The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-06-16

estate Of Mexico are in the hands Of the clergy.
Hence the political degradation and misery Of that
country. VIII the Catholic laity Of the United
States permit the blighting influence to pros
trate them in the DUST and to sap the very founda-
items of republican freedom? If they do not resist
now, it may day, perhaps, be necessary for Con-
gress or the different State Legislatures throughout
the country, to curb the rampant ambition Of this
spiritual despotism, which has always sought to put
the people and all civil government beneath its feet
The Pastoral Letter states that, in days gone by,
there has been great forgetfulness of the extent
Of the authority which the bishops exercise" and
among the melancholy causes of this oblivion, is
enumerated "the attempt TO apply to the Catholic
Church, in the administration of the temperatures
belonging to her, principles and rules foreign to
her spirit, and irreconcilsbic with tho authority Of
her pastors" Well then, let us SEQ what this
"anthentc declaration" says
"Whateyer is offered God. and solemny conscc-ated
to his service whether be the material temple IN which
his worahppers assemble or the ground set apart for the
nerment Of those who repose in dods field awaiting the
promised resurrection property real or personal in
tended for the purpose OF Divine service or Tor the educ
tiop support and maintenance OF the cergyeyery such
thing saced and belongs 10 the church and cannot be
withdrawn from the service of God without the guilt OF
sacricge The donor donors Of such gifts can exer
else right of ownership them. With these tenn
pora things thus separated from common purposes and
set apart for the service of the sanctuary the church
cannot allow any interference that not subordinate
her authority The bishop Of each diocess s the rep
refenate and organ OF that authority and without his
sanction no advancement hosoeyer in itself OF pur,ly
temporal nature that has reference To religious worship
has, have force validity Whenever the bishop
deems Il advisable TO acquice 10 arrangements for the
administration Of church temperatures which have not
originated with the ecclesiastical authority, or which
may have arisen from ignorance OF its rights or from
spirit Oh opposition 10 thom we declare that such
rngements force .ec in the Catholic church.
in of such acquesence and not from any
Other cause OF principle whatever
This is pretty plain and candid. The bishops
and clergy have not enough u authority, and
they want more. And this, they say, has led a.
might he expected, to the disturbance Of peace and
harmony. Nothing can be more true. From the
beginning Of the world till the present hour, the
cause Of all disturbances, whether in the family
circle the church, or the State, is tho love OF
power, which grows by what it feeds upon, and
ever desires more, more, more. Nearly all the in
testne wars, and many Of the foreign wars, that de-
ssated the na.ons since the introduction of Chris
isnity, have had their origin in the desire Of the
rulers Of the church to possess power not that
Christianity is the cause gives any warrant for this
ambition, but, the contrary, ignores il in every
doctrine and precept Of the Now Testament. g Fer
the purpose of guarding against the recurrence of
such evils" the bishops say, they deem it Aeces-
sary TO make public and authentic declaration Of
Catholic principles this important subject In
other words they make this innovation in the prac-
tice Of the Catholic Church in tho United Staes-an
innovation that gives them enormous power, and
strips the laity Of every vestige Of control the
tsmporalities Of the churches to which they belong;
and, in order to make it go down, they call it Ca
tholc principles, of which they make " an anthem
tic declaration" Who gave them this authority,
or what makes their declaration authentic in this
republic /? The modesty of the agrarans voting
themselves farm can only afford parallel
to the bishops voting themselves tho whole tenn
poralties Of every Catholic Church in tho United
States. 1t has always been laid down Is Catho-
lie principle, that it is only General Couaci
with the Pope at its head, that can make any
authentic declaration Of Catholic principles Indi.
vidual bishops, and even asssmblagss Of bishops,
are liable to err; and the assemblage ut Baltimore
having no more exemption from fallibility than
others, we are at loss to know whence they derive
the authenticity Of their declaration particularly as
is one to aggrnndze themselves at the expense Of
the laity Whether their declaration will have the
effect they anticipate, Of producing "psace and
harmony" we know not but if it should, it would
be sad evidence of the progress Of spiritual dos
potsm and ats influence over the minds of the pso-
pie. 1t would be the peace Of the grave, whore the
independence Of the lalty was buried.
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Position or ENGINEERS ON BOARD UNITED
STATES WAR STEAMERS. have heard frequent
and well founded complaints made in various quar-
ters Of the disagreeable position which engineers in
the American navy occupy. The old salt tar COM
modores look with no favorable eye on those civil
offcers-as they are callcd-who, from tho nature
OF their avocatons, are, in great measure, exempt
from their control and orders; and they vent their
feelings Of disappo ntment by subjecting them to
sundry little annoyances and vexatous intererences
The rest of the naval officers proper down to the
MILDLY, fresh from his mamas apron strings, take
their cue from the captain and exhibit to the eng-
neers In variety of ways the feelings they bear to-
ward them. The affect to look down with centeupt
upon the CORPS of whom they speak as mere trades
men, dirty mechanics, and totally unfit to stand on
terms of intimacy with them. This treatment is,
Of course, calling to men so far the superiors Of
these sprigs Of gentility and who feel an honorable
pride in being the artfcers Of their own fortunes,
and not dependent for their position on political in.
auence, or sycophancy, at head quarters. But the
naval authorities themselves foster this sentiment
in the service, by not allowing to engineers the
same rank which they occupy even in the British
navy, where aristocracy is dominant. Chief engi-
neers are rateu lower IN Craze tnan pursers and
surgeons; and il is this which, in great measure,
contributes to the unpleasanness Of their situation
Another cause Of complaint is, that by the exist
ng law, the number Of engineers is SO limited that
hey are always kept on active service, either
n war, navy yard, or coast survey steamers,
and cannot enjoy the privileges accorded to other
branches Of the service, of returning to their
aniles at the termination Of cruise
The means proposed to remedy this unjust state
# things, is the introduction Of bill into Congress-
o which many men Of influence have promised their
support and advocacy. This bill proposes to aug
nent the number of engineers, and to create new
.ank-tbat Of Inspector of Machinery, one Of whom
hould be appointed to each navy yard and selected
,ut Of the class Of chief engineers. BY this MEANS
he latter officer would not be compelled, as he now
s. on the return Of his ship from q cruise, to re-