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PAGE 2—THE BULLETIN, November 12, 1960
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The Catholic In America
By Rev. Peter J. Rahill, Ph.D.
This is one of a series of
articles reviewing the position
and experience of the practicing
Catholic in the life of the
American com m unity from
Colonial times. The author
holds a doctorate in American
Church History has taught in
various universities, and is pres
ently Archivist and Historian
of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
THE RISE AND DECLINE
OF KNOW-NOTHINGISM
Public revulsion to nativist
attacks and the sturdy defense
against them, particularly by
New York Catholics, brought
comparative peace to the
Church in the United States
during the late 1840’s. Why
was the tranquil sea of Ameri
can life disturbed by a squall
more tempestuous than most
of the previous storms? It was
probably due to a combination
of the many causes cited ra
ther than to any certain one.
A few months after he be
came archbishop, John Hughes
proclaimed in St. Patrick’s Ca
thedral: “There is no secret
about this. The object we hope
to accomplish in time, is to
convert all pagan nations and
all Protestant nations . . .”
As late as this
year in a
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popular magazine the arch
bishop was called arrogant for
his statement. Yet in itself it
was hardly sufficient to have
aroused sustained attack. The
eminent position of the Arch
bishop of New York must
have been generally recog
nized, for President Polk had
asked him to be our nation’s
envoy to Mexico four years
previously.
THE POPE'S GIFT
Nativist agitation was in
flamed by any increase in im
migration. Famine in Ireland
and a suppressed revolution in
Prussia had filled incoming
ships with newcomers to
America.
Animate beings, however,
were not required to infuriate
some. For the Washington
Monument then under con
struction, Pope Pius IX sent a
block of Italian marble. To the
anti-Catholic faction the ad
vent of one of the ten plagues
would have been more wel
come. Diatribes from press and
platform culminated in a mob
seizing the stone and hurling
it into the Potomac River. Hat
red of the Church and not the
injection of secretarianism
must have been the motive.
Otherwise, in climbing to the
top of the Monument, this
writer’s eyes would not have
encountered at virtually every
step a stone inscribed from
some chapter of the Masonic
Order or other organizations
not noted for friendship to
Catholics.
If the avowed enemies of
the Church were incensed at
the Pope’s gift to all Ameri
cans, their rage approached
the rabid in March of 1853.
The newly elected Franklin
Pierce named James Camp
bell, a Pennsylvania Catholic,
to be United States Postmas
ter-General. The President
was reviled, his nominee abus
ed, and the country untruth
fully warned that the Jesuits
would have access to every
letter in the mails.
As Andrew Jackson stood
firm when an anti-Catholic
outburst greeted his appoint
ment of Catholic Roger B.
Taney to the Supreme Court,
Pierce was as unshakeable as
the granite of his native New
Hampshire. Campbell retained
his post throughout the ad
ministration. Americans of a
century ago were grateful, to
him for introducing perforated
borders to stamps, so that no
longer , was a knife, or scissors
necessary to separate them.
The bedlam aroused by this
Cabinet appointment had
scarcely subsided when a fresh
outburst commenced. Our
country then had formal dip
lomatic relations with the
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Holy See, and when the Papal
Nuncio to Brazil, Archbishop
Gaetano Bedini, visited the
United States he paid a cour
tesy call to President Pierce.
Then commenced a tour of a
country entirely new to him.
Agitators preceded him from
city to city and dogged his
footsteps whenever he stop
ped. Riots became common
place to him.
The worst of the outbreaks
disgraced Christmas night in
Cincinnati. A mob of 600
stormed the residence of
Archbishop John. Baptist Pur
cell, where the Italian prelate
was a guest. A newspaper ac
count stated there were “some
with torches to set fire to the
cathedral and some with ropes
with which to hang the Nun
cio.” One was killed and more
than 50 injured before the
police courageously quelled
the onslaught.
