Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-11

u r '''H Er'"' work of Luther which are now
called "p"Ii I" und" We ara ,rr destroy the right ot
rrIyGt" Judgment in matter. oc cnr.,irnrr suJ pnr-
secn;r Catholics tor their Religions n,ininns -ko a.
have rnih more liinn once, upon this subject, there
: nu halfway house. no middle rruuuI
II may he sTi, know, that the ,uri, pr,t,.lurts
did not extend th"ir own principles 90 ,r thu. h.v
themselves kndlcd the irc OF rrciuus u,r.,rution
Bu; even Ill" dischvciris al great primrulrs do not
always carry them "u; to their logical cnI.rIurnr,-
The r"grrs, Of Truth may he certain but it, pnco is
slow aud vet grcH; principles will work ont Ihrjr nj
tlmn:r results. John Mi,uu hnd plimpsn nf tho
truth. tia; absolute tulrratIun mus. b" the irr.si..
rcsu.; al the great prurip" %! Plnic, tan, rE,r,n
when hr SAID: Give IN" rh" liberty I" know to utter
and ai.I" freely, according IL conscience, above all
lther,s .i"im Lock. iunI, III the whole truth md
rm;nincI :: ln his cclchrncd essay, and the old in
fl,r- cC "ur STATE, the di=ci l, at - political
school. w their bill! oi rights, md their crhratrd
&c, upon that subject, they did establish, rs they sup
pn.ud, perfect "'lig"us freedom. iln1 n"t this
pertinent wari.cd wei far, both i"r tiiirrh and
Stne! Haze :hry not happily grown side by side in
harNony, and not in opposition /" each other Have
we experienced ANY mischief from this absolute ;"I'-
ration ri religious opinion; Have we been inIurcr! by
the turt. that Catholics could vote, and hold offices
amongst m-i Have not tncsc Cuthu.:s di"dcd
iG!uus! 'r great parties "f IN" country, md v";"d
wpnH political, raihcrthan religious t"sis' -" Wings
complain iha, loo many al. ti!rm vote with the Doin"-
cruts! This il no. more Catholic than II Protestant
sin. hecaurc moro prutrstin:s than Caihulcs vote
too many u! them vo'" with tie. Wh;-sl Agnln, II
may be replied, that there more Pr"i'siamIs than
Catholics who vote with that parry. But can there
hr any r"litca danger from allowing n.' 9" all rci-
-iGus rcr,uasom@t ~ vote! BE- iu,ng y"u Ccr'aln-
lv wdcG the basis upon which rnur government
stands, GnI Increase III, number NJ iinSc who are
boum.: - il b: H." lies OF sympathy and Interest,"
Where can be- the danger long political proceed
inss are open nud public md representative and
constituent can question each other face 20 tac"i II
representative IL witt! you IN political tess, does 1t
matter, far a. the poI ian is concerned, what are
his opinions upon other subjects! II lie II with you
the su!cci- III trade, currency and the principles
ul constitutional construction, when they ARE IN Issue,
does il matter that hG differs from you Oh the doe.
;rinc ii tram-ubsiunr,atiun VIII not n Catholic VIII"
agrees with you m the political issues. an differs
from goa in religion, make You II better legislative
representative than II Protestant vii" agrees VIII
you ih r. ,nn. nut differs from Won on all matters nj
political prIncpri IL il NOT entirely III our power Ia
ascertain how they stand when tried by their po!ltI-
cal tests, ~ long political action Is open ana pub
lie, II there he danger from such ;"i"raon, 1t can
onlv exist when p"cEl deliberations md actions arc
ve!led III secrecy. ! know Tint All attempt has been
,nue T." except IL" Catholic from th" "pcrnti"n I"
ll, srrnf principle Of religious liberation, by main.
,aiuiur tim: he /. prescribed for civil rather ihun rr
i!.ior. rca.un- bcCaor .c Is SAID IL acknowledge the
supremacy ut the Church Uyrr thn State, III Temporal
Iuniiur-.
Fellow citizens such Il distinction dnGs not i'll trutl
GNI-f. Iub NHiNIlf ~ wv pI'N'Hi Nv l''' "'
miis tho supremacy %. the Church III temporal mat
iur- i:un tia, Irnrslau their difference i- IN rrcarc
o spiritual courors. Tho Protestant maintains III,
right al private iudsmcn: III matters "i '"srI"nr"
tho Catholic bchcv"-, that III sprinn HtinlIs the dr
ci-on, q! tie nurcI 0Gg; tru"crra.r she individual
IN !n:ueut. liEt lrutrstnns AMI Catholics, all Clrl-
tian Churches and ndiyi,lua. believe. that the a!i"
gi.luc. winch thov owe IL God, ~ higher t!nIi nnS
obligation To mnd that IN conflict between hut
man uud divine iGw., r"u "!tsi serve f"'. r"ih"i
fhHn man.
