbishops, the Bishops, Priests, Jesuits,
and Monkish orders of the Roman Catholic Church, have never evinced
any tie or affection for any object on earth save the Romish See; they
havemever had, nor by their oaths of ordination, can they have, any other
country but "Holy Mother Church." The Pope of Rome (their Lord and
Master,) and "Mother Church," are their only objects of love and idolatry.
To procure office they must obtain it from the Pope. If they need money
for any Church purposes, when all other sources fail, they know that their
most "Holy Father" never denies his faithful and obedient children any-
64
thing. Thus, the Roman Catholic Clergy, bound to no earthly object of
affection, to no country, move through the world animated corpses, their
souls retired to their own centre, and concentrated there, consume them¬
selves in midnight solitude, and like Lamps in gloomy sepulchres, shine
only upon the ruins of man.
What is the secret organisation of the American party, compared to that
mysterious system of ordination and oath of allegiance which exists between
the Romish See and the clergy of every order of the Catholic church? Can
you now find out that system? Can you get a Jesuit or a Bishop, the one to
publish his oath of allegiance, the other his oath of ordination? You can¬
not, by torture, extort either from them. This chain of despotism extends
from the chair of St. Peter, through every nation, and is every where forged
to enslave the people. We will give you some idea of the general diffusion
of this religion among the nations of the globe. In Asia the subjects of
the Grand Seignor are Catholic, as are the Maronites of Mount Lebanon;
they are found in vast numbers in Syria, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Persia,
Hindostan, throughout the vast Empire of China, in Cochin China, Ton-
quin, Siam, in the Phillippine Islands, and through all others of the Eastern
Ocean. In Africa, it prevails in Madeira, the Canary and Cape DeVerd
Islands; the greater portion of the inhabitants of Loango, Congo and An-
golia, adhere to this religion: and so also, those of the kingdom of Moca-
ranga, Mozambique, Zanquebar, and Melinda. Many also, are found in
Guinea ant^ in Egypt, and other Mahomedan States of the North. In
South America, Mexico and Central America, four-fifths of the inhabitants
of every State belong to the Catholic church. The Dutch Guina is the
only exception. Three-fourths of the inhabitants of the Canadas are Cath¬
olics. In Europe, the religion of Spain, Portugal, Austria, the Italian
States, France, Germany and Ireland, is Catholic, and it is either the es¬
tablished or prevailing religion; while in England, Scotland, Norway,
Sweden, Belgium, Prussia, Turkey and Russia, the Catholics are only
inferior in number to the members of the established church, or predomi¬
nant religion. Of all christian denominations, the Catholic is by far the
most numerous in the world. In Europe, Asia, Africa, America and Oce-
anica, in 1845, there were 731 Bishoprics, and a total Catholic population
of 155,777,540. Since this period, in the United States, in Africa and
Asia, they have increased most wonderfully. We find in 1834, from the
" Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge," that there were in the United
States, of Roman Catholics, 1 Arch Bishop, 10 Bishops, 327 officiating
clergymen, 146 Sisters of Charity, 8 Roman colleges, 29 convents, and a
population of 550,000, In 1850, from the "Census Reports," we find, of
Roman Catholic Chyrches, 812 ; of Ministers, 864 ; and of population,
1,173,700.
Thus, we see, in the last sixteen years, the Roman Catholics in the U.
States have doubled in numbers, and are increasing much more rapidly
than any other denomination. But by far the greater portion of this in¬
crease is from foreign immigration, and mostly of Germans and Irish, ^vith
foreign attachments, language, kindred and ideas of government.
We wish to prove to you, beyond all doubt, in what estimation all other
Christian denominations are held by Roman Catholics, and what, indeed,
would become of them if they were predominant, or had the power in the
United States. The following propositions were extracted from " Dr.
65
Deri's System of Theology," a text-book for every Papal theological semi¬
nary in the land: 1st. "Protestants are heretics, and as such, are worse
than Jews and Pagans. 2nd. They are, by baptism and blood, under the
power of the Roman Catholic church. 3rd. So far from granting tolera¬
tion to Protestants, it is the duty of the Church to exterminate the rites of
their religion. 4th. It is the duty of the Roman Catholic Church to compel
heretics to submit to her faith. 5th. That the punishments decreed by the
Roman Catholic Church, are confiscation of goods, exile, imprisonment
and death." We will also give you some extracts from the Popish Testa¬
ment, commonly known as the " Rhemish Testament." Protestants: "To
be present at their service, and all communication with them, in spiritual
things, is a great and damnable sin" " The church service of England,
they being in heresy and schism, is not only unprofitable, but damnable."
"'The translators of the English Bible ought to be abhorred to the depths of
hell" "Justice, and rigorous punishment of sinners is not forbidden, nor
Christian Princes for putting heretics to death. Heretics ought, by public
authority, either spiritual or temporal, to be chastised or executed." "The
blood of millions of saints, shed by the Papal Church, is not called the
Hood of saints any more than the blood of thieves, mankillers, or any other
malefactors, for the shedding of which, by order of justice, no common¬
wealth shall answer."