ENEMIES ORGANIZE
When Archbishop Bedini re
turned to New York another
mob was being collected to
harass — at the very least —
his departure. Had the dough
ty Archbishop John Hughes
not been away for his health,
that intrepid prelate probably
would have stared down any
potential rioters. In his ab
sence the metropolitan, clergy
thought discretion the better
course. Instead of from a
tumultous dock, Archbishop
Bedini boarded his outgoing
liner from a steam tug as the
vessel passed through the
Staten Island Narrows. Not
withstanding all this, this Ital
ian Archbishop was so instru
mental in erecting the North
American College in Rome for
the education of American ec
clesiastics that he is consider
ed a founder of the institution.
All these outbursts were not
impulsive. By no means! By
the time Archbishop . Bedini
left in 1854 anti-Catholicism
in the United States was more
fully organized than ever be
fore. The cancer of exaggerat
ed nationalism and hatred of
fellow citizens because of their
religion had for a time been
•recessive. The inflammation
was ready to erupt and splotch
the book of history with its
corruption.
Had the outburst been
spontaneous, it could have
been presumed -that the fault
lay much with individual
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Catholics in various pails of
the country. But the few out
rages just related of the many
which took place represented
the planned maneuvers of a
new organization which had
evolved during the years of
comparative calm. Anti-Ca
tholicism had abandoned arm
ed forays after public distaste
had been so manifest follow
ing the Philadelphia riots of
1844. The Native American
Party had collapsed but the
seeds were ready to bring
forth weeds whenever the cli
mate was agreeable.
SHROUDED IN SECRECY
Order of the Star Spangled
Banner is a name which would
imply profession of the virtues
of patriotism and justice. Still
it was from this nativist orga
nization that a powerful politi
cal assult against Catholicism
was made. At first the new
political party bore no name,
had no visible organization,
and its emblem was not en
tered on any ballot. Secrecy
enshrouded it further with the
the use of passwords, special
grips for handshakes, mysteri-
our signs of recognition be
tween members, and esoteric
signals of distress. Years later
in his Memoirs former Presi
dent Grant revealed that he
had become a member solely
to learn the inner secrets.
What was the name? The re
sponse of the members in the
early 1850’s was “I know no
thing about it.” From this
standard reply evolved the
popular designation: “Know-
Nothings.” And Know-
Nothings they remained while
the membership grew from an
insignificant nativist group to
a multitude which threatened
to gain control of the national
as well as state governments.
Operating through the
American Party, the Know-
Nothings in 1854 elected nine
Governors, eight U. S. Sena
tors and almost half of the
membership of the U. S. House
of Representatives. Massachu
setts is an example of the
Know-Nothing domination of
a commonwealth. The Gover
nor, all state Senators and ex
ecutives and all but two mem
bers of the state Assembly
were Know-Nothings.
The Know-Nothings were
highly successful in using
street preachers to liven the
glowing embers of anti-Catho
licism. In Providence, Brook
lyn, and on into the Midwest
the technique proved effec
tive. Though Archbishop Pet
er Richard Kenrick willingly
allowed a church and St. Louis
University to be searched for
alleged arms and ammunition,
the falsity of the charge did
not quiet the mob.
The St. Louis Evening News
of August 9, 1854, reported in
part: “For 48 hours the city
has been the scene of one of
the most appalling riots that
has ever taken place in the
country. Men have been butch
ered like cattle, property de
stroyed and anarchy reigns
supreme.” A scene in Louis
ville the following year is typ
ical.
'BLOODY MONDAY'
In the Kentucky city George
D. Prentice filled his Louis
ville Journal with violent edi
torials supporting the Know-
Nothing Party in an election
of August 1855. By noon on
election day dries of “Down
with the Dutch and Irish!”
had been supplanted by thugs
roving the streets with clubs.
