Roman Aggression and Protestant Apathy.
By R. T.
Of all the great evils that exist in our land, there seems to be none toward which the American people exhibit such apathy and perfect indifference as the insidious and rapid encroachments of Romanism. Although they cannot shut their eyes to the fact that this sect always has been the uncompromising enemy of religious and civil liberty, and that their leaders still claim that they never change, yet by some strange infatuation business men, and politicians especially, seem to vie with each other in their efforts to court the favor and to yield to all the demands of this sect, which they should know is endeavoring to destroy us as a free people. The man who found a viper benumbed, cold and stiff, and put it in his bosom to warm it to life, and as it revived stung him to death, acted just as consistently and as suicidally as those who so readily yield to the demands and seek the favor of Romanism. The fact is we are warming to life a veritable viper whose ultimate aim is to sting to death the life and liberties of this Nation. The rum power is bad enough—a great and terrible evil, causing untold misery and desolation, and filling graveyards with its victims—yet I think it would not lay violent hands on our Constitution and trail our banner in the dust at the feet of foreign despots. But Romanism would do this to-day if it had the power. It first blindfolds its victims, then robs them and leads them deluded to eternal destruction under a cloak of religion. And this is the principle that Protestant Americans are fostering and apologizing for, in order to gain office, or a few dollars in trade, etc., like Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage; yea, worse, for he only injured himself. But these persons deliberately sell our blood-bought liberties for all time, for mere sordid gain and personal ambition. Is it not wonderful, astonishing, and even shameful to see governors, legislators, judges, merchants, and business men, even down to the humblest citizen, cringing at the feet of Rome's hirelings—the priests—as if anxious to do their bidding, and awed into submission to their will by the crack of that terrible weapon, the boycott lash, which they keep constantly twirling over their heads. Merchants want their trade and politicians their votes, therefore they keep very quiet and don't say anything to disturb them. Oh, ye Protestants of America, will ye never awake to your danger till your liberties are taken from you, and only here and there one like Father O'Connor to raise his voice against this usurpation of the priests of Rome, while there is not a nation on earth where Romanism bears rule that has the least semblance of civil and religious liberty. It would seem as if Protestant Americans are bent on their own destruction. May God have mercy on us, and save us from this terrible apathy before it is too late, is my prayer.—R. T., in Converted Catholic.