&c. A few generations ago it was the thunderbolt of Jove smiting a whole province, shaking a throne, or paralyzing

an army.

What sovereign would now care for the pope's excommunication? that terrific mystery at which the knees of kings a few centuries since smote together? We never hear of it any more as against rulers, and if it should be revived, it would be a joke in almost any court of the world.

Why? Because the prestige of Popery is gone-irrecoverably gone. The delusions of the Dark Ages are past; mankind have awakened from that thousand years' sleep, have risen up, rubbed their eyes, and found they had been dreaming. The people nearest to him-the Italians would now, if they could, chase the pope -the "vicegerent of God" as they once believed-off of their peninsula. The

courts of Europe recognize the popedom as an historical fact, still lingering, and therefore to be taken account of in some way or other in their conservative policy; but it is no longer a potential fact, in any respects, among them. The pope has little or nothing to do with them directly, except occasionally to act the puppet in the ceremonial of a coronation. Since the first French revolution (a great curse with a great many blessings) this has been about his significance in the affairs of Europe.

And this remark leads us to a second consideration, one which accounts for the declension of Popery, and at the same time renders it irreversible, viz., that it is founded in the modern and inevitable progress of the race. The world is outgrowing it; and that is the explanation of its late history. It may make efforts to retrieve itself-it may attempt to relate itself to the movements of states, as in the French reaction and in the politics of America-it may by Jesuitical agencies insinuate itself into the religious movements of anti-Catholic countries, as in the Tractarianism of Oxford-it may attempt to startle the remains of superstition among the multitudes by new trumpery, as the winking Madonnas or the coat of Treves; but they all ultimately fail, and, worse than that, they all react. Puseyism, as a project for Papalizing the Anglican Church, is now a determinate failure. The imposture at Treves excited the ridicule of Europe, and turned

thousands out of the ranks of Popery. The winking and nodding Madonnas have of late years become standing jokes in the newspapers of Christendom. It is too late in this working day of the world for such nonsense. Men-honest men-will either weep or laugh at it; but they will not respect it. The last of these obsolete follies is a proposed great convention at Rome, to decide the question of the "immaculate conception of the Virgin"-not the immaculate conception of Christ, as some of the papers of the day represent. It has long been a question among Papists whether the Virgin herself was born in a manner so different from the usual course of our common humanity, as to allow this preposterous ascription to her. A sort

of œcumenical council is to convene for the purpose of discussing the somewhat delicate question—the "Mariolatry" of the Church depends rather seriously upon it. The newspapers are already handling the subject in their usual style; the Paris Univers, nevertheless, tries to affect a grave dignity in its allusion to it. What is it, however, but a preposterous attempt to mantain the superstitions of a past age -an attempt which cannot fail to incur the pity of thoughtful men, and the scorn of the profane.

This incompatibility of Popery with the progress of the age and its consequent decline, are seen by the wiser heads in Papal states. Michael Chevalier, the French journalist, and one of the ablest thinkers in France, expressed some time ago his apprehensions for Romanism in the Journal des Debats, in very unqualified language. "On comparing," he says, "the respective progress made since 1814 by non-Roman Catholic Christian nations with the advancement to power attained by Roman Catholic nations, one is struck with astonishment at the disproportion. England and the United States, which are Protestant powers, and Russia, a Greek power, have assumed to an incalculable degree the dominion of immense regions, destined to be densely peopled, and already teeming with a large population. They have proved their superiority over the Roman Catholic nations of the New World, and have subjected them to a dictatorship which admits of no further dispute. To the authority of these two powers, England and the United States, after an attempt made by the former on

China, the two most renowned empires of the East, empires which represent nearly the numerical half of the human race, China and Japan, seem to be on the point of yielding. Russia, again, appears to be assuming every day a position of growing importance in Europe. During all this time, what way has been made by the Roman Catholic nations?

Unquestionably, since 1789, the balance of power between Roman Catholic civilization and non-Roman Catholic civilization has been reversed."

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Unquestionably," Monsieur Chevalier; and "unquestionably," because "the balance of power" between the enlightened and the barbarous tendencies of the world has been reversed." Destiny itself has set in against Popery. It must descend into the abyss of the past, its appropriate grave. Its old follies, like the congenial ones of alchemy, astrology, witchcraft, scholastic metaphysics, cenobitic and anchoretic life, must inevitably disappear amidst the increasing light of the age, as bats and owls flee before the day. It may make temporary and spasmodic efforts at self-resuscitation, but it cannot succeed. The waves may dash forward upon the strand when the tide is descending; but as sure as the invincible laws of nature will they at last go down. Popery attempts to extend itself abroad-it has many foreign missions, and they at times seem to have the energy of life in them. But where do they succeed now as they did two, three and four hundred years ago? We are all familiar, from our childhood, with a long-legged spider, which when pierced through the center, still struggles in its extremities-and the severed extremities themselves still for a time move with convulsive life; but at last die. Such is Popery.

