might, it is true, have caused some disturbance, and hastened the fall
of some of the tottering thrones of Europe. Spain, Italy, Portugal, and
even Austria and Prussia, might have ceased to have kings, by _divine
right;_ but a far better order of things could not fail soon to have
arisen. The Pope would have been hurled from his throne; Napoleon would
have stripped from him the trappings of royalty; he would have taught
him to feel, and reduce to practice the heavenly declaration of his
Divine Master, which his holiness now repeats in solemn mockery, _regnum
meum nan est de hoc mundo_. He would have confined him to his legitimate
duty, in place of spending his time in dictating political despatches
to foreign powers, and sending bulls of excommunication which are now
become laughing-stocks to all intelligent men; he might be devoted to
the advancement of true Christianity, and the world saved from those
contentions and disturbances, occasioned by this man of sin and his
agents.
Why will not our statesmen reflect upon these things, lest in some
future contest with the powers of Europe the scales of victory may be
turned against them by this man of sin, whose agents in this country, as
1 have heretofore remarked, amount to nearly two millions. The defeat
or subversion of the government of Great Britain, by Popish power, is
equivalent to a victory gained by it over the United States. I tell the
Protestants of England and of the United States, that their respective
governments are doomed to fall, if Popery gains the ascendency over
either; and all those who try to foment or urge any difficulties between
them, are not the friends of either, but the enemies of both. It is only
by the combined efforts of Protestants, all over the world, that Popery
can be crushed, and peace, and religion, and fraternal love, restored to
mankind.
I have produced some facts that admit of no _denial_, and I put the
question, confidently, to every honest and sensible Protestant in
England or America, who is unwarped by prejudice or interest, whether
the cause of liberty is not in danger, and likely to decline, if we
any longer submit to or acquiesce in the doctrines of Popery! And I ask
every reflecting American in particular, whether the influence which
Popery has now in this country, is not likely to create anarchy, or
even despotism amongst us, though we may preserve the forms of a free
constitution!
I have alluded to the struggles in England with Popery; I have mentioned
the name of that demagogue, O'Connell, because he is the agent of the
Pope for both countries, and because I believe it is the mutual interest
of the two to unite, and stand shoulder to shoulder in opposition
to Popish intrigues, evolved in the proceedings of this selfish and
dangerous man, O'Connell. The designs of O'Connell and the Irish
bishops, and those of the Pope and his Jesuit agents in the United
States, are proved upon testimony which admits of no denial, viz: their
own admissions. O'Connell, the mouthpiece of Popery in Ireland, avows
publicly that Protestant England shall not govern Irish Papists, and the
Pope's agents in the United States declare and swear, that _Americans
shall not rule them_. How are the English and Americans to treat this
common enemy? Let them go into the enemy's armory, divest themselves
of their mawkish sympathy, buckle on the very armor which their enemy
wears, and adopt the mode of warfare used by them. Give the common enemy
no quarters, assail them from every point, and the _subjects_ of his
holiness the Pope, either in Great Britain or the United States,
will not long remain insensible to the miseries, into which the great
_national rent beggar_ has plunged them. This, however, I find cannot
be easily done in the United States. The difficulty with our people is
this, they would find it much easier to assume the armor used by the
common enemy, than to lay down that of sympathy and hospitality, which
they have heretofore worn, and thus, although a moral and religious
people, their zeal is but dim and sluggish, while that of their
adversaries, the Pope and his agents, burns higher and clearer every
day. This must not be. God and freedom forbid it.
The political contest, which has just ended, has tended greatly, at
least for the moment, to im-bolden and encourage Popery. Each party
courted the Papists, and they supported him from whom they expected most
favors. They laid their meshes, nets, and traps for President Polk; but
I believe they have been "_caught in their own traps_." That gentleman
is said to be a moral and religious man, and one of the last in the
world to countenance idolatry, blasphemy, or treason amongst us. But
now that the contest is over, and no further avowal of distinct party
principles is necessary or profitable, it is to be hoped that the good
and virtuous of both parties will unite in passing such laws, as will
shield our country and our people from any further Popish interference
with our government or our institutions. He, who shall bring about this
desirable result, and those who aid him, will merit the gratitude of
their country.