Tennesseeans, as further confirmation of the spirit of the Catholic
Church, and of its ulterior designs against the liberty and institutions of
the American people, we submit various extracts culled from leading Cath¬
olic Journals in the United States and Europe, from their leading reviews,
from the speeches of Daniel O'Connel, the Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius
IX, and the disclosures made by the violent Papist, Duke of Richmond,
while Governor General of Canada. They are as follows:
For our part, we take this opportunity of expressing our hearty delight
at the suppression of the Protestant chapel at Rome. This may be thought
intolerant, but when, we would ask, did we ever profess, to be tolerant of
Protestantism, or favor the doctrine that Protestantism ought to be tolerated?
On the contrary, we hate Protestantism—we detest it with our whole heart
and soul, and we pray that our aversion to it may never decrease. We hold
it meet, that in the Eternal City no worship repugnant to God should be
tolerated, and we are sincerely glad that the enemies of truth are no longer
allowed to meet together in the capitol of thp Christian world.—Newburgh
Catholic Visitor.
No good government can exist without religion; and there can be no re¬
ligion without an inquisition, which is wisely designed for the promotion
and protection of the true faith.—Boston Pilot.
You ask if he [the Pope] were lord in the land, and you were in a mi¬
nority, if not in numbers, yet in power, what would he do to you? That,
we say, would entirely depend on circumstances. If it would benefit the
cause of Catholicism, he would tolerate you—if expedient, he would im¬
prison you, banish you* fine you, possibly he might even hang you ; but,
be assured of one thing, he would never tolerate you for the sake of the
"glorious principles" of civil and religious liberty.—Rambler.
Protestantism of every form, has not, and never can have any rights
where Catholicity is triumphant,—Browmon's Quarterly Review.
5
ti6
Let us dare to assert the truth in the face of the lying world, and instead
of pleading for our Church at the bar of the State, summon the State itself
to plead at the bar of the Church, its divinely constituted judge.—Ibid.
I never think of publishing anything in regard to the Church, without
submitting my articles to the Bishop for inspection, approval and endorse¬
ment.—Ibid.
I declare my most unequivocal submission to the Head of the Church,
and to the hierarchy in its different orders. If the Bishops would make a
declaration on this bill, I never would be heard speaking against it, but
would submit at once, unequivocally, to that decision. They have only to
decide, and they close my mouth; they have only to determine and I obey.
I wish it to be understood that such is the duty of all Catholics.—Daniel
O'Connell.
Heresy and unbelief are crimes; and in Christian countries, as in Italy
and Spain, for instance, where all the people are Catholics, and where the
Catholic religion is an essential part of the law of the land, they are pun¬
ished as other crimes.—R. C., Bishop of St. Louis.
A heretic examined and convicted by the church, used to be delivered over
to the secular power, and punished with death. Nothing has ever appeared
to us more necessary. More than 100,000 persons perished inconsequence
of the heresy of Wickliffe, and a still greater number for that of John Huss;
and it would not be possible to calculate the bloodshed caused by Luther,
and it is not yet over.—Paris Universe.
As for myself, what I regret, I frankly own, is, that they did not burn
John Huss sooner, and that they did not likewise burn Luther. This hap¬
pened because there was not found some prince sufficiently politic to stir
up a crusade against Protestants.—Paris Universe.
The absurd and erroneous doctrines of cavings in defense of liberty of
conscience, is a most pestilential error—a pest of all others most to be
dreaded in a State.—Encyclical Letter of Pope Pius XI, Aug. 15,1852.
Protestantism of every kind, Catholicity inserts in her catalogue of mor¬
tal sins. She endures it when and where she must, but she hates it, and
directs all her energies to effect its destruction.—Shepherd of the Valley.
Religious Liberty, in the sense of a liberty possessed by every man ts
choose his religion, is one of the most wretched delusions ever foisted on
this age by the father of all deceit—The Rambler.
The Church is, of necessity, intolerant. Heresy she endures when and
where she must; but she hates«it, and directs all her energies to its destruc¬
tion. If Catholics ever gain an immense numerical majority, religious free¬
dom in this country is at an end. So our enemies say—so we believe.—
Shepherd of the Valley.
The liberty of heresy and unbelief is not a natural right. All the rights
the sects have or can have, are derived from the State, and rest on expedi¬
ency. As they have in their character of sects hostile to the true religion,
no rights under the law of nature or the law of God, they are neither
wronged nor deprived of liberty if the State refuses to grant them any
rights at all.—Brownson's Review, Oct., 1852, p. 456.
The sorriest sight to us is a Catholic throwing up his cap and shouting,
"All hail, democracy!"—Brownson's Review, Oct.. 1851, pp. 655-8.
We think the "masses" were never less happy, less respectable, and less
respected, than they have been since the Reformation, and particularly
67
within the last fifty or one hundred years—since Lord Broughman caught
the mania of teaching them to read, and communicated the disease to a large
proportion of the English nation, of which, in spite of all our talk, we are
too often the servile imitators.—Shepherd of the Valley.
