The Ottawa Free Trader

A Merited Castigation.

The Boston Pilot, a Catholic paper and the organ of the Irish in America, administers the following severe rebuke to the Whig press of the Country for its shameless attempts to array sectarian prejudices, in the present political canvass. It is a most scathing rebuke and richly deserved.

Alarming Popish Tendencies--It appears that a Whig press and the American Protestant community has become Irish, and most say sagely popish. By some odd chance the persons who are infected in this way belong to one great section of the political world. We recommend the matter to the most serious consideration of the editors of the Tribune, Times and Alliance for it really wears an alarming appearance. If political parties in the year of grace 1852 are trying to make Catholic interests a great issue in their appeal to the "Protestant Nation" for votes what will they not do in 1856? At the rate of the present march of Popery into political counsels, it is likely that in a little while the cross will be in favor of the downfall of Protestantism, and of the building of two palaces for the Pope or for his representative one at Washington and another at the North. Horace Greeley, judging from the increasing strength of his newly awakened zeal, will be likely to build a third palace out of the savings of the Irishmen. In fact, we ourselves begin to be a little alarmed and, although we are Protestants, we think this sudden growth of Popish sentiment ought to be checked promptly. Nobody knows whither how it will end. Before 1856, the Protestant ministers may be consoling us, and Whigs razing their meeting houses at a ruinous distance from the original piety. Another result may be very different. We do not like to caress these huge gods which come to us, for, although he is handsome, he may be-- We do not like to water this fresh gourd, which sprang up in a night, and in another night it will wither. We do not like to toy with that mushroom - it does not look like any mushroom. It grew too quickly, and it smells like a toadstool, take it away!

Thoughts like these occur to us while viewing the excessive tenderness of Greeley & Co. towards Catholics in general and for the Catholics of New Hampshire in particular. This tenderness is a newly born baby and it is not baptized. We are afraid of it. A few months hence, and the Whigs will be bound to be more furious than we until the next Presidential election when votes will be wanted. Three months hence, Greeley and the Whig party will be making merry over their cunning trick for entrapping Catholic votes or, as is most probable, they will be cursing the foxes who were not to be caught in their trap. In fact, although we were determined to expose this trick for catching votes because it was a trick - a false one it was planned for our votes, and because the whole New Hampshire story, as told, was not only a trick, but a most dishonest one, yet we were moved by other considerations either of which would have sufficed to point our duty as a Catholic paper. We have named one: it is the circumstance that this Popish feeling grew up so suddenly and just at the election. The thing has been tried at every English, Irish and American election, and it never fails to deceive some unthinking voters. If they could only see what is passing in the minds of the Greeleys, instead of giving them a vote, they would give them a kick.