Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-06-13


ARCHBISHOP HUGHES AND GEN. CASS.
The reply of this Catholic prclato, tn the tistln-
guishcd Michigan Senator, is before tho public
Tho popular expectation will be disappointed. ArrhbI-
shop Hughes, has usually written well and fArclbIy,
and with logical accuracy but in the present instance
he docs not maintain this reputation. The paper"
skifuy drawn, but docs mot grappe with the issues
involved 1t merely ntfirms, without attempting lo
prove anything. 1t touccs only the surface OF the sub
oct, and leaves tho depths uncxpnrcd Yet, II VIII
be read with n;orcst, as the production OF great
mind, which failed to do great things because ii VIVA
pleading against the truth.
The Archbishop excuses his use OF tho name ~
the Senator in former letter, on the ground that at
meeting, held in New York, to express sympaihy
with tho peraocutcd MApAI family, resolution wN1
passed culogisc of General Casa. The fnct is "i'-
questionable, but how i: justi6es tho subsequent con-
duet Of tho Archbishop, is not shown by HIM; anu
passes our COMPREHENSION If his reference t" Gen.
Cass bv name IN letter written sometime AFTER iIle
meeting needed an apology, solno more sufficient rc''-
son ought to have been assigned.
So of the Arcabiahops complaint, that Gen Cass
did him Injustice He fails to show thai my wrong
was done to him. or that any justice was withheld
from him that should have been awarded. He docs
av. "he quoted from Frrtmdn's Journal q caption
hich wa. not mnc," and that his meaning con-
an,ly msrcproscntcd but there examples adj
decd to prove the last asscrlion and to the first il In
a,ufliccnt arswcr that tho quotation made from
hi own organ. In uutl the only complaint that the
A,hbishop could truly make wHs that justice w'''
toe,ernly administered.
hssinc from these somewhat irrelevant topics,
wo ono TO the gis OF the letter. where freedom "i
confidence and oi worship stuuchcd upon. And here
the archbishop is lamen.ahly weak. Instead Of ac'
ccptig the contest which he had himself provoked he
coola,tempts TO chow that there is IL" cause for con-
fct. Liberty nj conscienco s faroro theory with
the Archbishop, for which he pleads as carncssy
as Geeral Cass himself. But o what kind OF !rtG'
dom Il conscience docs the prclatc speak :
Why, liberty which, according 10 his showing
never ks been mpugned in any aSc or any r'n'"
simply kcause it was impossible, aud which meyer
can DO, O the end OF time. Liberty of c"nsrlcncr
lnaniicstog itself in Of devotion ia another mat
ter, and which this willy churchmnn takes 'l'cia
pains avid lie talks great deal of conscience any
tho rights 4 conscience but no is oNtomcy cautious
not to lnecttas presented in the speech of Gcnora
Cass. Tho ,ily liberty of conscience known in tho
nomenclature of the Archbishop, is that (which M
outward violace can rcach.' Of it ho snys further
~ do not n,lnit that from the beginning "i The
world up TO tbs day there ever has been violation
of tho rights, kecdom liberty or divine sovereignty
Of tho human pnsricnco. That is tho portion {" h;s
| nature which Gid placed beyond the reach OF human
power. His crl rights might he taken away; his
property contiSatcG, his reputation rendered mia
NOUS the life VI his body sacrificed at the STAKE, or
! lt,rr n n (OllRCunl.
regntv of his conscience above all earthly powers has
| never in Il singc instance been vGnqushe'l by the
cruelty Or injus,rc OF his fellow beings.
In accordance with this view OF conscience the
Archbishop declares that until the reformation
there hnd ncrer been INV enacted which abridged
or otherwise ntcrcrcd with Inc liberty "r rights oi
conscience. And yet, every schuol boy knnwR thu,
it has ever been the policy of the konsh Church
to punish. with oil manner oil physical torture,
| those who would worship God after tho mh''-
ner prescribed by her lave.
This bricf review Of the material portions OF this
remarkable loiter will save us the necessity "i g"I.
into moro minute details. Enough hna been Had tn
show that the doctrine announced hy tho Senator
from Michigan is unshakcn by the reply. 1t snnd7
M the true exposition OF the views and fccllngF Of the
vast body Of the American people; und, n"twhh'
standing the snecr with which the remark ia puHt"l
by bis Reverence it will tc the policy Of our Govern
mont, in all fuurc ,imcs protect Americana in MI
countries; and, submitting to nothing that Is wrong
to demand whatever is right.
As for the rest, the lettcr Of the Archbishop If
not without excellcneic&. Tho humility which con-
santly rroesscs 80 consistent with tho arrogant NTH
,udc which it's author has always assumed is worthy
of all proise The dcierenoe which it manllcsts 10
the position Of tho Senator, The lofty independence {"
popular decisions the proud consciousness Of power
ns prclne Of tho church Of ROME the tender regard
for tho good Of oil men, and the benevolent ncgcc; to
deal moro harshly with his opponent, all commend
this vindcotion to the attention of The people Then
it il no, without acasonng of personalities. An or'
casiona burst Of sarcnsm, scvoral sntrlca pcrsona
hits, ono or two ingenious cxpediens TO escape M
ugly conclusion, rhapsody upon tho virtues and
beauties of the female sox trcn,ise on tho dlBcHsct
of clcryymen, and Of bronchitis especially, and n
furious onslaught upon the "ron hearted" Londo'
Times, ,crve to rclievc it Of that heavness and dull
ness which usually render such productions ndmira'
bic incentives to secp