We affirm, in the third place, that local evidence confirms these general views. Popery is rapidly declining in Ireland. The Catholic papers of that country that beautiful country, so long and foully degraded by Romanism-admit the fact, and express fears of the speedy overthrow of the Papal sway. And this is not owing merely to emigration, but very largely to evangelical conversions. Thousands after thousands of Roman Catholics have there been added to the ranks of Protestantism within ten years. The late census of England, like that of

the United States, throws an altogether unexpected light on the question of the relative force of Popery; it is found to be scarcely one half of what it has been supposed to be.

A similar declension has taken place in the British colonies. Mackenzie's Weekly Messenger says, that in 1820 the population of the Canadas may have been 520,000, of whom perhaps 380,000 were Papists, and only 140,000 Protestants-exhibiting nineteen to seven of the whole country as in favor of the Popish Church. In 1853, the population may be assumed to number 2,000,000, of whom 940,000 belong to the Popish religion, and 1,060,000 to the Protestant-showing nearly eleven Protestants to every nine Papists; the latter having gained 560,000 in thirty years, the former 920,000. It is unduly preponderating, however, in England, in one respect. According to a report of parliament published in the Catholic Tablet, of London, February 25, 1852, out of a population of 21,000,000 in England and Scotland, whereof the Roman Church claimed 1,000,000, she supplied the prisons with three candidates to one of all other Churches. The wretched neglect of the education of its poor is acknowledged, even by its own friends; they say, in a late number of the same paper, In London there are 22,000 Catholic children, of whom only about 4,000 are receiving Catholic education. The greater part of the remaining number are left to pass their tender years in the novitiate of a London street. There is no proportion between the wants of our poor and our provision for them-between our wealth and the education we can give. We are put to shame by every other body; and yet we are the salt of the earth!" Salt of the earth! How ironical the phrase sounds along with such admissions.

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All this reasoning bears on the question with which we started. Popery, smitten with this inherent decay everywhere, cannot become formidable here. Dying out elsewhere because of its incompatibility with the practical energies and increasing lights of the age, how can it hold up its head here, where the characteristics of the age are all most rife? It does not succeed here. Its bishops and papers complain incessantly that the children of the Church are, to a great extent, lost. Even the

first generation born in the country grow up with a faint zeal for the faith of their fathers; and the second and third generations generally turn away entirely from the confessional. Hence the desperate exertions of the priesthood to break down the common-school system of the country. They would prevent the apostasy of their children by educating them to the old darkness of their faith, rather than to the new light of the age.

We have now under our eye a statement, the authorship of which we cannot trace, but its accuracy is unquestionable, which shows the relative strength of Popery in different sections of this country, and presents some striking facts on the subject:" Maryland, one of the oldest states in the Union, was settled by a colony of Papists who fled hither from England in 1633, on account of political disturbances which rendered their condition in their mother country uncomfortable. Florida was settled by Papists from Spain. The whole country, west of the Mississippi, now embracing Louisiana, Arkansas, and Missouri, extending north, belonged originally to the French, and was settled by them. The Jesuits were the first Europeans that trod those extensive regions. The whole of our northern frontier, from the mouth of the St. Lawrence to Fond du Lac, has ever been exposed to the influence of Popery from Canada. The most of the towns and cities on that frontier were settled by Papists. The state of Texas, until its annexation to the United States, was closed against Protestant influence. The same me was true of New-Mexico and California. In addition to these advantages, the wonderful tide of emigration for the last fifty years from the Papal countries of Europe is to be remembered. Several millions of Irish Papists have come in upon us. Yet the last United States Census shows that in Maryland, there are about eight hundred Protestant Churches, and only sixty-five Papal. Out of one hundred and fifty-two Churches in Florida there are only five Papal. In Louisiana there are two hundred and twenty-three Protestant Churches, and only fifty-five Papal. In Texas there are one hundred and sixty-four Churches, only thirteen of which are Papal; and at the present time, the Protestant is greatly the predominant influence in California. The Census reveals the fact that in all the

country the Papists have but one thousand one hundred and twelve Churches, accommodating six hundred and twenty-one thousand persons. The Protestant population of the United States is to the Catholic population as twelve to one."

Catholic journalism in the United States is exceedingly lame-as much so in patronage as in talent. One of its most vociferous organs, The Shepherd of the Valley, has at last blown its breath away, and expired. Bishop Hughes's organ, The Freeman's Journal, has become a weekly instead of a semi-weekly issue, for want of patronage we suppose. The Metropolitan for September contains an account of Roman Catholic journalism in the United States. We learn from it that twentythree papers have been discontinued at different periods since 1836.

