The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1850-05-31
From the Baltimore Clipper.
Slavery, the Union. and the Catholic
Church.
LEcruRE BIZ rHE REv. DE-. cUHLMINes


On Friday evening, the Rev. J. w. Cum
mings, D. D., of st. Stephens Church, New |
York, delivered lecture at the Tabernacle, |
Broadway, on "the Catholic Church, slavery, |
and the Union" to a crowded audience. The |
lecture, which we find reported in the Herald,
is a most eloquent production, and takes high |
conservative ground in relation to Slavery and |
the American Union-We learn from it that |
although the Catholic Church is opposed to
slavery, she will aid in its extinction only by |
gradual pacific, and lawful means, taking care
to discountenance all fanaticism, and all viola
tions of the laws of God and man. The fol-
lowing extract from the conclusion of this elo-
ouent lecture, will be read with interest:
1t is folly to make the question of slavery
Rubicon, as it were, on one side OF which IS
the republic, on the other not. (Cheers.) As
far as have studied, have not found any ma
ton dissolving on account of this question,
though it came before all of them, as 1t has
done before us Shall we be the first! 1t is
problem. It was for them. They all got over
it. Cannot we, who pride ourselves on our
superior advantages, do as much as they did!
Whatever principle is brought to bear upon the
admission of the new territories, the principle
of moderation will not be sacrificed. Ii they
be admitted with the proviso, there will be
something gained by the advocates OF emancl-
patton. If without the proyiso, then none vii
become slaves who were .freemen. 1t VIII op-
crate as an extension of the number at present
existing, over greater area. Will that IN
crease their numbers! As we have already OBJ
served, it is at least very doubtful that it will,
if not certain that it will not.-Some few are
heard to say, "No Proyso, no Union; others,
"If Proviso, no Union" Let all wise men say,
"With or without Proviso, the Union forever!"
| (Great cheering.) This | consider the practi-
| cal result of my lecture-to stand by the
Union There is no appeal to Southern inter-
est or Northern interest | say we are bound,
as good citizens, to take high conservative
grounds This is moreover the duty OF Cath
olics. 1t is doubtful whether the Federal
Government has a constitutional right TO leg
islate on slavery, unless in exceptional cases.
1t is certain one State has no right to interfere,
except by gentle and moral means, with the
institutions of another State. 1t is certain
that none of us as individuals have any busl-
ness to attempt change Of the Federal COM
pact, or Of State legislation, beyond the means
Of petition and the influence of opinion. 1t is
certain, moreover that the Federal Govern
ment the State Legislatures, and every Amer
lean citizen, native and adopted. is bound by
every tie of Justice, honor and interest, 70
maintain inviolate that Union which IS the
safeguard of law and liberty in this country
tremendous cheering) There are men ap-
pointed to arrange these questions. They are
noble and enlightened. Let us pray that Coo
may direct their counsels, and enable them to
propose such measures as may insure the pre-
servation of peace. And if there are persons
who win try to gain notoriety by crying out
against the Union, or hindering its preserva-
ton, may they be deserted by all good citizens
and left to repent in solitude of the folly OF
their course. This much is consoling, that II
there be such strong advocates OF anti-slavery
further North, that they will take action de-
: structiye of the Union, rather than give up
their schemes, and if at the South others who
will demand so much for shareholders that
they will endanger the Union, neither will ind
any sympathy in this good old Knlckerbocker
State. cloud cheers) -
, To carry out the design of my lecture fully
have to bring together the two threads OF my
argument-the doctrines of the Catholic
Church and the PRINCIPLES Of the American
!: constitution The faith Of Catholics Is to obey
and love the Church and to obey and love the
!. constitution. Liberty has its duties as well as
/. its privileges. The head magistrate has his
duty-the statesman-the citizen-the Catho
J. lie, who is a slave, has his duties too, and nc
has his rights. Were the statesman to go tt
e confession, he would have to repent OF any
;, unworthy motive which might have led him tt
q take steps endangering the peace of the coun
q try. The slave obeys for Gods sake, unles!
e where he is commanded to do aught agalns
g the will of God This being the state OF things
in the country, it is clear that we are directed
:, to do by the laws of the country, and that WI
q will do what the laws direct us 10 do by obey
d inc the church. Let our federal g0yernmen
s manage this question as it thinks proper-le
them compromise, or not compromlse-le
e them bring in the Wilmot proviso or any othe
1i proviso-or leave out the Wilmot proviso an'
every other proviso-let them bring IN Cali
= forna-or bring out Texas-in short, let then
bring up, or bring down, or bring over, or brln
D. ander whatever they please, only let there
le brought about no disunion. (Great cheering.
u We must love our Southern brethren, and the
IN us: and arrange our family difficulties as hretf
rem should. This republic is harp, OF Nhlc
IL the federal compact is the golden frame, an
te the sovereign States are the chords OF sllve
le Joined harmoniously together, with no restrain
: but the law. Relax one Of these chords, G
ul subject it to unequal tension, and the other
IS, will be untuned by the discordant sound of on
ne Take away a string, and you destroy the ha
r. mony of the whole instrument. (Much al
10 plause.) This young republic again is like
Vn beautiful machine invented by some of her il
on genious sons. Her State charters are like
m many wheels, one indenting the other, and
nd turned by the large wheel Of the Federal Co
N stftuton She is in good working order,
this machine; patent has been taken out +
ea her; her wheels are well oiled, and she has g
OF the steam pretty fairly up. Who propos
lts now to stop one Of the wheels, or to take OF
led or more of them out? If such an attempt
gld made, perhaps the machine will get out OF Q
he der, and stop; but it is far more likely that Il
ng imprudent aGVenturer who attempts such
rs, thing, will be knocked on the head by Il
er- crank, or scalded with hot water from the bo
'dt' er. daughter and cheers.) This young Anne
lea of ours is mountain maid, whose beau
yy- is Of the healthy and sun-burnt order .
Ike was brought into the society of nations VIII
n.y. she was thirteen, but now she is thirty, ca
tn State counting for year. She has laid o
lell her portion to good advantage, and she war
for herself and her growing family all the pl
en-. pertv she has. The West is her farm, t
sa- East her market, the North her workshop,
ere the South her garden. She wants for !
en-. family, New England to go to school in, Oh
leir and Wisconsin to practice agriculture, Kt