The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-11-13
'PRIESTCRAFT IN EUROPE.

he III 10
generally the foe of Republcanism The Reyo-
lutionsts of Poland and Hungary found Priest
craft always in alliance with Absolutism. This
is not surprising. as all forms of Oppression be-
long to one family, are animated by one Princi-
ple. They all consist primarily IN u denial Of
the Manhood of the End,ridual Spiritual sla-
very is twin sister of civil vassalage. The
Church that seeks to annhila.e the personality
of the man in spiritual matters must affiliate
generally with the State that would extinguish
his personality in civil affairs There have been
times when a Despotic Church has arrayed
itself against Despotic State, in apparent de-
fence of the liberties of the People, but such
cases are exceptional, and the object sought to
be obtained, the absolute supremacy of the
Church over all rivals in authority, must diyest
it of any claim to be regarded as favorable to
Human Liberty.
Nothing can be more true than that the
habit of implicit submission to authority, in re-
spect to our highest relations, must foster
spirit of servility in all other relations. Men
must be prepared, if not to throw off the super
situations of a corrupt Faith, at least the habit
of blind submission to Spiritual Authority, bo-
tore they can rise to the dignity of rebels
against Civil Despotsm. Professionalism and
Republicanism are natural allies the former is
the preparation and impulse to the latter
The Spiritual Freeman cannot remain Civil
Bondsman. His assertion and assumption of
the right to decide what he owes to God, must
inevitably be followed by declaration of his
right to decide what he owes to man
BY Professionalism we mean the doctrine that
every man has the right of independent judg-
ment and action in religious matters-a doc
trine which, held in sincerity, understood in it's
length and breadth, and applied honestly and
consistently will prove the Emancpating Prin-
ciple of the World.
To say that all Protestant churches thus hold,
understand, and apply it is false. Their or
gan,zat,on rests upon this doctrine; in theory
they acknowledge it but its practice must be
looked for among individual men, in and out of
these organizations, and occasionally to be found
among Catholics themselves.
The Catholic clergy in Ireland amidst all
revolutionary movements in that island have
maintained their supremacy over the minds of
| the People, and what has been gained there
| of substantial Liberty! When the Repeal
movement had been carried to a certain point
did not the priesthood interpose, and was not
l nall al 30 10. -
its demands! But, what other results could
have been expected, had Protestant clergy,
so-called, constituted exclusively of such men
as Drs. Spring, Lord, and Dewey, and other
contemners of the higher law" doctrine, and
ultra supporters of the divine right of rulers,
occupied the places of the Catholic Priests In
this country, we find the Priests and the
Lower Law Protestant Divines, rivalling
each other in hostility to revolutionary move
ments; but it is with the former that we now
have to deal Here is a specimen of their feel
ing towards revolutionists copied from an edi-
torlal in the FreemdnS Journal, the Catholic
organ in New York
At this moment public opinion that is,
not the opinion of most people, much less the
opinion OF men of honest reflection, but the
gassy explosions OF cheap advertising sheets
ana needy penny-a-liners who do up protested
opinions for the public at the dictation of
lew impudent speculators-this public opinion
Is just now too much inflated to permit men to
near the truth for the moment When the
dutch woman who goes by the Polish name of
Sageiio arrived IN this country, the man would
have been cried down as brute who would
nave published about her what was indeed on
the iace OF affairs the probable inference from
hef position, and what now, not only in print,
out IN private quarters of unquestionable relia-
bihty' Is known to have come short Of the truth
concerning her. We nor wish Joy of their
company TO those very respectable people who
made such haste to introduce the unknown he
rome TO their wives and daughters.
in like manner we just now content our
selves with noting down the men and the par
ties VINO rush INTO spending the money of other
people, instead OF their own, in giving Kossuth
puDiic reception. He will soon bc here.
Americans will see him close at hand If he
has the sense like Ujhazy, to profit by the gull
hbilty OF the Americans, and to turn farmer,
NJ their expense Why we shall say nothing
more about 1t than that the public money has
been spent IN turning an adyenturer into re-
spectacle man but if he proves a firebrand
and factonist on American soil, and contin.
to plot for the ruin of social peace, then the
public authorities, who have spent money and
prostituted the name Of our country and our
Government by linking it with the uncongena
shadow of Red Republicansm in Europe, shall
be held to rigorous account
The accomplished Mrs. Tochman can suffer
no harm from the abuse of ruf6an, and vii
rejoice To. suffer persecution with such patriot
as Kossuth and Ujhazy.