The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-12-28
NO nIsunr ENGLAND.

ties have been formed, and large sums contribu
ed in the despotic countries of Europe, for the pu
pose of propagating the Romsh faith in tn
country, and whenit is charged that the extel
sion of that faith is dangerous to our civil libe
ty, you are silent. When say that it is wron
for you to exert the influence, which your a,
thority in the Church gives, to control Catholi
voters, you make formal defence of your rigl
TO enter the field Of politics, and by the stron;
est appeals to their passions and prejudices, ell
deavor to enlist foreign Catholic voters in th
support Of your candidate; but the moment tha
propose to discuss the whole question, and I
enquire into the truth of the sentiment whic
pervades a large mass of our people-whethe
you are not in fact the agent of foreign powers
whoseIpurpose tits to .subyert our liberties, yo
are silent!
How are we to account for such inconsisten
cys You do not pretend to disregard public sen
timent. So far from this you manifest extreme
sensitiveness in relation to it. You have press
at your command, and you have established it
that may aid you in the object of your mission
church ':fiom the political aniuaoSitisS to tObich
1t has giUea rise" you can do more than you
can do in any other way to extend its influence
IN this country. You are not now to be told that
upon the religion of every country depends its
civil iberty--that religion constitutes the most
essential part of every government, have quo
ted extracts from the present Popes encyclical
letter; Gan authority which you admit,) assert
ing the necessity of union between church and
state Such is the Religion QfFyOIg Church.
Nov, sir, deny the truth of this dogma of the
Pope; deny that the Church should be united
to the State, and such is the Religion of these
United States. And this is one of the ques-
lions put in issue by the controversy between
us. The Pope says:
''Nor can we augur more consoling conse-
quences to religion and to government, from the
zeal Of some to separate THE CHURCH
FROM THE STATE, and to BURST the bond
ashich lt1iteS the priesthood to the Empire
For ii IS clear that this union is dreaded by the
pTofdae lOUerS Of liberty, only because it has
tsscer failed 10 confer prosperity on both"
The constitution of the United States says:
Congress shall make no law respecting the
establishment of Religion or prohibiting the free
exercise thereof
Now here is a distinct issue made. On which
side are you2 Are you for the Pope and against
the constitution of the United States, or are you
for the constitution and against the Pope?
You have said that the Pope is the diyinely
constituted exponent Of the doctrines and mo-
Tslity OF the unchanging church, and you admit
Your allegiance to him. BY refusing to vindicate
the church in particular of such vital import
ance, you admit that it cannot be defended. Your
silence, then, is evidence against you. How is
this to be accounted for?
You do not object TO this discussion because it
is political-you provoked it by asserting your
night to bring your influence into politics, and
denounced NE in the bitterest terms because |
questioned the propriety of your doing so. Why
then do you object to it, Is it net because you
know that Papacy is hostile to our institu-
hons, and believe that to discuss its bearing up
on the liberties Of this country would defeat the
purpose OF your mission among u.s.
In this aspect of the question it will be seel
that, as a servant OF Rome, you would CAREFUL,
avoid all controversy that might awaken Ell
suiry,-that may call the public attention t
your real object, and hence, although the Pop
in his Encyclical letter enjoins upon you to il
eulcate the necessity Of the q Union Of Chtnc
end State" your paper has for its motto I'll
following extract from the constitution:
sCongress shall make no law respecting tn
establishment of Religion, or prohibiting II
free exercise thereof
Why this contradiction Why this conce:
sion to the existing public sentiment Of tn
country Why do you, servant of the Pops
delegated to teach us the necessity of "unio
between Church and State" thus affect to b.
lieve that the Church and State ought not to
united? Is it not because you know that unit
the present state OF public opinion in this coul
Try IS changed, to ayow your real sentimen
would alarm the members of your own Churcl
and utterly defeat your purpose Of making pro
elytes' Hypocrisy is the tax which vice
virtue pays in all countries and in every age
1t is thus that account for your silence, an
thus accounting for it, / nevertheless addre'
myself to you, because my purpose is to arous
the people of the United States to sense {
4heir danger, | will hold you responsible for til
aoctrines of the Church itself, and deduce m
arguments from its past history and adraitte
pzinciples. Your silence necessarily gives Il
controversy this direction.
have before me a7copy Of the Bishops oat