Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1840-08-13
CATHOLIC PASTORAL LErTEn.-We

CATHOLIC PASTORAL LETTERING
are indebted to the Newark Dnily .idver-
User for The following extract from The Pas
toral Letter of the Reverend Bishops ni
the Roman Catholic Church, in United
States, assembled in Council. in the CITY
of Baltimore, in The month IF May. lo4O.
10 lhe Clergy and Laily of their charge:
And here. beloved brethren, whilst we
Ii-claim all riah, to interfere with your
judgement in The political affairs of ouf
common country, and are far from enter
ianlng wish TO control you in the con
slituIional exercise Of ynnr freedom we
cannot, in Justice 10 ourselves. refrain trrn'
addressing to YOU few observations E.
qually demanded by the 1--we that we bear
20 our civil and political institutions, anti
The obligations of morality. You cannot
hut he aware thar our views and sentl-
menls, respecting the political parties which
divide our national councils, are as little
in harmony rs are your own, or those nf
any other religious body in our land. You
cannot, therefore, attribute our monition
to any political bias. nor entertain lie sus-
piciun that il is meant 10 produce any po-
liiical effect. Our object is exclusively
the reSpectahility of our laud, the STABILITY
Of our constitution. the perpetration ofour
liberties. aud The preservation of pure and
undciled religion.
The periods which preceile our great
elections, ARE usually marked by eXtranr-
binary excitement. Associations arc form
ell, committees are appointed, clubs are
organized, party spirit is excited, The
tongue and The pen are embiltered by vir-
ulencc, truth is degraded, ano. melancholy
and more ccnSur;hr still, lreemen of eve
ry religious denomination. electors, upon
the proper exercise of whose judgement
we receive statesmen who NAV save onr
republics as from ruin, or who NAV de-
grade them in the eyes of the world. may
destroy our peace aud our liberty; voters
upon whose virtue and prudence our dear
es rights depeud, are brula!izcd by pam
prrius their mcanesi passions, are 10y vile
bribery debased to the lowest grade uf in
fanny and reckIr$sness; and thus what was
meant to be blessing is turned into Il
c'ulsc. Beloved brethren. flee this con-
tammation, keep alonffrom these crimes;
reflect that you arc accountable not only
To socicry bul to God, for Ihe honest, indie
pendent and fearless exercise of your own
franchise, that il is trust confided TO you
no, for your own private gain. but for the
public good, and that, if yielding 10 any
undue influence, you act either through
favor, affection, or The motives Of dishon-
est gain against your own deliberate view
of what will promote your country's good,
you have violated your trust, yon have be-
,rayed your conscience, and you are rem
eSade TO your country. DO then. we en-
trcal you, avoid the communicating inilu-
ence of political strife. keep yourself from
the pes,ilenlial atmosphere in which honor,
virtue. patriotism, and religion perish; aud
be assured that our republics can never be
respected abroad, nor sustained al home,
save by an uncompromising adherence 10
honor, 10 virtue, 10 patriotism, and TO rell-
gion. How often have we had TO weep
over The havoc of morals. and The wreck
of religion which political excitement has
produced.
The letter is signed by
SAMUEL, Archbishop Of Baltimore.
I BESEpICr JOSEPH, Bishop Of Bards
town.
JoHS. Bishop OF Charleston.
JOSEPH, Bishop of ST. Louis.
BENEDICT. Bishop Of Boston.
+ MICHAEL. Bishop Of Mobile.
I FRANcls PATRICK, Bishop Of Arath,
CuaduIor Of Philadelphia
JOHN BAPTIST, Bishop of Cincinnati.
I ANTHONY, Bishop Of New. Orleans.
I MATTHIAS, Bishop Of Dubuque,
RICHARD PIUs, Bishop Of Nashville.
CELEsrIN, Bishop of Vinccnnes.