You should do all in your power to carry out the intentions of His Holi¬
ness, the Pope. Where you have the electoral franchise, give your votes
to none but those who will assist you in so holy a struggle.—Daniel O'Con-
nel, 1843.
The Duke of Richmond, speaking of the government of the United States,
said : "It was weak, inconsistent and bad; and could not long exist. It will
be destroyed; it ought not, and will not be permitted to exist; for many and
great are the evils that have originated from the existence of that govern¬
ment. The curse of the French Revolution, and subsequent wars and com¬
motions in Europe, are to be attributed to its example; and so long as it ex¬
ists, no prince will be safe upon his throne; and the sovereigns of Europe
are aware of it; and they have determined upon its destruction, and have
come to an understanding upon this subject, and have decided on the means
to accomplish it; and they will eventually succeed by subversion rather than
conquest." "All the low and surplus population of the different nations of
Europe will be carried into that country. It is, and will be a receptacle for
the bad and disaffected population of Europe, when they are not wanted
for soldiers, or to supply the navies; and the governments of Europe will
favor such a course. This will create a surplus and a majority of low popu¬
lation, who are so very easily excited; and they will bring with them their
principles; and in nine cases out of ten, adhere to their ancient and former
governments, laws, manners, customs and religion; and will transmit them
to their posterity; and in many cases, propagate them among the natives.
These men will become citizens, and by the constitution and laws, will be
invested with the right of suffrage. The different grades of society will
then be created by the elevation of a few, and by degrading many, and thus
a heterogeneous population will be formed, speaking different languages, and
of different religions and sentiments; and to make them act, think and feel
alike in political affairs, will be like mixing oil and water; hence, discord,
dissension, anarchy and civil war will ensue; and some popular individual
will assume the government, and restore order, and the sovereigns of Eu¬
rope, the emigrants, and many of the natives will sustain him." "The
church of Rome has a design upon that country;, and it will in time, be the
established religion, and will aid in the destruction of that republic." "I
have conversed with many of the sovereigns and princes of Europe, and
they have unanimously expressed these opinions relative to the Government
of the United States, and their determination to subvert it."
As additional proof of the designs of the "Church of Rome" upon the
United States, we append the following " contributions received in the
United States from abroad, to aid the Catholics to build churches, erect
colleges, to support the clergy," &c-,&c.: During the year 1839, they
received $160,000; in 1840, $163,000; in 1842, $177,000; in 1843,
$175,000; in 1844, $150,000; in 1845, $160,000; in 1846, $250,000.
Since this period, from the most reliable data, they could not have re¬
ceived less, annually, than $200,000. We are credibly informed, that the
Bishop of Nashville, but the other day, received from "his most holy fath¬
er," Pius IX, a very handsome sum.
68
We now solemnly ask every American citizen, in view of these facts,
how can he withhold his support from the American Party, if he wish to
preserve for himself and his children longer, American constitutional lib¬
erty. We challenge any man living, to show, in any age or among any
people, when the Roman Catholic Church was ever the friend of popu¬
lar sovereignty—when it was ever the advocate of the freedom of thought
and conscience, or of an untrammeled education of-the people, where
it was the dominant or established church.
Our next article will conclude this series. I am AN AMERICAN.
NO. XIII.
The Constitution of the Roman Catholic Church further considered, as
antagonist to Civil Liberty and Popular Rights—Colonization of
Maryland by Lord Baltimore—Catholic toleration in Poland—The
Roman Catholic admixture of Paganism and Christianity—The Pope's
pretensions to supreme authority in Civil and Religious affairs, whence
derived—The Pagan and Catholic Priesthood's analogous—Organiza¬
tion, policy and discipline of the different orders of the Priesthood, and
their implicit obedience to the Pope—Monachism a Pagan element of the
Roman Catholic Church—The Confessional—The doctrine of Purga¬
tory—Image worship derived from Paganism, and commended by Pope
Gregory II— The adoration of Relics—Roman Catholic Miracles—The
doct/rine of Indulgences, and the shocking abuses to which it led—Catho¬
lic and Protestant countries compared—Political position of the Ameri¬
can Party with regard to all other parties—Dedication.
Gentlemen : In article tenth we announced the three fol¬
lowing propositions for discussion : First: That the Govern¬
ment of the United States was the only one that ever existed in
which all religious power and authority were separate from all
political. Secondly: That the Roman Catholic Church, or
Hierarchy was a cunningly devised admixture of politico-reli¬
gious despotism, of paganism and Christianity. Thirdly : That
the union of Church and State in the organism of Govern¬
ments, has invariably led to the usurpation of the rights of the
people—to national corruption, degradation and ruin.
The first proposition we have thoroughly discussed—the sec¬
ond and third partially. We, therefore, propose, in this, our
last communication, not only to conclude our remarks upon the
second and third propositions, but also to define explicitly our
position relative to all other political parties.