In the present position of parties, much is expected from the great
"American Republican" association, which has recently been formed
throughout the United States. Every eye is fixed upon its movements, and
the hopes of all Protestants hang upon its success. Do not disappoint
us, American Republicans. You alone can save the Protestant foreigner
from the persecutions of Popery, and we call upon you, by the memory of
your sires, to shield us from it.
You have a great part to act; you are young; but the purity of your
principles, and the justice of your cause, abundantly supply what
is wanting in age. You are the mediators between two great political
parties, whose extremes cannot meet, of if they did, would only tend to
render their respective centres still more corrupt, by their internal
powers of contamination. Neither of those parties will ever consent to
be governed by the other; nor has either of them the moral courage to
come forth boldly and say to Popery, Stand off, thou unclean thing. Thou
hast polluted all Europe for ages past; stand aloof from us; wash thy
polluted hands and bloodstained garments; until then, thou art unfit to
enter the temple of our liberties. Thou art, in thy very nature, impure,
and hast already diffused amongst us too much of thy deadly poison
before we took the alarm. Like an infected atmosphere, thou hast
silently entered the abodes of moral health; thou hast penetrated the
strong holds of our freedom, without giving us any warning! Avaunt,
thou scarlet LADY of Babylon! recede to the Pontine marshes, whence thou
earnest, and no longer infect the pure air of freedom! The foul stains
of thy corruption shall no longer be permitted to spot the pure and
unsullied insignia of _independence!_ I am aware that the sympathizers
with Popery will say that such language as the above is rather harsh.
They will tell us it is cruel. They will assert, in their usual
mawkish style, that it was never the intention of the framers of our
constitution to treat those who come amongst us with unkindness. They
themselves invited the oppressed of every land, creed, and people,
to our shores. They extended the hand of friendship to all, without
distinction of party, sect, or religion. So they did, and so do their
descendants. Any and every man is welcome to this country. Whether he
comes from the banks of the Euphrates, shores of the Ganges, or bogs
of Ireland, he is sure to receive from Americans a warm and hospitable
reception. His person, his liberty, and his property, are protected; but
there is a condition under which this reception is given, and without
which it never should be granted. The recipient of all these favors is
required to yield obedience to the mild and equitable laws of the United
States; forswearing at the same time, all allegiance to any other king,
potentate, or power whatever. This condition, so just, so reasonable,
and so politic, is generally complied with by all foreigners, who land
in these United States, with the exception of Roman Catholics. All
others come amongst us, and either refuse at once to become citizens,
or honestly incorporate themselves with us. The Papist alone refuses
incorporation with Americans. He alone comes amongst us the avowed enemy
of our institutions, and the sworn subject of a foreign king, the Pope
of Rome. Among all the foreigners who land upon the shores of this
country, none but Papists avow any hostility to its institutions. They
alone would dare say, "_Americans sha'n't rule us_." On them alone have
Americans just cause to look as traitors to their government, and foes
to their religion; and they alone should be singled out as just objects
of fear and jealousy.
I have, in the preceding pages, traced the origin of the Papal temporal
power to its proper source; and endeavored to follow the course of
its turbid and muddy stream, through many of its sinuosities and
canonical--if I may use such a term--gyrations, down to the middle of
the 16th century. I freely admit that I have made many "short cuts" and
have been obliged to pass unnoticed several of its acute angles. Were I
to proceed "_pari passu_" with its course, taking all its bearings and
accompanying them with the necessary observations, it would require
a volume at least ten times as large as that which I now respectfully
present to the public. I shall, however, if Providence leaves me health,
continue the subject of Popery as it was and as it is. I will dissect
the Body Papal, so that every American, who honors me with the perusal
of my observations, will see its inmost structure. I have studied its
anatomy; I understand all its minutiae; and if any can view the skeleton
without horror and shame for having so long contributed to feast and
fatten the monster, it shall not be my fault. The performance of
this operation will be, in every point of view, extremely unpleasant.
