when he took the Eucharist.  If we must have a Pope, let us have a Pope of our own,—­an American Pope, an intellectual, intelligent, and moral Pope,—­not such a decrepit, licentious, stupid, Italian blockhead as the College of Cardinals at Rome condescends to give the Christian world of Europe.”

This might be good advice; but no serious Protestant, at that day, could relish the tone in which it was given.  Threatening letters were sent in from irate and illiterate Irishmen; the Herald was denounced from a Catholic pulpit; its carriers were assaulted on their rounds; but the paper won no friends from the side which it affected to espouse.  Every one felt that to this man nothing was sacred, or August, or venerable, or even serious.  He was like an unbeliever in a party composed of men of various sects.  The Baptist could fairly attack an Episcopalian, because he had convictions of his own that could be assaulted; but this stranger, who believed nothing and respected nothing, could not be hit at all.  The result would naturally be, that the whole company would turn upon him as upon a common foe.

So in politics.  Perhaps the most serious and sincere article he ever wrote on a political subject was one that appeared in November, 1836, in which he recommended the subversion of republican institutions and the election of an emperor.  If he ever had a political conviction, we believe he expressed it then.  After a rigmarole of Roman history and Augustus Caesar, he proceeded thus:—–­

“Shall we not profit by these examples of history?  Let us, for the sake of science, art, and civilization, elect at this election General Jackson, General Harrison, Martin Yan Buren, Hugh White, or Anybody, we care not whom, the EMPEROR of this great REPUBLIC for life, and have done with this eternal turmoil and confusion.  Perhaps Mr. Van Buren would be the best Augustus Caesar.  He is sufficiently corrupt, selfish, and heartless for that dignity.  He has a host of favorites that will easily form a Senate.  He has a court in preparation, and the Praetorian bands in array.  He can pick up a Livia anywhere.  He has violated every pledge, adopted and abandoned every creed, been for and against every measure, is a believer in all religions by turns, and, like the first Caesar, has always been a republican and taken care of number one.  He has called into action all the ragged adventurers from every class, and raised their lands, stocks, lots, and places without end.  He is smooth, agreeable, oily, as Octavianus was.  He has a couple of sons, also, who might succeed him and preserve the imperial line.  We may be better off under an Emperor,—­we could not be worse off as a nation than we are now.  Besides, who knows but Van Buren is of the blood of the great Julius himself?  That great man conquered all Gaul and Helvetia, which in those days comprised Holland.  Caius Julius Caesar may thus have laid the foundation of a royal line to be transmitted to the West.