Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-22

pay Mr.. hammond merely Tor his trouble IN distri-
buting them for Kriss Kringe never takes anything
himself for these things.
-
From the Ncwburyport Herald
| Religion aud politics have become somewhat
mingled within the last few years, and especially in
the last year, in the United States. Protestant cler
gymen of all denominations have publicly acted
on political questions as for instance In tho protest
| against the Kansas Nebraska bill more of them
have been elected to pubrc stations such as mem
bers Of Congress and Of the Legislatures than ever
before; and, lastly, the American party is rs much
anti-Cathoic as it is native. We have no objcc-
| tions to mans holding such opinions In religion
| as seem to him best. He may believe in no Popo
| or dozen--in one God or Trinity, and II should
not interfere with his political rights; but there is
such thing as churches assuming temporal and
spiritual power at the same timc--of being reli-
| gious organization and political league, and Of
| caring more to govern mans actions, purses and
property in this world, than to their souls in
| the next. Such an association Is destructive Of
rights, and dangerous to the well-being of society.
| There arc many reasons for justifying tho action
against the Roman hierarchy, that would not ex-
| ist against simple Catholic church, and which
will continue wide breach between the religion
/ lists Of this land.
/ First, our Catholic population are wrong in their
acknowledgement Of foreign head--a power out
OF the country despotic in its nature and claiming
TO direct them intalibly. 1t is vain TO say that
they acknowledge him simply as a spiritual head
for every true Romanist desires his temporal, as
much as his spiritual dominion to extend over the
world; and hundred times have they admitted its
extension their actions. How often has 1t been
/ the case that by an edict the Pope has absolyed
the subjects ofa potentate from allegiance to their
| lawful sovereign and how many times has he
sought by direct and indirect means, to break down
| powers guilty Of no offence but disbelief in hin,
as the yicegerent Of God? In our own country,
they receive his Nuncio to settle questions relating
to property and not doctrines and therefore it was
that the odious and bloody Bedini came among US.
Their religious conventions too are merely pr6vi,,-
ciat assemblies, the head being in Italy. This ac-
acknowledgement of foreign head can never be pal
atabe to republicans; il is anti American. All
other churches have thrown Off such vassalage,
I and 1t will be demanded of Romanists.
The Americans are right, also, in their complaint
against the systematic political action Of Romanists.
Il is not that they act actively politiciansfor
that they have right to do-but that they act as
Romansts and not Americans. This does not
hold against Professionals, since they act as indyd-
| uas, and not as drilled soldiers by the order of
priests whose sworn duty is to the church in all
things--and that foreign church--and not to tho
State; and who are moved by prince claiming
infLibility amidst mountains of error ignorance,
| vice and crime, that have accumulated in his own
! day, and the days OF his SUCCESSORS. We have
seen this influence exercised in France, where tho
peasants went to the baot-box with priests on one
side and soldiers the other, to ovcrturn the Re
public and establish the despotism that not only
crushed every liberal sentiment in France, but
4 also in Italy We saw this in Ireland, when the
outbreak of Smith 0Bricn and others, was re-
| pressed not by British 80 much as priestly
influence In The confessional, and by presty spies
and traitors in the churches. We have seen II In
i Mexico; and even in Massachusetts,, when nine
thousand OF them went TO vote down the proposed
constitution. This is a dangerous power that may
be used to subvert liberties II occasion pre-
sents
1 Again, the Romish Church is Objectionable as
seeking pecuniary aggrandizemcnt inconsistent
with American views We hold to individual
rights and property. The Romsh Church knows
no such things. The priests ask tribute Of the
people the bishops claim to have the accumulated
/ property vested in them, and they admit them
! selves TO be the mere agents of the Pope, and
bound to obey his mandates When their first
chapel was built in this city, there was a conten-
ton 70 gee whether the persons who paid for il
/ should own IT. or the bishop, who paid nothing
should possess II. This was the question that d.
yided them IN Buffalo and when the trustees of q
st. Louis church refused to give the claim TO that
| property to Bishop Timon, the italian butcher,
Bedini, was sent here as he had before been sent
10 crush out the rcbellious spirit ofthe Italian dem
ocrats; and when the people would not abide his
| decision, they were excommunicated and anathc-
matized; they were denied the sacralnents Of the
| Church In this life, and for contumacy, sent TO
| purgatory when they died. This is worse than
! highway robbery. There II Is only "your money
or your life !" here it was your money or torncnts
forever" We have had remarkable case Of this
kind lately, that ended in the death OF Father
Brady, at Hartford, last week. He was one of the
most pious and devoted men in the land, aud for
the benefit Of religion he had invested all he could
beg and $2o,000 Of his own money In the cathedral
where he served. His bishop demanded the prop
erty, and when IL was denied he placed ruffan
TO keep him out Of his own church, and finally SUI
! perscded him by another appointment The ven
erablc prelate died OF broken heart and then
Christian burial was denied him.
In this country we want no vested rights Of
Priests and Popcs Ia The peoples property. The
accumulation ofwealth in the hands of any church
Is an injury TO the community, and increases power
IN persons strong enough from their position. II
Is robbing Gods poor whether done by Catholic
or Protestant.
Another important objection to the Romsh
Church Is their interference with the education Of
| the country This should be opposed In any and
all sects. Where universal suffrage is had, intel
ligence Is the only safeguard Of the people, and
that never has or can prevail where education Is
controlled by the priesthood II is not for them
to say what books shall or shall not be read and
least of all should they be allowed TO baiiish the
Bible, taking the ground of DIR. Cahill IN England,
that he would rather they should read the worst
book Of immortality than the Protestant Bible
How they have acted in this matter Is well known
| to- all
We repeat that we have no objection to a mans
entertaining opinions Of religion to suit himself;
but no religionists should be countenanced in COM
bining spiritual and temporal power that viii en-
slave body and mind, violate private rights, and
endanger public liberty; and unless the church of
Rome modifcs her policy here, the opposition 10
her will never be less than to-day. The acts we
have named are not isolated. Thoy arc in accord
ance with the settled policy OF her councils, and
the decision Of the Vatican, that prcsmcs TO reg.
uate affairs here as II does in Rome, and would IL
II had the power, mako ,,s the slaves the Italians
are. There arc many virtues in the Catholic church;
il Is the old church that preserved the truths and
light Of Christianity from the days Of Christ, and
spread them over the world. There IL much that
would bear a favorable comparison with our Pro-
testant scots; but 80 long has il been sunk into
aid associated with arbitrary government that its
Al. n. Al