The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1844-11-26
NEW YORK HERALD.



on the principal distinctive tenets or dogmas ofthe
Catholic Church, which has attracted so much at
tention amongst Christians Of all denominations in
this country. The subject is very curious and
interesting one to the philosophical student OF re-
gion and the history of the belief and opinions OF
mankind Besides, DR.. Pise treats the subject with
degree Of moderation and commendable good
temper, which are, we are sorry to say, rarely
characteristic Of polemcal dIsputants He GER
tainly appears TO be much more under the in
huence Of christian charity-ot that attractive
and subduing virtue which "suhereth long and is
kind"-than, for instance, DIR. Potts and Dr.. Vain
wright even when they were engaged in settling the
allimporant questions "What is the Church % and
Scan the Church exist without Bishop!' These
considerations have had weight in inducing US to
report DIR. Pise with accuracy and fitness.
But the subject itself is really of general IN
terest. II is also which is comparatively little
understood by the generality OF protestanls, and
even amongst the Catholics themselves good deal
OF mist and obscurity have settled around this
dogma. There is certainly, at the Veiy first
glance, something which strikes us as worthy
of all tenderness Of regard ia this veneration
of the saints. There is surely nothing IN 1t to pro-
woke unkind and violent invectve. l, has its origin
in that deep and solemn, and universal admiration
of the good and the true, which, after ALL will gush
forth from the human heart corrupted and depraved
as it is. There is something srik,ngy impressive in
this conservation OF princes and peasantsof war
riors and sages-of old and young-of the prelate-
the priest-the recuse-men and women OF all class
es and countries-for what? For their devotion to
God-for their adherence to the true faith despite
Of all oppostion-for their lnhexibe attachment 10
religion adhering TO il at all hazards 10 defiance Of
famine and the sword-of the cross and the iaggot.
W do not think much, then, of the head or heart
Of him who laughs at this veneration of the saints.
Do we then mean to vindlcate, with DR. Pise, the
invocation of the saintsl BY no means. That is
another matter But il is one that may be very
easily settled.
We have said that we do not regard the feelings
in which this practice of canonizing and invoking
the dead originated, as at all worthy of ridicue
or contempt, but calculated to excite very diff
ferent emotions But the practice of praying to the
saints in this enlightened day quite indefensible.
In the darker ages of the past, religion invest
ed with poetic romance, which appears in this
day not altogether appropriate. A practice,
which had its source in commendable feelings of
respect for emlnently virtHous men and women,
and for martyrs who testified even unto the death
TO the truth they had espoused, became in
the course Of time, mixed up with a great
deal of folly, superstition and prestcraft-
AS the pure light of Christianity began, az
ter the lapse of centuries, to be obscured
by the darkness of paganism, and as generation
after generation of the professed followers of the
evangeists dverged farther and farther from the
simple tenets and simple worship OF the founder Of
Christianity, the calendar became wondrously en-
larged-fabulous personages were admitted into
the family OF the saints-the alteration OF relics
was introduced--miracles began to be performed
by the agency of bones or pieces OF wood, or drops
of blood mystenously preserved for an age-and
the yensration OF the pious and virtuous dead de-
generated into blind and superstitious homage OF
.slhe saints, and an idle and Improbable
practice Of calling upon them for their in
tercession at the throne of mercy and ON
Impotence Yet this is the doctrine-the growth
originally ef a poetic and pious enthusiasm,
but deformed and vitiated in the course of
centuries of darkness and error-whlch DR.. Pse
attempts to vindcate. This attempt is quite ridi-
cuous No intelligent Catholic believes this doc
trine as DR.. Pse announces it. Instead of defend
ing it, and endea vorng to prove it, DR. Plse should
the doctrine to its original and only tenable
form-that of simple reverential admiration for
the wise, and good, and viruous of past genera
tons.
We had intended to have entered on review
of the character of some OF the saints in the calen-
dar, for the purpose Of showing more clearly the
absurdiiy Of this doctrne-but that we must defer.
1t is, however, curiously interesting subject and
we mean, with DR.. Pse, to return to it again.
Political MOVEMENTS IN New YoRK.-To the
eye of the casual spectator all now appears per-
fectly quesceat in the political arena. The waters
are still and placid, unrufiled as the lovely lake
among the mountains, that lies sleeping in the
shine and mirrors back the feeting cloud But
this aspect is mcthing like that of hypocrite at
his public devotions. 1t is altogether deceptive.
There never was such troubous time amongst
the politicians Of this city the present Intrgu-
-pouing-counter-plo NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
fleeing hither and thither-hopng cursing-the
trading patriots, the buyers and sellers in the
shambes of politics, in state of Understandable
excitement, confusion and anxiety. The great
struggle is with respect to the retention in office of
the friends of the administration and the Calhoun
men, who aver that without their aid Mr. Polk
never could have been elected; and pointing to the
secret circular clique" and the disparity in the
vote for Wright and Polk, in this State, say "lsok
on this picture and on that" We have some very
curious and startling developments to make rela-
tive to these matters Look out for singuarly in
teresting information from Washington in day or
two.
Means OF THE SUFFERERS is somewhat
amusing to observe the wrigslings of the dIscom-
flied wing journalists. Their columns are daily
filled with all sorts of Jeremiads" bewalling their
defeat We are sorry however, to perceive that a
good deal of the old spirit OF malignty, which we
exposed during the course of the campaign, Of
which both parties were equally guilty, still turks
in the wing papers, who have not, it thus appears.
yet reaped the full benefit OF the modifying and
humanizlng influence Of adversely. Some OF them
arc, we see, making great fuss about letter al
legged to have been written by Catholic priest
named Flanagan. in Transatlantic To General