a party that would openly proscribe them. Besides, the
thing itself was wrong—contrary to the nature and origin
of all our political institutions, forbidden in terms by the
Constitutions of the country, State and National, and abhor-
rent to a common sense of justice, All this could be gotten
over; the legality, constitutionality or morale of the thing
was not so very material. The Catholic vote too was not
of much consequence when weighed against the great masses
of the country. But there were the Democrats! these were
indeed formidable, known to have the real good of the coun-
try at heart, such of them at least as stood firm, and had not
been and could not be seduced into lodges and councils, nor
severed from their propriety by feelings of resentment
springing from disappointment in applications for office for
themselves or their friends. With them the principle of co-
hesion was devotion to the Constitution and laws, the com-
mon good and equal rights, civil, religious, and political of
all citizens. The new party had already taken from them
all the exuviae and venality which had once hung, and will
gather around all great parties; yet they were still strong
and powerful, the more so, because of their purification, and
would oppose a determined, uncompromising resistance to
this unjust and unconstitutional principle of religious pro-
scription, and to the party that upheld it, by whatever name
called.

There were many, very many, old Whigs too, who, con-
curring with, and equaling the Democrats in their devotion
to the Constitution and the laws, as well as in patriotic at-
tachment to the common rights and common good of all
citizens, would frown with indignant scorn upon such a
principle and purpose, and either themselves make an or-
ganized resistance to the new party, or uniting with the
Democrats, insure its defeat. What was to be, what could
be done in this dilemma? What, but a resort to cabalistic
words, phrases and sentences ! This, their previous famili-
arity with cabalistic arts and characters, rendered an easy
and familiar task. It was all they could do consistently
with the great controlling end and purpose,—the success of
the party. Many, very many must be deceived about this
principle of proscription, or the party must be lost—it was
not material who was deceived, a vote would count as
well from one side as the other—some of all parties might be
deceived, and hence would come a double gain. There were
large numbers, it was true, who probably could not be de-
ceived—these had to be given up as lost, and with them the
hazards of battle encountered.