The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-11-21

charging then, with having intericrea 10 Int
conocrns Of the Church, in q way IN which he
neither could or ought Indeed, he has goHe so
far as TO obtain and publish the opinions OF two
eminent Catholic lawyers, 70 prove that Their III
terlcrnce with the ecclesiastical : iurisd1ction'
Of the Pope in ttis country was unconstitutional
De Won not SEE that the exercise OF this g liF'S
,lictiogl may become oppressive 10 You As CaI'o-
lies, and that you aud your clergy are deeply
interested in asserting and maintaining your
civil rights, free from any undue influences what
socver: The Inquisitinn has contested the au-
tkori,v of Judges, mobiles. kings, eiaperors, and
even OF the Pope himself 1t has sci at defiance
the power Of the people, and ito victims nave
been protesting Catholics, even tbs most emu
ncntly pious; Tor pure religion, even IN the Ca
tholi, faith, bath invited persecution and pro-
vsliea condemnation. 1 repeat, that speak
not of the Catholic faith. speak Of the 1b''ses
thai have been practised in the name Of the Ca
thoIir religion, and in connection with the tact
that there is nothing in the Constitution u the
General Government, which can prevent 'he
establishment Of the Catholic religion by en-
grating ii upon the constitution OF any ndlvidu-
al State, and that it is in the power OIL
designing men, wherever they control the le-
gislation Of single state TO establish the lnqu-
sition as part of its civil Polty lon the Catho-
lies OF The United States, as deeply interest
ed a. We, the Protcstants, in preventing this, and
to discuss how far the purpose Of Bishop Eng-
land, in uniting Church and State, fOreshadows
this event, is 4 measure which you should be the
last 10 condemn. II will not DO for him to say
that the prejudices, which exists in tn minds OF
PrDtcstaats are uniounded. II VIII NOT DO Tor
him, IL lis character Of Inquisitor General, TO
prescribe all investigation, and to denounce all
who may question the integrity of his purpose
We. the Protestant people of the United States,
have opened our doors, and permitted him TO
come among as. FIc is suspected of harbouring
deep designs against our peace and Your liberties
1t will not do for him, stranger, whom We have
made welcome, 10 deneunceus, when we propose
to enquire into the truth Of these suspcens. That
he is suspected, he admits. Instead 81 arsu-
ments 10 prove his Innocence, he gives us inso-
lent denncistisn, ana thereby cosiirms our APP
prehensions of his guilt; and it is striking tea-
ture Of this controversy, that, as it was IN SPAN,
so it is here's to resist the authority of the in-
quisitor General Immediately brings UP the idea
Of the " cell" and the ''gibbet." The power, by
which he now acts, is denanciation. As yet he
csnno; go beyond this, but he has an organised
corps throughout the United States, more eff
cient in proportion TO its number than any other
political body in the country, and that iniuenc
has been brought to bear with all its energy, for
the purpose of crushing this press. 1t is intend
ed that | shall he victimized and held up as Il
warning, admonishing all other editors of the
danger of daring at any time to question any
act of his, whatsoever. 1t is now no longer de-
pied that ain association has been formed in Eu-
rome under the especial auspices Of the Emperor
of Austria, and under the guidance of Prince
Metternich, for the spread Of the Catholic reli-
| gion in this country; and it has been directly
charged that the object of this association is the
! overthrow of our free institutions. When we
see the combinations which have been formed in
Europe, and the bearing which they have upon
public liberty-whcn we look back upon the
history of the Roman Church, and more espe
clally on the history of the inquisition, and
slider the prosecutions Of the Moors and Of the
wealthy Jews Of Spain, we are admonished Of
the necessity of constant vigilance. | confess
that new views have been presented IN my mind.
The danger is startling, and the people Of the
South especially have great cause for alarm.
! The Inquistion is an organised political body.
1t acts with deliberate purpose. Its approaches
are slow but constant. Backed by the power Of
the Holy Alliance, it is not surprising that they
should entertain a purpose OF obtaining politi
cal control in this country. With large sur.
plus population, whose condition would be great
ly improved thereby, they can pour in upon u,
a tide of emigration, which, taking possession o.
the northwestern States. will become appropri
ate Instruments in the hands Of designing Iner
for converting our government into dcspotism
This, once established, the Roman Catholic re-
4 ligion will be established with il. and all tho
horrors Of the Inqusitop must follow in It's train
Bishop England is already the L.egate of his
Holiness, tie Pope, clothed with full power ID
build up a national chureh in Hayti. In hi:
letter in reply to 9Ir. Forsyth, he asserts the
powerof the Popeto ''legtstatc' ont the subject Of
slavery and the slave trade, and insists upon the
obligation of such Legislation upon Catholic
communities. The Pope has already required
the Jesuits to dispose Of their slaves, and has,
upon one occasion at least, attempted to exercise
civil jurisdiction in relation to private pro-
perty in the United States
i Who does not see in these things the elements
of d power, which may hereafter desolats our
/ land with the flames OF civil war, for the pur-
pose Of overturning our free institutions. And
it is for sounding the alarm in the sight of these
dangers-it is for proposing to discuss the truth
of these propositions, that have been de-
nounced and prescribed by committee consti
tuted of Protestants, politically opposed to Bishop