Whichever way I look, the prospect must be disagreeable. Behind, I can
only see an object in which I once felt an interest, and with which
I was unfortunately connected: and before, nothing is to be seen but
further persecutions and calumnies. But, most what it may, it shall not
be said of me by friend or foe, that I have shrunk from the performance
of a duty which I owe to the cause of morality, and to my adopted
country.
I have merely touched upon the persecuting and treacherous spirit of the
Popish church. The profligacy of its priests are scarcely noticed by
me as yet. Its idolatries and blasphemies are barely alluded to.
Indulgences, miracles, and the iniquities committed in nunneries, are
scarcely glanced at. The twilight view, which I have given of these
subjects, is only intended for a better observation of them, under the
full light of some mid-day sun.
Before I conclude this volume, permit me to give you a brief view of
Popery as it is at this very day on which I write. I have a double
object in doing this. First, what I am about stating has perhaps escaped
the notice of many of my fellow-citizens; and secondly, it will confirm
one of the most serious charges which I have made against Papists; and
thirdly it will prove to a demonstration, that Roman Catholic priests
and bishops, who surround us and live amongst us, are a set of barefaced
liars, whose entire disregard for truth fits them for no other society
than that of brigands and felons.
The reader will bear in mind that Roman Catholics are the loudest
advocates of _religious freedom_. He will also not forget that I have
charged them with being its most inveterate enemies. The Papists and
myself are now fairly at issue.
Either they are right and I am wrong, or _vice versa_. I have sustained
my accusation against them by proofs derived from their own general
councils, and from their uniform practice for centuries back. Still,
these Catholics will say and assert publicly, in their pulpits, and at
their meetings religious and political, that they were always and are
now the advocates of religious toleration. Let the past for a moment
be forgotten. I presume no one will question what the practices of the
Romish church have been in relation to religious toleration in former
times. Let us rather see what it is now among our neighbors in Madeira;
and as all Roman Catholics are a unit in faith and practice, we may
judge from what we see in Madeira, of what may be seen, and if not
seen, is felt, in the United States. I submit the following letter to my
readers. It is from one of the most respectable men in Madeira.
"Religious Persecution in Madeira. We have just had a sort of miniature
civil war. Dr. Rally, who has been converting the natives, is the
original cause of it. He converted the woman they sentenced to death
here not long since. Having been imprisoned for some time, the doctor
was at last liberated, and resumed his habit of preaching to the people
in his house; and it was not generally known, until within a short time,
that he had made several hundred converts. On ascertaining this fact,
the Governor, Don Oliva de Correa, at the request of the priests of the
established church, who feared that the people might throw off their
allegiance to the Roman Catholic church, appointed a country police to
prevent the Protestants from assembling together. On Sunday week,
the converts of St. Antonia de Sierra, while engaged in prayer, were
assailed by the police, who broke in the door, knocked down the person
who was officiating in the service, broke the benches, and dispersed the
people, except four or five whom they took prisoners, and then proceeded
to town. After going two miles, the police were overtaken by the
populace, armed with pitchforks, rusty muskets, hoes, &c.
"The police were overpowered, and after being ducked in the river by the
mob, they were tied together by the hands and feet and left on the road;
the Protestants returning to the mountains with their rescued comrades.
One of the police officers, who escaped from the mob, made his way to
town and alarmed the government. Three hundred and fifty soldiers were
immediately ordered out; the police were released from their confinement
on the road-side, and the army marched to the villages of the
'Rallyites.' The dwellings were fired indiscriminately; several aged
women, who could not fly to the mountains, were put to the torture,
to make them reveal the places of concealment of the 'heretics.'