We have previously stated that the Catholic Church, in no
age or nation, was ever the friend of political and religious
liberty, of popular sovereignty, of the inalienable rights of the
people, where it was either the dominant or the established
religion ; and we have challenged any confutation. But it has
been asked with no ordinary degree of complacency:—Was
not the colony of Maryland, established by Lord Baltimore,
Catholic, and did it not grant the free enjoyment of religious
69
faith and opinion at a period, when, throughout every other
English colony, Protestants were persecuting each other with
all the virulence of a bigoted sectarian animosity? Again, was
not Catholic Poland struggling for political and religious eman¬
cipation, when Russia, Prussia and Austria, like Promethean
vultures, tore her vitals asunder? Did not freedom shriek
when Kosciusko fell? We will answer these as we have all
similar questions, with unquestionable historical facts, for we
are not conscious of having perpetrated at any time, the least
inaccuracy.
In 1632, when Lord Baltimore procured from King James
of England his patent to plant the Colony of Maryland beyond
the Potomac, he was an Irish nobleman. Born in Yorkshire,
England, and educated at Oxford, he was the firm friend of
Sir Robert Cecil, and the recipient of the favor and high con¬
sideration of his sovereign. He had been a member of the
British Parliament, and also one of the Secretaries of State.
But all this time he was a zealous Protestant. Upon his renun¬
ciation of Episcopacy, and profession of Catholicism, he retired
by the favor of his sovereign, upon the dignity of an Irish
peerage, and the benevolent and accomplished Sir George Cal¬
vert became Lord Baltimore. Having ever shared in the gen-
eial enthusiasm of England in favor of American plantations,
he failed in his first enterprize to colonize New Foundland. Be¬
coming fascinated with the glowing and picturesque description
of the hospitable clime, the beautiful scenery and prolific soil
of the Potomac, he sought and obtained-from the Crown an¬
other patent to colonize Eastward and Northward of the Vir¬
ginia Plantation. Hence, the ocean, the fortieth parallel of
latitude, the meridian of the western fountain of the Potomac,
the river itself from its source to its mouth, and a line drawn
due east from Watkins' Point, to the Atlantic, formed the metes
and bounds of this, his second charter. The name given it
(Maryland) was in honor of Henrietta Maria, the wife of
Charles I., daughter of Henry IV. The following is a part of
the first statute of this colony, passed in April, 1649, relative
to religious liberty: "Whereas, the enforcing of the conscience
in matters of religion, has frequently fallen out to be of dan¬
gerous consequence in those commonwealths where it has been
practised ; and for the more peaceful and quiet government of
this province, and the better to preserve mutual love and amity
among the inhabitants, no person professing to believe in Jesus
Christ, shall be in any way troubled, molested, or discounte¬
nanced for his or her religion, or in the free exercise thereof."
This clause of toleration extended only to Christians, for it was
introduced by the proviso: "Whatsoever person shall blas¬
pheme God, deny or reproach the Holy Trinity, or any of the
Three Persons thereof, shall be punished with death. Thus, it
70
is evident that Jews, Mahometans and Pagans, who are not
Christians, would have been punished with death! arid perfect
toleration did not exist in this Catholic Colony.
But this instance of Catholic toleration was supremely tidic-
ulous from other considerations. Who was Lord Baltimore?
By birth, education, and the greater portion of his life, a Pro¬
testant. From whom did he obtain his charter? From a-
Protestant King, Parliament and people. If Lord Baltimore
had attempted to obtain a patent to plant a Catholic Colony,
in which he purposed to persecute Protestants, from James, or
Charles, or the British Parliament, it would have been impos¬
sible. Would these Protestants, who were at that very mo¬
ment, in the home government, persecuting the Catholics, have
granted a charter to a Catholic, by which he and his colony
might persecute themselves ? 'Tis ridiculous, the supposition.
If we wish to ascertain what sort of a charter would have
been procured from a Catholic Prince and people, if sought,
let us look at the condition of Catholic Spain. France and
Spain had both colonized Florida—the French as Protestant
Calvinists. When the bigoted Romanist, Philip II., of Spain,
learned this fact, he said that the heretic Calvanists should not
colonize in the neighborhood of his Catholic provinces; and
he immediately despatched Pedro Melendez De Avilles, distin¬
guished for his intolerance, barbarity and vengeance, to fit out
an expedition to 'extirpate the heretics, but spare the Catholics.'
Hence, on his arrival at the French port, when asked who he
was, he replied to the commandant: "I am Melendez of Spain,
sent with strict orders, by my King, to gibbet and behead all
the Protestants in these regions. The Frenchmen who are
Catholics I will spare, but every heretic shall die." He butch¬
ered hundreds of men, women and children indiscriminately.
This is a fair specimen of Catholic toleration by a Catholic
Prince and people.
Now for Catholic toleration in ill-fated Poland. Its first divis¬
ion occurred as follows: A spirit of territorial aggrandizement
on the part of Russia, Austria and Prussia, had its influence
—the defects of the Polish constitution, in that its monarchy
was elective, which invited foreign interference and intrigue,
had also somewhat to do with it; but the cardinal cause was
the civil war brought about by the persecution of the Protest¬
ants, and members of the Greek church by the established
church—the Roman Catholic. By the Diets of 1717 and 1733,
these dissidents were deprived of the public exercise of their
religion. Hence, Russia, Great Britain, Denmark and Prussia
demanded of the Diet of 1766 a reinstatement of the Dissidents
in the same religious and civil rights which they had anteriorly
enjoyed, and reason and humanity demanded. But the zeal of
the fanatic Catholics refused, and foreign aid was then invoked
71
by the disfranchised religionists. The Pope and Austria sup¬
ported the Catholics—Russia and Prussia the malcontents.
