The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-25
CATHOLIC CHURCH PROPERTY.


CATHOLIC CHURCH PROPERTY.
By way of pertinent and compact criticism
upon our article Of the 2Sth OF July, we have
a communication from f. W., post-marked
Boston, which puts ten questions to the editor
One of the ten asks" Is the fact established
that the Catholics of this country have been
refused common rights and powers; and have
they not demanded powers which other denom-
nations have not asked fort" Our answer
to this question and such others as bear upon
this point, will be readily gathered from what
we have already written.
Another question is" Is the Bible to be
suppressed, and refused to our citizens, because
the Catholic Church demands it," 10 the
interrogatory we say, No! To the affirmation
we saw we have never heard of such demand
by the Catholics
None of the other questions, in our appre-
bepsion. have any bearing whatever upon the
rroperty question, and we decline discussing
them as if they had
If the communication were, or purported to
be, an answer to anything we have said, we
would publish it. 1t throws the whole bur
den of discussion upon us. Its suggestions are
welcome and such of them as are relevant
and pertinent are answered already, or will be
Seven or eight questions involving the gene
raj character history, and designs of the Ro-
mish hierarchy, would lead us into controyer-
sy not with our correspondent so much as with
the champions of Catholicism.
s. Collins of Yorkvillc, Wisconsin, comes
down upon us with nineteen questions; every
one of them concerned with the moral, spirit
ual, civil, and social character of the Catholic
Church. past present, and to come. Not one
directly or indirectly touching the question of
their congregations. These ques-
tons appear to have been provoked-that is
the worldly our assertion that the most of
the Catholics in this country meaning the
Irish immigrants, as explained and applied in
a sentence Immediately following) have as
good reasons for hating Professionalism as we
have for detesting Popery. For the proof of
all that there is in our affirmation, it would be
sufficient to refer Mr. Collins to those Catho-
lies themselves Their apprehension of this
matter is the one we have to deal with in our
conduct towards them. Just what they think
and believe is the state of the case we are to
address ourselves to- This, at least, was the
drift of our thought, for the true construction
read the words that follow and our duty and
policy alike direct us to remove every cause
Of offence that either justice or charity sug-
,estsn
But Mr.. Collins himself feels the truth of
heir complaint, and evades it thus: "But
here is Ireland, oppressed by Protestant Eng
and Is it Popery or Professionalism that con-
'titutes the oppressive element in the British
Government? AS applied, evidently the for
ner All Ireland's wrongs at the hands of
The English Church establishment grow out
If the Popish dogma-the union of supreme
,ivl and ecclesiastical power in one person"
The oppression of Ireland by the Protestant
Government of England is not Protestant, in
act, because it is Popish in spirit And the
hanging of the Quakers in New England by
he Puritans, was, Of course, not Puritan Op-
preston, because it was Popish in character
Mr.. Collins may, if he pleases, consider us an
wercd, but he must try his pleading upon the
catholics themselves before the effect and in
ent of our remark is met.
If the persecution and oppression of the
catholics of Ireland by Protestant England
md Orange Ireland were to be sustained as
IN independent fact, there is bloody and
bitter proof of it in abundance; but, save the
mark it were no sooner done, than the an
wer meets us" But that is not Protestant
SIN, it is Popery in another form-Popery in
lisguise and Professionalism only in name" We
decline a race with an antagonist
hat swaps horses at the outpost, and claims
he winner for his own, though the one he
backs is distanced.
Our own blood is every drop pure Protestant
irish; and as our excellent grandfather used
TO say" Not one Of the name-Armstrong,
Henderson, Clifford, or Elder, ever were known
% be Papists We never were wild Irish mass
boys" The earliest idea of an Irish Catholic
hat we ever received was, that any one OF
hem would fasten the bowels Of Protestant
woman to thorn tree, and whip her round it
ill she died We were told that party OF
White Boys, a long time ago-about the time
If the fairies, we believe--entered Protestant
house. as the family were sitting down to din
ner, killed every one of them, but an infant IN
the cradle, and then sat down, and ate up the
dinner with q relish. One of these butchers
had got about half through with meat pie,
when suddenly he recolIected that it was Fri
day whereupon, he fell upon his knees, and
crossed himself, in great distress at the acci-
dent. At this moment the child cried; he
stuck a pitchfork into it, held it there sprawl
ing, till he repeated an Ave Mary, and then
flung the hereto reptile into the fire, and 30
squared his conscience. OH our religious
education was not neglected, and We under
stand the old grudge thoroughly.
IL the Protestant5 ever retaiiateu III eiy
way, we never heard the particulars; or If we
did let us in return ask one question; Was
it not justice to treat the miscreants Is they
deserved! Especially, would it be safe to trust
such people with the common rights and lib
critics of men?
Heaven help us how fear begcts wrath, and
what crimes are perpetrated in the name oil
Liberty! The pords Of the Apostle to the Co
rinthians, in very different sense, probably,
from that intended, wonderfully describe the
pcrversion of religious zeal: For behold this
selfsame thing, that 20 sorrowed after cody
sort, what earefulness it wrought in you, yea,
what eiearing Of yourselves, yea, what indig-
nation, yea, what fear, yea, what ueAemsnt de-