The Catholic army then proceeded up the mountain to massacre the
Protestants; but in passing the foot of the hill they were assailed
by the Protestants above, who threw down stones and rocks upon them,
killing eight soldiers and wounded forty others severely. As soon as
the troops could be gathered after their fright and alarm, they opened
a deadly fire upon the Protestants, chasing them five miles over the
country, taking eighty or ninety prisoners, and killing and wounding
several of the unfortunate wretches.
"The army marched their prisoners down to the sea-coast, to Machico,
where they were put on board the Diana fifty gun frigate, and taken
thence to Punchal. The vessel of war, Don Pedro, was left at anchor
on Machico to awe the country, but another, the Vouga, which had been
despatched to Lisbon with official accounts of the battle, ran aground
and had to return for repairs. The Don Pedro will therefore go to
Lisbon. The captives will be sent to Lisbon, I suppose for trial, some
time next week. Dr. Rally, the cause of the disturbance, remains at his
house unmolested, which is singular. I don't think they will let him be
quiet long. The Yorktown, American sloop-of-war, was here the other day.
We have had a beautiful winter so far. About four hundred people have
come here this year for the benefit of their health."
The above letter was received in New York a few weeks ago, and needs
no comment. If any Papist doubts it, he can easily write to Madeira
and ascertain its truth or falsehood. Until then he has no reason to be
surprised if American Protestants shall refuse to hold any connection or
communion with them.
There is one feature in the letter to which I would call the attention
of the reader. It shows not only the persecuting spirit of Popery, but
the uniformity and consistency of their mode of operation. Go back to
the former persecutions of the Popish church against the followers
of Wickliffe and the Huguenots. The Wickliffites had to fly to the
mountains for shelter; but they were hotly pursued and cut down by the
swords of their fiendish persecutors. They were massacred and butchered,
even in the fissures and caves of their native rocks and mountains.
The Protestants in Madeira, only a few weeks ago, had to fly to the
mountains from a bloodthirsty, Popish soldiery, headed by their priests
and monks. There, at our very doors, and in a country with which we
have _treaties of friendship and alliance,_ American Protestants are
butchered and slaughtered by Popish savages, under the mask of religion;
and when the news of this transaction reached our own shores, what
action has been taken upon the subject? Was there any indignation
meeting called? Were there any resolutions passed? Were there any
ambassadors appointed in New England or elsewhere to ascertain the cause
of this bloody tragedy? Did our government demand any explanation
from the authorities at Madeira? The writer is not aware of any. Our
government is too much occupied with affairs of more importance, viz.,
_Who shall be Secretary of State, who shall be Secretary of War, &c_.
The interest of morality seems a matter of minor importance with the
"powers that be." The blood of our Protestant fellow-citizens, the cries
of their widows and orphans cannot reach the eye or ear of our grave
law-makers. The question with them seems, not what our country may
become, by the treachery and persecutions of Popery, which are witnessed
along the whole line and circumference of our own coast--a question
of far more importance to them seems to be, Who shall hold the fattest
office, or whether Massachusetts or South Carolina is in the right on
the subject of the imprisonment of a few citizens, belonging to the
former, by the latter: while they witness all around, and in the
very midst of them, Popish priests and bishops persecuting their
fellow-citizens abroad, and gnawing at their very vitals at home. Fatal
delusion this on the part of our government and people!
I have accused the Romish church and her priests of treachery,
prevarication, and fraud, in all their dealings with Protestants. Their
guilt has been established by proofs and evidences such as they cannot
deny, viz., the canons of their church and their own admission. There
is not a people in the world more anxious for correct information on all
subjects than Americans; and it is, therefore, the more singular that
they should be so indifferent to the all-important subject of Popery.
