New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-04-24
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

We have faith in the most perfect reli
gious tolerance on the part Of the State. We do
not conceive it to be the business of any commit
nifty or Government to inquire what is the reli
gion or the no-religon protested or practiced by
Mr.. A. or Mr.. b. So long as those individuals
discharge their civil obligations as members Of
society and DO not transgress the civil law, we
hold it to be the right of each to believe or to dis
believe, according to the conclusions of his own
judgment and the dictates of his own conscience.
But another and very different view from this 10
held by large party in our country, and it seems
advisable that the public should know what that
view is. To that end we make the following extract
from The Shepherd Of the Valley, large and in
iuential Catholic journal, published at St. Louis.
Speaking of the question of religious freedom,
this paper says:
1--WE gain nothing by decsming 30 earnestly against
the doctrine OF The Girl punishment Of spiritual crimes
Our enemies will not believe that we are better than our
Church, andtor herher history is before them; they
know what she sanctioned during the Middle Ages,
what she did them and does now where she can they
know too what they would do, were they in power
they judge by themselves They reason be-
sides and when say .too and foo they will add make
four whatever we can do To stop them Heresy is
mortal sin, kills the SOUL sends the entire man. body
and SOUL to Hell Is, besde contagious disease and
affects the inerest OF unborn millions Christian kings
believing this rii crush in The she'll Christian States,
knowing this, will drive it from their bodies when they
can"
Tic same journal also saws in the same article
1T is notorious that the leaders of Catholic journal
ism in the United Sttes have been unanimous for some
time rs in directing all their energies the destruc
ton OF that cowardly system Of misrepresentation and
coDce amen which led English Catholics, in the unhap
py times from which we emerging to attempt-hap-
PLY with very Indifferent sucCcsstO throw dust in the
eyes of contemporary heretc. by dsavowng the prac-
tees of their brethren in better days and other lands
We are Ivy means the only Catholic editor in the
Union who thinks it better 70 be perfectly frank and
honest than to be prudent to ul1est term
Finland we not alone in dreading. above
all things, the praise and sympathy and good will OF
hcretics SUCH and coveng from them, nothing be-
yond some portion OF that abuse which they heap upon
all good Christians upon our pastors upon the Saints
and upon their most sweet and holy Queen"
We give one more extract:
ave will say however, that we are not in favor Of
roasting heretcs and that this sort Of work is to be
revivedthough miserable times is quite 6npossi-
bi since hare belief Uhich they TO propagate
for rhich they dare endre persecution is to be re-
newed should rather be its victims than its agents
but we are not therefore going to deny the facts OF
history or blame the Saints Of God and the doctors
and pastors of the church for what they have done and
sanctioned. We say that hs temporal punishment Of
hesy Is question Of erpediency that ProtestanS
do persecute here simply because they have not
the power and that where abstain from persecut-
ing them they are well that it is merely because
cannot do so, think that by doing so, we should
injure the cause that we wish to serve"
1t is due to justice to say that these extreme
notions are not held by all Catholics, nor coun-
tenanced by all the Catholic press of the country.
The Catholic Herald of Philadelphia earnestly
and temperately opposes them.