Austria soon withdrew her aid. and joined the active coalition
upon a formally ratified compact, that she should share equally
in the spoliation of Poland. It was done, and the first division
resulted, more than any other cause, from Catholic bigotry and
intolerance.
The second and third divisions, or the total obliteration of
Poland from the map of nations, happened as follows: When
war bi|oke_ out between Russia and the Ottoman Porte, the
former demanded of Poland an offensive and defensive alli¬
ance. But Poland, smarting under the accursed retrospection
of her first dismemberment, and the quartering upon her citizens
of a large Russian army, and being promised aid by the King
of Sweden and Frederic William of Prussia, boldly resolved
once more to strike for independence; and demanded of the
Empress an immediate withdrawal of her troops from all her
territories. Catharine II, astonished at such courageous and
defiant resolution, withdrew her troops, and the world paid the
intrepid Poles the merited tribute of loud applause. Now, the
permanent Council of State was dissolved, and now a com¬
mittee was appointed to draft a new constitution, more in ac¬
cordance with the advanced spirit of the age ; for the dreadful
storm-cloud of the French Revolution, based on natural equal¬
ity, had darkened the western horizon of Europe, and its mut¬
tering thunders threatened even the distant Imperial throne
of the Czar. The constitution was framed and adopted, but
it did not recognize either religious toleration, the sovereignty
of the people, or equality of civil rights. It fixed the Catho¬
lic as the established religion, and granted to all other confes¬
sions 44 a reasonable liberty "—it declared the Polish throne
hereditary, and appointed Frederic Augustus, of Saxony, suc¬
cessor to the reigning king—it gave exclusively to the king
and his council, the exercise of the executive authority, and
permitted these also to participate in the legislative department
—it guarantied unimpaired the prerogatives of the nobility, and
left the peasants—the people—the fundamental mass of the
nation, still in hopeless bondage. But bitter dissensions and
fearful broils still existed among the Poles. Then it was un¬
happy Poland was shamefully abandoned by all her allies—
Prussia and faithless Austria armed against her, and Russian
hordes, with Scythian barbarity, pouring down in mountain tor¬
rents, overwhelmed her. The heroic Madalinski and Kosci¬
usko, though fighting like Nemean Lions, bathed in blood, could
not save her ; for Providence decreed that they should leave
her as they found her, decayed in her glory and sunk in her
worth. Then occurred the second and third divisions; and
then shot fearfully from the political heavens of Europe, the
72
star of the once glorious, and in the Fast, predominant Polish
state—the lamentable victim of national spoliation, and viola¬
ted internal public law. Thus we see that Catholic Poland
was never the friend of popular sovereignty, of the inalienable
rights of the people, or civil or religious liberty.
We will now discuss the Romish Church, with regard to its
admixture of paganism and Christianity. The best summary
of the doctrines of this church is found in the famous creed of
Pope Pius IV, which is regarded as the true and unquestionable
body of Popery. The XXIII article of this creed what
every Bishop, Priest, and Archbishop'must swear to: — " I do
acknowledge the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Roman Church
to be the Mother and Mistress of all churches; and I du pro¬
mise and swear true obedience to the Bishop ( Pope) of Rome—-
successor to St. Peter—Prince of Apostles, and the Vicar of
Jesus Christ." But we will quote the language of Catholic
writers themselves, of the estimation in which the Pope by
them is held. Jocabatius, Durand, Gilbert and Pithion, on the
authority of the Canon law, style the Pontiff " the Almighty's
Vicegerent—who occupies the place, not of a mere man, but
of the true God." According to Innocent the Third, "The
Pope holds the place of the true God." The Canon Law in
the gloss denominates the Roman Hierarch " Our Lord
God." These quotations will suffice for our purpose, but we
might multiply them indefinitely. This claim of the Pope is
certainly indispensable, to justify his spiritual and temporal
supremacy. But it was not suggested by any such pretension
on the part of St. Peter, or any other of the Apostles or early
christains. It must, therefore, have been from the claims of
Pagan religion. Let us see. The Grand Lama, who, like the
Pope, resides in a magnificent palace at Patoli in Thibet, and
surrounded by quite as many servile priests, is called, even
now, the " Vicegerent of God on earth;" and the distant
nomadic tribes of Tartary (as the Jesuits, the Popes,) regard
him absolutely as the Deity himself; and Kings and Emperors
(as they do the Pope) pay him homage. The believers of this
religion call the Grand Lama "Infallible and Most Holy Lord;"
and he (like the Pope of Rome) is absolute in power through¬
out his vast dominions. It prevails throughout the whole of
Asia, and it is said to be one of the most ancient of religions.
