The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-01-07

The Two GREAT Mass MEETINGS ON THE PRE-
sipENcY, ON WASHING roN's BIRTHDAY These
two important movements are making very rapid
progress. Yesterday we despatched one of our
agents, with subscription papers, for calling
those mass meetings; one in favor Of General
Taylor, at the Tabernacle, and the other in
favor OF General Worth, at Tammany Hall (; and
they were placed in conspicuous positions in
each of the following named hotels e
TAmmany Hall City Hotel
Astor House Lovejoy's, do
Franklin. do Clinton, do
Rathbun's Hotel Judson's, do
American, do Globe. do
Crotou, do Pearl Street House
The proprietors Of these several hotels received
those papers with great kindness and attention,
and hung them up In their several Offices and
bar.rooms; and we have no doubt will endeavor
to procure many names possible, previous
to the great day of assembling.
We also despatched an agent to the Exchange
yesterday, during change hours, who left those
papers there in the hands OF proper persons, and
we have no doubt a full account will be received
from there.
These two movements, like the action of the
negative and positive electricity, will produce
health, purity, and elasticity in the political at
mosphere. The opinions of every one will be
properly expressed on the great question of the
Mexican war; and after their ideas shall have
been ascertained at the ballot boxes, every Ame
rican voter will then return to the tent or the
field, satisfied and content with whatever may
be the result of this combined movement
HAS THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BEEN USEFUL p
We perceive that the Rev. DR.. Ryder, President
of the College of the Holy Cross, in Worcester,
Mass, is announced to deliver lecture in St.
Peters Church, Barclay street, on Sunday eve
ming next, and has selected as the subject of his
lecture: "The Papal authority beneficial to So
ciety."
There are but few men living more capable of
handling religious subjects than DR.. Ryder, and
we expect that the discourse on Sunday evening,
will, like all his attempts, be characterised by
eloquence, philosophy, and convincing powers
of argument. The subject which he has select
ed gives ample scope, and is, perhaps, one of the
most interesting that he could dilate upon.
There can be no question that the Roman
Catholic Church, since the celebrated Council of
Nice-the same which settled the Bible as it
now exists, by rejecting such portions of the
holy writings as were considered spurious, and
retaining such as were considered authentic-has
exercised most beneficial influence on society,
not only by its teachings, but by the exercise of
the power and authority of the Pontif, which, in
the main, have been used judiciously, and by the
encouragement it gave to learning Of all kinds,
the promotion of the fine arts, and the preserva-
ton of Literature during the dark ages. After the
Roman empire was overrun by the ruthless bar
barans of the North, who were attracted to that
favored portion of the world by the love of
plumber, the Catholic Church civilized and hu-
manized them, and fitted them afterwards to be-
come the nations of civilized Europe, as they
exist at this day.
Of this view of the question, there can be no
doubt; and we are sure that many will desire to
hear the reverend lecturer on these points but,
whether the papal authority is beneficial to So
cety, as 1t now exists, is question on which
there may be wide difference of opinion. Some
may think that the world, as it is at present con-
stituted, has outgrown the church, and that, in
stead of its being the party led and directed by
the papa authority the latter, in fact, is directed
by the world. However, we are not going into
an argument on the matter-we shall leave it in
the hands of DR.. Ryder.