The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-11

AZ 70 your TeIndTke dDOut HuSiy VI ooAk>
have not much to say. You might wei nave
spared the little homily for everybody knows that
liberty of conscience does not mean nperty 70 hoid
and enjoy ones conscientious OPINIONS on the SUD-
ject of religion to ones self, bat the right to make
them known to others. The mature OF truth Is to
seek to be known-in other (ords, to make prose
lytes. "A Catholic Layman," In the New York
Times of the Path ult., has well stated that fact.
He has also well distinguished between the liberty
which is created by the constitution and laws and
that which prevails in the feelings and habits Of
communities. The religious liberty granted to all
by our constitution and laws is complete; and yet
occasionally popular excitments may be gotten up,
whcih, for time, set aside the laws, and overthrow
the liberty guaranteed by the constitution and the
laws. You endeavor to throw dust IN the
eyes of your readers by disregardng these
almost believe that we have not religious liberty
in this land because damage has been done in popu-
lar tumults, to Roman Catholic convent near Boston
and church or two in Philadelphia. Because men
siana what they please the subject OF slavery you
insinuate that there is not entire religious liberty in
this country. fyou will allow me to say It, think
that 1t is altogether unworthy OF you. 1ou know
that there is religious liberty in this land; that IN no
State in this Union is man forbidden TO buy Bible,
if he has the means; he may read 1t IL he can; and
if he is 30 unfortunate as to be unable 70 read,
whether owing to any unwise laws In any State, or
any other cause, he may hear II rea., he may hear
the Gospel preached believe, and decide for himself
what church he will join. Would that three was "a
much religious liberty as this in all Roman Catholic
countries!
As to the religious liberty which Roman Catholics
enjoy in this country You seem to think that heyare
in no way indebted to Protestants for t-that they
fought for it during the Revolution, and gained it by
their good, trusty swords This Is also very wonder
full. Just if the Revolution, in which the Roman
Catholies-though they were too few to have much
influence in that great movement-certainly bore
their parts, (and some of Them such as Charles
Carroll and few others, very honorable one,) gave
lirr,o 10 Vpu n
know dear Archbishop that all the colonies brought
hither the germ Of religious liberty whether they
came from England Scotland, France, or Germany,
though in it was more developed than in others
But all went on advancing in regard to this great
subject until the Revolution, when all the thirteen
colonies, Protestant (even Maryland was SOY by an
oyeTwhelmingmajorty, enjoyed great amount OF re-
gious liberty, and some of them full measure. was
this fact which insured the incorporation OF the prn
cpe OF religious liberty into the constitution. Moth
ing is certain than that all the religious liber
ty there is in the world is owing to Professionalism
As to the statement which your Grace has some
times made, that our religious liberty to the
little colony which Lord Baltimore planted in Mary
land, it is hardly worthy of consideration. From the
nature of the case that colony could not fail to have
religious liberty from the first; for Protestant go
velnment in England never would have allowed q
Roman Catholic colony to be planted here upon the
principle of intolerance. But if, rs you say, Rome
is favorable to religious liberty, why does she not
cannot doubt the attachment Of our Roman Ca
tholic fellowcitzens to our noble political institu-
tons. And yet | could not read what you say
about their "well-poised sefpossession.n that kept
them from being carried away by the influence Of
"foreign demagogue" (Kossuth) who recently visited
us, without something more than a smile. Oh,
Archbishop! if Kossuth had been Roman Catholic,
or contending against Protestant country, you
would, perhaps, have thought differently Of him.
But he was Protestant, who had tried to over
throw the despotism Of the House of Hapsburg,
(Which has been good servant and friend Of the
PapacyD and in doing SO he had the generous aid
Of millions Of Roman Catholics of his country
far more than half of the soldiers and officers who
fought in that war being such. But he fought
against Austria That was enough. But let
US look at the other side. Where was the
"wellpoised self-posesson of the Irish Roman
Catholics in this country-where was your
own, dearest Archbishop-in the summer Of
1s4s, when the last rebellion broke out in
ireland! Surely, your memory cannot be very good.
Have you not forgotten those $500 which you gave
to kndle the flame of civil war in your native land
But then 1t was to overthrow the dominion of hated
Protestant Albion in the En,raId Isle That
changed the whole affair. But let us more
about the matter, for ! greatly fear that it is not
agreeable to you.
Nor am / sure that the next topic will be any
more So You have berated Gen. Cass and others
for endeavorng to secure the protection of our
American citizens in their religious rights in foreign
lands. Now, this measure is SO just and equal that
wonder that man of your penetration does not see
that people will say to you: Yes, you know that
Protestants, are protected in their rights in Pro-
testant countries almost much they can desire,
and that in most Roman Catholic countries, Amen-
can Protestans have not the right to have their own
religious worship and to bury their dead with such
ceremonies as they prefer, and therefore you are
quite contented with the present state Of things
frum the feeling that Professionalism has something to
lose and Romanism nothing through its influence"
This is precisely what every intelligent Protestant
will think and say about your conduct in this matter.
And what do you think Of it yourself my dear Arch.
bishop? Does it not appear rather too mean and
contemplate feel concerned for you
Still further what shall we think Of your opposing
the interference Of Mr. Fillmore in behalf of the Ma
dial, especially when you, and hundreds of others,
asked this same President Fillmore to do precisely
what he has now done in favor Of Smith o Brien
and other Irish rebelsor patriots, if you prefer
the word-that IT, write . letter of intercession in
their behalf to the Queen Of England What a
degradation this for our noble President and our
immortal Webster, to be seen standing in humble at
tendance in the antechamber of Albion's proud
monarch and all this for few Irishmen, for whom
you would have said, If they bad been Hungarians,
that hanging was too good for them" Oh, con-
sstency thou art jewel rbut not, in this case an
Irish one
But you seem to make it matter Of reproach to
cur great meeting at Metropolitan Hall, that none
York took part in the speaking on the occasion.
The orators were all from such suburban villages =
as Brooklyn, Newark, and Elizabethtown. If the
hall could have been obtained for Monday night,
instead OF Friday ls quite probable that you would
have heard had you been there, lit Is reported that
you were,) some gentlemen from the city, who were
that night occupied with their regular weekly lee
lures AS it was the meeting went OF pretty we'll.
The suburbans" acquitted themselves deoenty all
OF them. They are NO mean men I; nor are they all
unknown TO your Grace. Dr.. BethHne made the
audience feel that he was well able to grapple with
the subject. Drs Kennedy, Hague, and Cox, Ger.
tsinly did not disgrace themselves And as TO "Kir-
wan think your Grace has some remembrance q
him unless your heqira to Halifax made YOU az
obivous Of the past is the Bourbon among Us y
Of the occurrences Of his early days.
But. with your permission, l will stop here, at
leost until your Eminence favors the public with
another " letter on some subject or other.
am, your Grace's most humble and obedient
servant SIMON PETER.
FINANCIAL AND COMMERCIAL,
>s~--~>-ao-sr~->O~yN>~Ne~e~c~~
MONEY MARK EFT.