The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-04-07

i
glorious struggle. IL Is those Of Tho ostsslashsG
church. the foW olsrgymsn in particular. whs -.
gagged in the cause Of liberty. Unlike tho rsst.
thoy must lose all BY defeat and gain nothing -
Fight tho battles Of tho country. thoro il but little
apprehcnd, to boast Of since tho revolution. Ven
row, think. would enlist If tho reward held out 70
,nem was,in proportion TO the estimated labor
1853 thsn they could otherwise obtain.
IL. saysh he. So hero had been snly one form ~
Ifocestant~m proessed in al the colonies. l feAr
,nuch that even with Washington ut thoir heed.
.no oonStHution would not have been what il IT,"
mat feigious derpotism would have boon the oea-
sequence thero il NOT much eason TO doubt ADA
ii Roman Catholicism had been the oniv Sar.s ~
religion proessed in all the colonies he aud evosv
one elso knows that the issue would not ha VI hce.
les1 disastrous TO iibory And yet Archbishs~
Hughes with his mind satisfied rs TO the truth n
ths will not dare To rejoice that they not Al
Roman Catholics The Archbishop, thon. it seoms.
rightly concludes that li5erty has security bat
in multiplicity OF religious scots. 80 TAR We
are OF one mind and l am happy to discover that
we aye susteincd in this opinion by 80 great MAJ
"a Mr.. Madison. In the Fedcrast." No, 81. hs
says -" In free government, tho security for
civil rights must be tho samo as that for religious
rights II consists in tho case in the multiplicity
OF interests. and in the other in tho multiplicity Of
scots. Tho dogrce of security in both will do
pend 90 the number of interests and aec; and this
may Do presumed to depend on tho extent of county
ana the number cf people comprehonded under tho
came government, And yet, though satisfied Of
ana aWtrc OF inc otherwlSo diSN5trOu1 COD
sequences to liberty. Archbishop Hughes would rs-
loice to have every man, woman, and child. in this
broad and glorious Union. to acknowledge the
supremacy Of the Pope Of Rome, which 10 pars
despOttsm, II is therefore, a necessary sequ once
that he would prefer, for this country hat kind 81
religious despotism that IL practiscd ut Rome, 10
that complete and universal liberty OF Conscience
which is practLsed nero. II not, let him say
"AntagonisIn from without he obseryca, would
have defeated all The purposes Of tho confederation
of States, If the convention had attempted 10 favor
any one of those forms of religion--'Sat tho Ok
penso Of the others"
Hero he changes the ground he took A. Liver.
poo! before an audience Ignorant of our religious
history, which was, that thu question of religious
freedom camo up in thc convention, and that it
established in consequence Of thoir not bong ablo
to agree on any one religion that should be pro-
dominant. Now, ~ such thing never took place in
the convention, It was highly proper in Archbishop
Hughes to vary his ground. No also said. NJ the
Same time and place, that he had never found q
single instance whore Professionalism granted religious
freedom whore it was in its power 20 withhold it."
And now he admit, that the great mon who framed
the constitution Of the United Statos--to which hs
gives exclusive credit for religious freedom
" were almest, If not altogether, exclusively Protes
tsnts;" and also that tho Catholics were, in thu
whole country in tho proportion OF 49, 900 to 900
600 There was then power to hinder tho Pro.
testants from excluding Roman Catholics from tho
enjoyment of religious freedom. And surely tho
Professionals OF tho several Stateswhch really have
the control Of tho whole matter-have neyor boon
am not aware that Archbishop Hughes has ovSr
unquaitedly and unequiyocaly declared himself in
favor of tho exercise OF the rights Of conscience by
all people evorywhore, rs freely and completely A.
they exercised with US ! know he has said
not in the lecture under oonsideration-''I havs
always contended for the right, Of oonsconcs
Tor al men, as universally as they are
recognized in the American Constitution .
But this amounts to nothing, rs they are
not recognized at all in the constitution. He has
said also-"I have always preached that every Dc.
nomination, Jews, Christians, Catholics, Protss-
ants of every sect and shade were all entitled TO
the entire enjoyment Of the freedom Of conscienoc
without let or hindrance from any other donomins-
ton, no matter how small their number. or how
unpopular the doctrines they profess" And thistle
amend il. by adding after the word conscisuoe
the words 9 in all countries and under all govern.
ments as completely as it is enjoyed in tho United
States )" and for the words s'Other dedomination,"
substitute the words "power whatever" But fho
intended to DO understood in the broad and uneqsi-
vocal which the proposed amendments would
convey, cannot understand how he can DO a good
and faithful Roman Catholic prelate for tho Pope.
IN his evangelical letter in 1882, thus speaks
c0the7ad. OF the liberty of conscience 50. From
that polluted fountain Of indifference flows that
absurd and erroneous doctrine, rather raving, in
favor and in defence Of liberty Of conscience, for
which most pestilentia error the course is openedb
That entire and wild liberty of opinion which 10
everywhere attempting the overthrow Of religious
and civil institutions and which the unbushng
ilIuutuce Vi sOie ileu OfIn rs lu advantage Ot
religion" lie speaks, also, in tho same e.tsr, Of
othsr Of our dearest and most sacred rights, in
such terms as these =" That pest, Of all others
most to be dreaded in State, unbrilsJ
liberty Of opinion, RIGHTEOUSNESS OF speech.
and lust of novelty, which, according to tho
Of all ages, portend the downfall Of
the most powerful and hourishing empires" "Hi-
Their tends that worst and never-suAicently- to-be
execfated and detested liberty of the press" Nor
can We augur more consoling consequences to reli-
gon and to government, from the zeal Of soms to
separate the Church from the State, and to burst the
bond which unites the priesthood to the empire. For
ii is clear that this union is dreaded by the profans
lovers of liberty only because it has never failed to
confer prosperity on both"
Now, how Archbishop Hughes can approve and
swallow all thisas he is in duty bound as a papsf
prelate to do-and be ct the same time sincere
friend Of our institutions, and wish them God speed
throughout the world-as he is in duty bound to do
as a republican citizen of the United States--is q
question above my ability to solve 1 apprehena it
will puzzle the archbishop himself
With great respect, your obsdient servant
JOSIAH +. Polk.