This, however, may be accounted for, in some measure. The moral
monstrosities--if I may use such language--of Popery, are such, that
it requires something more than ordinary faith to believe them, and a
greater power of vision than generally falls to the lot of man, even
to look at them. There are objects on which the human eye cannot rest
without blinking, and upon which nothing but force or fear can induce it
to fix its gaze for any length of time. It will always gladly turn from
them, and rest upon something else. This may account for the fact that
my adopted countrymen and fellow Protestants pay so little attention to
the subject of Popery, or the hideous crimes and revolting deeds which
it has ever taught, and its priests have ever practised.
I cannot otherwise account for the apparent indifference and unconcern
of our government and people on the subject of our relations with
Catholic countries, and the encouragement given to Popish emissaries in
the United States. I have myself seen so much of Popery, that my mind
shrinks from the further contemplation of its iniquities. I can assure
my Protestant friends, that nothing but an inherent love of liberty,
and a desire, as far as in my power, to ward off that blow which I see
Popery treacherously aiming at Protestants and the Protestant religion
in the United States, could ever have induced me to publish these
pages; and, although I feel that I have already drawn too heavily on the
indulgence of my readers, I cannot dismiss the subject without laying
before them another evidence of Popish treachery, which occurred only a
few weeks ago, on the island of Tahiti.
It seems that in 1822, or thereabouts, an individual, named M.
Moerenhout, representing himself a native of Belgium, arrived in
Valparaiso, and obtained a situation as clerk from Mr. Duester, the
Dutch consul in that city. After some time, he gains the confidence of
his employer, on whom, together with two more merchants, he prevailed
to charter a vessel and send a cargo by her to the Society Islands, with
himself as supercargo. They did so accordingly in 1829, and the worthy
supercargo appropriated to his own use the whole profits of the voyage,
and continued for some time longer upon the island, selling whisky,
brandy, and other liquors. In 1834, (says the Quarterly Review, from
which, together with other sources, I derived my information,) this
gentleman departed for Europe, with a view of communicating with the
French government; or rather, as I am informed upon good authority, to
confer with the order of Jesuits in that country. On his way to Europe,
this Moerenhout came to the United States, obtained some letters
of introduction in New York and Boston, with which he proceeded to
Washington; and on the strength of them, was appointed United States'
consul for Tahiti. With the title of consul-general of the United
States, this diplomatist proceeds to France, and immediately--no doubt
according to previous arrangement--entered into all the plans of the
Jesuits for the extirpation of Protestantism in the Society Islands. He
became the agent of the _Propaganda_ in France, an institution placed
under the patronage of St. Xavier. The duty of converting all the
islands of the Pacific, from the South to the North Pole, is committed
to this Propaganda, and a decretal to that effect was confirmed by the
Pope on the 22d June, 1823. A bishop was appointed for Eastern Oceania,
and several priests preceded him to the islands. Among these priests
was an _Irish catechist_, by the name of Murphy. The bishop, it seems,
established himself at Valparaiso, while the priests proceeded to
Tahiti.
I here give an instance of the manner in which those Popish missionaries
discharge their duties. You will find it the October number of the
Foreign Quarterly Review. You may rely upon the statement.
The Popish missionaries have acted in the case just as I should have
done myself when a Romish priest, in obedience to the instructions given
by the _infallible church_.
"I always bear about me," says the _reverend_ Jesuit, Patailon, "a flask
of holy water and another of perfume. I pour a little of the latter upon
the child, and then, whilst its mother holds it out without suspicion,
I change the flasks and sprinkle the water that regenerates, unknown to
any one but myself." This is what the holy church calls a pious fraud;
and this is what the priests of Boston are doing, in a little different
manner, to the children of Protestant mothers. In Tahiti, Popish priests
make Christians by jugglery, under the very eye of the mother. In the
United States they make Christians of Protestant children by ordering
their Catholic nurses to bring them secretly to the priest's house to be
baptized.