CHAP. XXXVI.] DEMOCRACY AND ROMANISM. 291 



performed in the German language. Only half of 

 these are Romanist churches, but they are much more 

 crowded than the others. The chief emigration has 



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been from Bavaria, Baden, Swabia, Wirtemberg, and 

 the Black Forest, and they are almost all imbued 

 with extreme democratic notions, which the ordinary 

 European training, or the working of semi-feudal 

 institutions, evidently fosters in the minds of the mil 

 lion, far more than does the republicanism of the 

 United States. The Romanist priests feel, or affect, 

 sympathy with this political party, and in the last 

 election they instructed the Germans and the Irish 

 to vote for Polk against Clay. It ought, indeed, to 

 serve as a warning, and afford serious matter of re 

 flection to the republicans of America, that a church 

 which requires the prostration of the intellect in 

 matters of faith and discipline, and which is most 

 ambitious of worldly power, is also of all others the 

 most willing to co-operate with the ultra-democratic 

 party. Are the priests conscious of having embarked 

 in a common cause with the demagogue, and that 

 they must, like him, derive their influence from court 

 ing the passions, prejudices, and ignorance of the 

 people ? If so, one method alone remains for com 

 bating both the removal of ignorance by a well- 

 organized government system of schools, neither 

 under sectarian or ecclesiastical control, nor under 

 the management of any one political party. 



In the city, the New Englanders appeared to me 

 to have lost political weight since we were last here. 

 To show me how seriously the priests interfere in 



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