The Maximus Pontifix, the High Priest of the Druids, was
absolute in his authority; and those who refused civil or reli¬
gious obedience to him were declared "impious and accursed."
The Imam of the Druses, is regarded by the followers in the
same extraordinary light. Among the Medes and Persians,
each King was honored with the high sounding title of " King
of Kings"—was regarded as infallible, the only holy fountain
of civil and religious authority; and being possessed of abso-
73
lute power, these Kings claimed equal respect with the gods
themselves. The Kings of the Parthians were held in the
same estimation. Mahomet claimed to be the Vicegerent of
God—the first in dignity and last in succession, of all the holy
prophets, one of whom he esteemed Jesus Christ, and he, too,
claimed infallibility and absolute power. The Koran declares
" there is but one God, and Mahomet is his prophet." Thus,
we see that this claim of the Pope to Vicegerency and infalli¬
bility is not of Christian, but Pagan authority; and the object
being, the same with these imposters—the enslavement and
degradation of mankind.
We have previously shown that the despotisms of the old
world were sustained through the agency of pagan priesthood
or clergy ; so the Romish church has employed its priesthood
to attain universal supremacy in the modern world. In every
respect—in organization, in doctrines of passive obedience, in
pretensions of mystic lore and religious prerogative, in the un¬
scrupulous means employed, in indomitable thirst after posts of
distinction and wealth, the Pagan and Catholic priesthoods are
.analogous. All Catholics obey their Bishops—these their Me¬
tropolitans—these their Primates—these their Patriarchs, and
all are bound by an irrefragible chain to the throne of St. Peter.
Beneath all these, dispersed throughout the nations of the earth,
is the ever active, vigilant and working priesthood. Tney are
chiefly divided into two orders, differing only in the parts which
each has to play in the grand drama of world empire—the
one Monastic, the other Jesuitical. The immediate design of
the Monastic Order, was, to separate its members from the
world; that of the Jesuits, to render themselves the masters
of it. The Monk was a retired devotee of Heaven, and required
to work out his salvation by extraordinary acts of devotion
and self-denial. The follower of Loyola considered it his duty
to plunge into all the bustle of secular affairs, to maintain the
interests of the Romish church ; he was sent forth to watch
every transaction of the world which might affect the interests
of religion, and was especially enjoined to study the disposi¬
tions, and cultivate the friendships of persons of high rank;
and bound in perfect obedience to his Captain General, who
resided in Rome, appointed by the Pope ; he went wherever
he was ordered, performed what he was commanded, and suf¬
fered whatever he was enjoined. However liberal the external
aspect of this institution seemed, nothing can be imagined so
rigid and secret as its organization. Before the expiration of
the sixteenth century, the Jesuits had obtained the chief control
of the education of the youths of every Catholic country in
Europe, and were the confessors of almost all its Monarchs.
But in every position, they moulded all and every thing to the
despotic sway of the Romish See.
74
"A Protean tribe, one knows not what to call,
Which shifts to every form, and shines in all,
Grammarian, Painter, Augur, Rhetorician,
Rope-dancer, conjuror, fiddler, and physician.
All trades their own, the Pope their God in all."
Of the Monastic orders there are many varieties: Basilians,
Benedictines, Augustinians, Dominicans, Franciscans, Canons
regular, and others. Like all the variety of Nuns, they take
the solemn vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and differ
only in rules of discipline, dress and peculiar privileges granted
to each order by the Pope. While the Monks are almost all
under the jurisdiction of the Pope, the Nuns are either under
that of the Bishop or clergyman of their own order. The
ascetic principles which constitute the basis of the Monastic
orders are more ancient than Christianity itself. They were
commonly practiced among the Hindoos, Gymnosophists,
Esseans, Pythagoreans, and Cynics, by anacorites, hermits,
recluses, monks and priests; and even at present, the coun¬
tries in which the religions of Brama, Fo, Lama and Mo¬
hammed prevail, are full of fakirs, santons, tanirs, talapoins,
bonzes, and dervises, whose fanatical and absurd penances, like
those of the Catholic monastics, are rather the arts of hypoc¬
risy than the fruits of piety. These abominable orders Were
not known to the early Christians, and are opposed to every
principle of Christianity. It was not until the fifth and sixth
centuries that these institutions became the reputed asylums
of retired purity arid sanctity. Mahomet was violently op¬
posed to all Monks, and they were not introduced into his
church for three hundred years after his death. He said,,"I
am opposed to vows which war against nature, because they
war against God."
Monachism is another Pagan element of the Catholic church.
It requires the suppression of natural affection, all social enjoy¬
ment, and its very essence is affected piety. Nature cannot be
offended with impunity—you cannot suppress her powers,
without their elastic rebound open for themselves a destructive
course. The Monk and the Nun, constrained fo renounce the
most agreeable sentiments—to be severe to themselves—ene¬
mies to ali pleasure, however innocent, dead to the world, be¬
come intolerant, institute of all forbearance, compassion, or
sympathy. In all the annals of bloody persecutions, these
Catholic orders have ever been chiefly conspicuous. Subject¬
ing themselves to the law of blind obedience, they adopt the
despicable sentiments of slaves, and lose all idea of the true
dignity and moral grandeur of human nature. How can these
miserable specimens of human nature esteem the domestic,
social and civil virtues, when they have renounced them for¬
ever, and are incessantly teaching others to do so. The State
75
where Monachism prevails, is closed to all liberal cultivation
oi" the mind, to all high moral illumination, to ennobling free¬
dom, to human felicity, to industrial development, thrift and
fortune—to the highest destination of man. Its genial soil is
despotism, superstition, hypocrisy and sensuality.