Such, then, Protestants of the United States, is Popery. Has it not been made a bugbear among us? We cannot too carefully watch it; but never again let the Protestantism of this land cower before it. With all its hordes of immigration, it stands before us thus shorn of its pretended strength.

And its growth by immigration is no longer a peculiarity-a fourth consideration in favor of our main position. The German accessions to our population from abroad (largely Protestant) are now in advance of the Irish. This fact has attracted attention for some time past, but the German preponderance has lately become so marked as to excite peculiar interest. The immigration for August, into the port of New-York, classified according to nationalities, was as follows: Germans, 23,672; Irish, 8,898; English, 3,658; Scotch, 796; Welsh, 115; French, 649; Spanish, 86; Swiss, 451; Dutch, 233; Norwegians, 482; Italians, 143. For the eight months, commencing with January and ending with August, the returns show a total of arrivals of Irish, 54,548; Germans, 116,400; natives of other countries, 38,466; making a grand total of 209,414.

We may mention in the fifth place, that while the relative strength of Popery thus declines, the ratio of the growth of Protestant evangelical sects to the growth of the population of the country advances, and has advanced, during the last halfcentury. In the last fifty years the number of members of the evangelical Churches

Meanwhile the newly-awakened popular hostility to it has taken a new form in an energetic political organization, which seems destined to control the elections of ." of the country. We "know nothing' the "Know-Nothing" movement except by its public results as reported in the election returns. We are not prepared to indorse its measures, as we do not understand them; but we do most unhesitatingly indorse its main design-the restoration of a truly American control of the affairs and destiny of the country. It is high time that this were done. Every native citizen should insist upon it. The pretensions of Popery in our politics should especially and conclusively be ignored. Comparatively feeble as it is, it has, nevertheless, been for years a potent element in the politics of the country. It has received in this respect a tolerance, an indulgence even, which would not have been accorded to any other religious body of the land. What if the Baptists, the Presbyterians, or Methodists, native citizens though they mostly are, had interfered with politics as have the foreign Romanists among us? What would have been the outcry of all the land against the "Union of Church and State”—the degradation of religion to ambitious ends-the corruption of the clergy! Any Protestant sect which should have attempted the wretched game, would have been ruined by it. But a horde of foreigners, bound by their religion to a foreign allegiance, have done the thing openly and for years, and have been courted and complimented, and fawned over by our intriguing politicians for the very fact-the fact which would blast with public scorn any denomination of native Christians. There is an end to this iniquity now, however, let us hope.

In attempting to show the real state and prospects of Popery, we have not argued against the necessity of a continued and uncompromising conflict with it. We have only argued for the feasibility of such a conflict. Let us then wage it incessantly not as heretofore, with servile terrors at the supposed magnitude and power of the enemy, but with an unmitigated conviction of its iniquitous designs, and yet the confidence of assured superiority and assured success. While the hordes of Popery pour in upon us from abroad, let us neutralize the corruption they bring into the country by constantly

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increasing our provisions for the intellectual and religious education of the people. Let us especially extend the " school" everywhere, and without delay, even where it must be but the log cabin. Let us maintain in it our old common Bible-the Bible which the first Congress of the United States, itself, provided for the people, by express vote and an express appropriation. Let us vest the public responsibilities in genuine Americans, who know how to value them. Let us break the power of Popery at the polls. Let us demonstrate, as we have now attempted to do, the falsehood of its numerical pretensions. Let us treat it as an egregious folly of a long-past age, which cannot, and ought not, to hold up its head with self-respect amidst the light and liberties of our country and our century. It will affect to smile at us for such opinions and attempts; and others, not of it, will smile also, reminding us of its historical vigor and chicanery; but all good men, who rely upon a divine providence, and not only they, but all sagacious men who understand the inevitable tendencies of the times, will predict our success. A half a century ago many of our Christian fathers predicted that Popery would either destroy our liberties, or be itself here destroyed; all the indications now favor the latter alternative. It has been coming in upon us as the icebergs float into the southern waters-only to melt away. We need but a confident and energetic persistence in our lawful means of defeating it, to save our children, and perhaps the world, from its intolerable evils. A hundred years from to-day will, we have a right to believe, have concluded its deplorable history as a great power in either the political or religious world.

PEEVISHNESS.-Peevishness gives rise frequently to discord. Peevishness we may regard as a family canker. It is not like an acute disease in plants, or like the devastations of the locust and caterpillar, that cause vegetation suddenly to disappear. It is a corroding malady; it eats in, and it eats on, till the vital sap is wasted. Whether the evil be communicated by provocation and example, or whether it be natural and hereditary, we cannot tell; but, strange to say, there are many houses in which there is not an individual free from this unfortunate disease.