Six years before the. Civil War
this border city appeared to
be besieged, as flames shot
skyward in districts inhabited
by immigrants. A mother
rushed forth from the flames
that were consuming her hus
band —- but her dash was in
vain. A maniac murdered in
her arms the child she was
carrying to safety. At least 20
persons were killed before
“Bloody Monday” ended in
Louisville.
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The Catholic newspaper of
Boston, The Pilot, gloomily
feared that a Know-Nothing
would be elected President in
1856. The candidate finally
chosen by the party was Mil
lard Fillmore, who had previ
ously occupied this supreme
executive position after Zach
ary Taylor died in office. At
the time of his selection Fill
more was in Rome seeking an
audience with Pope Pius IX.
Though he accepted the nomi
nation, Fillmore did not per
sonally participate in the in
vectives hurled against the
Church during the campaign.
Almost 25 per cent of the pop
ular, vote was garnered by this
nativist party, but its electoral
vote; was limited to the eight
of Maryland.
ATTENTION DIVERTED
The nation’s attention was
being diverted by increasing
tension between North and
South. Actually the very suc
cess i of the Know-Nothing
Party was already bringing
about its downfall. In Massa^
chusetts, where the entire
state government was in its
hands, the members of the
legislature were so inept that
they were unable to pass laws
against the Church they were
committed to exterminate. Re
quiring voters to pass a litera
cy test was the sole enactment.
A “Nunnery Committee”
was appointed and conducted
an “inquisition” of a Catholic
school in Roxbury. After the
members had disrupted the
school, frightened the chil
dren, and boorishly refused to
remove their hats while in
specting the chapel, they were
forced to report that nothing
could be found deserving of
criticism.
To climax the day’s enter
tainment for the committee, a
riotous dinner was held at
which copious quantities of
champagne were consumed at
public expense in a state in
which the sale of the beverage
was illegal. These and other
unreportable escapades of the
group were so notorious that
its chairman was expelled
from the Massachusetts As
sembly.
Meanwhile secrecy, once a
lure to the adventurous, be
came odious as t ,h e party
sought power and responsibil
ity. Thinking citizfcfis could
not long be credulous of ridic
ulous charges of a “Popish”
plot to invade the United
States. Once members had glo
ried in the name “Know-
Nothing.” They shamefully
withdrew as pseudo-organiza
tions espoused the titles of
“Owe-Nothing,”" and “Do-
Nothing.”
Four years later in the 1860
election the Know-Nothings
were absorbed in the Consti
tutional Union Party, which
ran last in the divided contest
of that momentous year. An
abortive attempt to revive the
so-called American Party in
1880 was completely ineffectu
al. In the entire country its to
tal vote numbered 707! Once
again both the United States
and the Catholic Church had
survived a test. A political
party founded on hatred of
fellow Americans had been
rejected and exterminated.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
Cardinal Muench
Protector Of
Sisters Of Mercy
Mother Mary Regina Cun
ningham, R.S.M., Mother Gen
eral of the Religious Sisters of
Mercy of the Union, has been
informed by a letter from the
Papal Secretary of State,
Cardinal Tardini, of the ap
pointment of Aloisius Cardinal
Muench as Cardinal Protector
of the Institute of the Reli
gious Sisters of Mercy of the
Union.
Cardinal Muench succeeds
the late Pietro Cardinal Fuma-
soni-Biondi as Cardinal Pro
tector of the Sisters of Mercy
of the Union.
"Pope's Day"
LONDON — The Bishops
of England and Wales desig
nated November 4, the second
anniversary of His Holiness
Pope John XXIII’s coronation,
as “Pope’s Day.”
Permission was given for
the celebration of evening
Masses in all churches, during
which special collections were
taken up as a birthday pres
ent for Pope John. The Pope
will be 79 on November 25.
The money will go toward
building a cehter for laymen
pursuing higher studies in
Rome, mainly for students
from missionary countries.
Bitter lessons learned m
childhood can be useful guides
in the battle of life.
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