The Chaldean and Egyptian priests were analogous to the
Jesuits; they were ministers in the temple, philosophers,
statesmen, architects, skilled in political ethics, every branch
of occult or mystic science, and all, too, for the same object—
to accumulate wealth, and attain temporal distinction and
power. These Jesuitical orders have ever been distinguished
in all ages and nations for the unscrupulous means which they
have employed to compass their ends. "One of them, 'tis
said, in India, procured a pedigree to prove his own descent
from Brahma ! and another, in America, assured a native chief
that Christ had been a valiant and victorious warrior, who, in
the space of three years, had scalped an incredible number of
men, women and children." 'Twas about the middle of the
seventeenth century that these orders reached their point of
culmination, and especially the Jesuitical, which eclipsed every
other Romish community. But the great blow which they
received, and which was the commencement of their declina¬
tion, was from the admirable pen of Pascal. The letters pro-
vinciales, that great model of satire and eloquence, held them
up to the merited contempt and detestation of mankind, and
made their name a by-word and a reproach.
Since the general abolition and suppression of their institu¬
tions in Europe, they have been, by the bulls of Popes and
decrees of Princes and States, resuscitated and restored; and
to-day their armies of priests, are the very sheet-anchors of
their despotic thrones. Besides, they are pouring in ceaseless
torrents into our own beloved country, muddying and poison¬
ing our pure streams of liberty, virtue, chastity, education and
religion. They are establishing everywhere, convents, colle¬
ges, missions, hospitals, sisters of charity, and monasteries—
nurseries of despotism, superstition, ignorance and bigotry—
stews of sloth, stupidity, indolence and debauchery—where
education is taught without the least tincture of useful, practi¬
cal learning—of good manners, or of true religion ; where the
taste and sentiment of all the domestic and social relations are
corrupted and vitiated ; where idle vagabonds resort, and noble
industry is checked and discouraged.
Yes, Americans, these are some of the appliances of that
vitiating and despotic church, by which your glorious free in¬
stitutions are being gradually undermined and subverted.
The Confessional. This is the most despicable appendage
of the Catholic church. It is here the cunning Priest becomes
acquainted with all the secret thoughts, feelings, passions and
76
sympathies of every member of his church, and thus, over all
their minds and hearts, acquires complete mastery. In Mexico,
Central and South America, in Spain, Portugal and other
Catholic States of Europe, through their pretended power to
remit sins, to grant indulgences, to bind and loose on earth
and in heaven, innocent and infatuated maidens are seduced
to " take the veil "—to become inmates of convents and nun¬
neries—to become holy victims of the Priests' lawless desires.
In the countries above mentioned, many of these secluded
institutions have degenerated into consecrated harems; and
even in portions of the United States, in them the most fla¬
grant and licentious acts have been perpetrated. It is notori¬
ous in New Mexico that Priests not only have two and three
wives, but keep a seraglio of concubines adjoining their
chapeis. In Mexico, Cuba, South America, and the Catholic
countries of Southern Europe, Priests will go immediately
from Mass and witness bull and cock lights, to various gam¬
bling establishments, to various houses of ill-fame, and not only
bet freely, but indulge in all sorts of excesses. 'Tis here, at
the confessional, that the artful Priest makes slaves of freemen,
with the promised beatitude of heaven, or the threatened fires
of hell. What admirable mediators between God and man,
these priestly tricksters.
The doctrine of purgatory. This is another despotic device
by which the Romish priesthood sway at will the minds of
men. They say there are none who depart this life so just
and pure that they must not expiate in purgatory certain of¬
fences which do not merit eternal damnation. They divide
all sins into mortal and venial—the former damnable, the latter
pardonable. But if you have money, all are pardonable, if
not, all are mortal. Jesus Christ said, " come unto me all ye
that are weary and heavy laden, without money or price."
The Catholic Priest says, come unto me all that are weary and
heavy laden with money, for I must have my price. It is the
prayers and intercessions of the Priest alone that can release
the soul from adamantine chains and penal fires; and these
are given for money. But this fiction also is of Pagan origin.
Among the Egyptians, the dread tribunal after death was a
judicial institution, confined alone to the priesthood. By this
tribunal ihey determined whether the dead bodies even of
Kings, were worthy of anointing, embalming, and a sepulchre,
or whether they should not be cast away for natural decay.
If the former, the soul passed through a purgatorial state,
called transmigration ; if the latter, then it was totally extinct.
