The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-19
The Roman Catholics and the Other Reii-
g1ous sects.

gious sscts.
Just at this moment, when the columns OF
the press are filled with accounts OF attacks and
abuse Of DR. Bedini, the Papal uuncio, il may
be interesting to note the progress of Catho-
LEFTY in che United States and to measure the
strength of the party whose chief has been 80
upceremoniously treated in the West. Forty
five years ago-that is to say, as far back ~
our accounts go-thcre we're eighty Catholic
churches in the only existing diocess in the
United States, and only sixty-eight priests to
serve them. These figures will surprise most
people; but they are taken from the almanac
published at Baltimore by Lucas, under the
supervision ofthe Catholic clergy, and we pre-
sumo must be correct Twenty-Five years after
wards there were eleven doceses in the coun-
try, with two hundred and thirty churches, and
as many priests. These figures were about
doubled in the ten years following 1880. In
1910 we find four hundred and fifty -four
churches and four hundred and eighty-two
priests. In the next decennial period the pro-
gress was even greater In 1850 they counted
1913 churches and 1,08l priests. The record
Of the present year gives seven archdiocese,
forty-one dioceses, LIP churches and 1874
priests. From q statistical statement published
in another column we gather that the total
number of protesting Catholics in the United
States is about one million and three-quarters.
or one-ffteenth of the total population. This
fifteenth is chiefly congregated round four large
centres--New York. Baltimore, Cincinnati And
New Orleans. If We allow that the Catholics
OF Baltimore are mainly natives, being the de-
>ecendsnts of the old Catholic settlers of Mary
land we may fairly assume that the bulk OF
their co-relgonsts in the three other large do
ceses are foreign born. New Y ork and Gin
cnnati absorb most of our Irish emigration;
and the New Orleans Catholics must comprise
an almost equal proportion of French and
Irish
If the Catholics of the United States have
multiplied at the above rates within the last
half century there is no reason to doubt that
the progress of the Protestant sects has been
equally rapid. Our whole numbers have been
quintruped since l800 and if we estimate our
population to-day at twenty-six millions it will
b keen that fair margin is left for the various
Protestant congregations.
Il is curious to notice, in tables Of religious
statistics, how naturally the population of every
enlightened country divides itself into three
leading classes, distinguished, in general. by
the religious rites they practice Thus, in the
United States we find four ruling sects: the
catholics, the Presbyterians the Methodists
and the Baptists. If, religious doctrine apart
we were to attempt to characterize each of
these by tn spirit which distinguishes it, we
should say that there were Catholics who
nourished a fondness for art, a love of the beau
tiful, and a tendency to idealize distractions;
those Methodists and Baptists in whom the
heart preponderates, who love and hate fierceys
who know no medium in the intensity of their
feelings, and would be called in the every day
jargon OF the world sentimentalists while
there are Presby terians in whom the intelIec-
tual organs preponderate, who have "causali-
ty' and comparison" large, and who
sacrifice feeling TO the calm deductions of
reason. In point of fact, as most of
cur readers will perceive, on reflection these
three varieties of the human character comprise
the whole race of man. Mankind is divided into
idealists Sentimentalists and reasoner.; eac
according to his rank in one Of these three ca
teyories, attaches himself to the church which
is based upon that principle. We find it the
case here; and the same phenomenon is observ-
able, not only in Europe but in Asia and many
apparently semi-barbarous countries Whether
the common name of the artistic faith be Catho-
licity or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. the sentimental
lists are styled Methodists or Puritans-whether
tkA .ns. Ii In
broad path of Presby terisnism or stop halfw
in the labyrinth of infdelity-the progress Of
the principle is always equally obvious and its
effects as clearly observable The other tho Z
sands of sects which inundate the world are
mere offshoots from these three great divisions
Sometimes the oashoot prevails, takes advan-
tage OF some temporary defect in its parent
creed, and supersedes it. We have countless
examples Of the fact. And it can never be pre-
disated of any sect at its birth that it will or
will not come to be the embodiment of one of
these three principles. The same is not true or
in6delity in any of It's forms. A single glance
Vt the conditions OF our mental frame shows
sonclusively that Atheists, Deists and other
inAsels, must always be q small sect Man re-
quires to believe in order to be happy. Belief
is not less essential to his comfort than food.
Hence we end that. in spite Of all the talent which
has been arrayed on the side of infdelity since
the days of Voltars and Bolingbroke the sect has
rather receded than advanced. Young men me W
to the exercise of freedom ofthought. and impa-
ti0t ofclerical as Of all other restraint often as
sumo or affect species Of general incredulity in
matters of religion. But as age grows on, and the
character becomes more fully developed, they,
too, feel craving for that grand comfort
sort Of belief in things beyond the minds
grasp-and in nine cases out Of ten end in be-
, oming members ola church.
To return to the Catholics: they lived with