The doctrine of purgatory was common also among the Brah¬
mins of India. They believed that there were seven spheres
below, and seven above the earth, in a descending and ascend¬
ing scale. In the highest of the ascending, was the celestial
77
residence of their great god, Brahma. All the sacred writings
of the Brahmins represent the universe as an ample and au¬
gust theatre, for probationary souls in a purgatorial state,
ever ascending the siderial ladder, through various gradations
of toil and suffering, till they attained the pristine state of
perfection and blessedness. This constitutes their doctrine of
Metempsychosis. This doctrine was also common among the
pagan votaries of Lamaism—the Jews, Mahommedans, the
Pythagorean and Platonic sects. While this was a mere
scholastic vagary among these sects, it was a cunning device
upon the part of these pagan Egyptians and Catholic Priests,
to hoard pennies, and acquire despotic influence over the fears
and hopes of superstitious and infatuated men.
Image worship is also another Pagan feature of the Romish
church. Was not the Catholic church charged with this idola¬
try in the eighth century, not only by the Greeks, Jews and
Mohammedans, but by all the Christian Bishops of Constanti¬
nople and the East? There was a Synod held at Constanti¬
nople in the year A.D., 754, by three hundred and thirty-eight
Bishops, in which they pronounced and subscribed a unani¬
mous decree: " That all symbols of Christ, except in the
Eucharist, were either blasphemous or heretical; that image
worship was a revival of Paganism; that all such monuments
should be broken and erased." It is a historical fact, that
when the Mahometans captured and sacked Constantinople,
they destroyed all Catholic images and relics in their churches,
calling them Pagans and Idolators. Six successive Emperors
of the Roman Empire supported the reason and religion of the
Iconoclasts, against the Bishops of Rome in their idolatrous
worship of images. But, finally, the Popes of Rome prevailed..
Pope Gregory II. appealed to arms against his sovereign and
the Iconoclasts, and in his address to the Italians for aid, he
used this argument: " You Italians should not oppose image
worship, because it is connected with your ancient, hereditary
glory; because, in sustaining us you are supporting the religion
of your ancestors." The Catholics now contend, in depictures
of Christ, of the Holy Mother, of Angels, and the relics of
Saints, that they do not adore them in themselves, but the per¬
sonages, and the qualities and attributes of character, which
they impersonate and represent. Does any sensible man
believe that the learned Egyptian worshipped the goat, mon¬
key, crocodile, as well as leeks and onions? Does any one
believe that the Romans and Greeks worshipped the statues of
their innumerable divinities, their heroes and demigods? Cer¬
tainly not; but the elements and qualities and properties
represented and symbolized. Yet they are termed in " Holy
Writ" Pagans and Idolators; and, indeed, so are the Catho¬
lics.
78
The adoration of relics, and the alleged miracles performed
by them, and at the tombs of the saints, have led to the most
abominable Superstitions and knavery. At one time such was
the rage to procure relics to adorn and consecrate churches in
Europe, that they have actually succeeded in getting "eight
arms of St. Matthew, three of St. John, and an incredible
number of St. Thomas A. Becket—they have the ark and rod
of Moses—the table on which the last supper of the Savior
was instituted—on the altar of the Lateran are the heads ol
St. Paul and St. Peter entire—at St. Peter's Church, is the
cross of the penitent thief; also, the lantern of Judas—the
dice used by the Roman soldiers who cast lots for our Savior's
garments—the tail of Balaam's ass—the saw, axe and hammer
of St. Joseph—the combs that the Apostles and the Virgin
Mary used," and an indefinite number of other tomfooleries.
We will give you some idea of the miracles said to be per¬
formed at the tombs of the saints—also, by their relics and
images, by stating one which has been publicly announced to
the world. "An official publication, authorized by the Papal
Court of Rome, declared that twenty-six pictures of the Virgin
Mary opened and shut their eyes in 1796 and 1797, and a
statue of the Virgin at Torrice changed color and perspired."
The doctrine of indulgences, of the seven sacraments, of tran-
substantiation, of extreme unction, and sundry others, peculiar
to the Romish church, are anti-Christian or Pagan in their
origin, and are designed either to make a penny for the hypo¬
critical priesthood, or to stultify and degrade the masses of
men.
The doctrine of indulgences has led to the most extraordi¬
nary crimes and enormities. At one period in Europe, Popes
manufactured indulgences by the wholesale, for vagabond
monks and priests, who hawked them about everywhere for
saie, graduating their prices to the ability of the purchasers.
Those that would cost princes an hundred pounds, could be
bought by a peasant for so many pennies. 'Twas these that
most shocked the religious sense of the world, and aroused the
spirit of the Reformation, whose trumpet-voice of religious
liberty shook for years the thrones of Europe, and silenced
the thunder-peals of the Vatican.
The other appurtenances of the Romish church to which
we have alluded, belong rather to polemic theology than to
political philosophy; hence, we will not give them a critical
examination. Civil and religious liberty are like two palm-
trees, which bear ambrosial fruit only when growing side bv
side. This remark introduces our third proposition, " that
the union of Church and State in the organism of govern¬
ments, has invariably led to the usurpation of the rights of the
people—to national corruption, degradation and ruin."