lSu, how nn such nm opinion interfere with the cn
urciv f citizen To- discharge hi- political duticr
unless til" civil government undertakes 'n tg'Eia''
upnu rcit"nl- suhorts, and l." draw spiritual matters
Un,rr n temporal iurl"hctIGn' instead "i kecP'h;
I.u, n,,u,t n, wa- ordered hy Christ, when h" said
E,n,!,r unto Cn.ir IL" iu@s TINT nT- taiTtrs an,
uutn God the thIr..T :In; arr G"ss HGd IL Lmr beet
our practice hcrr."i"r" IN tho administration al CIV.
affairs
Bat suppose ~ once commence - h ti- work "fpro
scr!hing Catholics for their religious opinIunswhnr
is il To end! Will he Catholics! IrI,t not 50 VAN
dru>nn. h, i,::nG-r ni religious b!ar!rE II thin.
wrii crow. with what il feeds np"u N'N! "" .hhi
hear that the Quaker 70 l." prescribed !"r civil rn
thcr than religious reason: be- will not a"inni l
country in tiln. u! war. Then there is much Ia crI
xa IN the government at this Church, aid grave "b
r"t."ns 10 that "i another Dn" l. arbitrary hu'i Z"
temper un,u!rd To- fee institutions; another - nrI-
,nrrni!c, and untitled IL the genius "i democratic
cnp. Some, to", may lac suspected -! an effort I,
rGgruS- the ticil offices nH power ui The country
and Rpprnpr!nit thcm To- tiIrgnNH mcmh":-. II they
rrn crib" others, they must themselves be pros"rhcd
AMI ia this era ut secret political associations
there. - room given Tor suslr!nII mud uppurtu
Gif.- Hr,. afforded inv the most drnrGnli- Tu!nbIna-
to,!- Who docs nn; know ia" peculiar susceptible
ties Of srrinr'Hn jealousy VIII" can Iai 10 ~" III"
la.i,c!s of Il warfare which would lhus spIIu- up
amongst the ,uIlrrcn Christian srcis And vi II men
hrrn" weary OF Tia: agitation "t such contests, IN
which each set of religious opinions s in turn pro-
scrct, will they not any at !nsi I" the S"vcrhincn''
Tel what la believe; establish Your churcI' re-
lcv" from this state ut uncertainty. Hnd lct oach
man ENJOY once more III peace the shade oi MS own
vine aLd H.. tree
II seems To me, Ear better +" pursue the present
practice" "lrrai, all cii.i"n-. and hnv""hch church
free Ia pWrsnr it.. mission III II, "wn way hnd I" srert
the appropriate field Tor it. In''"r' II You then
have, more cuTrhcg, vnu av: more Christians also,
n.d ii there must hc human tribunal &" set upon
their difference, !c il hc that at pub" "Pni"n Here
ls llrIsdiciinn which cnn tnkc charge "i matters
far iun delicate Tor IN" pp>vrrr@'latl"n "i govern
m"ut. Questions of morals "t honor, "t social hndper
sunal prnprctv, which involve distinctions lar "" c"
and -nrs "i cnlrrH. far too delicate TO be defined
uy positive law Iiav be satisfactorily adjusted here
Here to" is iir rf haiiic where none can hc M
iurrd where Reason furnishes the only weapons, ana
truth m-t be the .,ni"r 10 matter WI" comes out
yirtnr in tl. Cnn:i~; On THIS side wr know there
will IN. p.n,r. aud safety, the other there must bc
.,nn rr , d-corl. And we nrc to run all ih1 risk,
for what because. y"u say, there i prohahltify
,hu, tl,,. Interests Of Th, church may cGSI wh those
of ,,. stale nmd that. in such cns", the American
Ca.inl, might vote not according Ia his duties nS
cirzru but 10 his feelings ~ II churchman lake
yl.r own ,uppUsnn, this is but nrcnotc possibility.
n ease of mere chance; bat ii You p""-"r.hc tho
CatIInr inr his religion, YOU make that danger ccr-
tau, I'll which there WIS hut Il chance before. lou
mt him under the ban YOU refuse him the equal
iriyr-cs If citizen, and stamp upon him the brand
Of nrioriiy. His first "l cct then ~ to remove that
stigma. He longer hCis with the great parties oi
the country. according 10 his opinions upon poiiica
issues which coucrn all, but his first ubicc; IL IL re-
move the oppression under which he lnliurs, and he
feels iuS-i in voting III Rnv manner Ia sGri!" tliat
end The very ;hin- winch You dr-ad Will h"surcdiy
n pass, and, through Your own agency ne VIII
vn.. not ns IN American citizen, but as Cnih"iic he
will M nng2rcoinc forward, n now, give your gov
and cheerful support; that government
is no longer hound t" him by lie ties "t interest nd
sympathy, If Il prnscrhrS md opprCsscS hiHl. lie
will become indifferent, and perhaps hostile I" the
which has trcurr him IL M ncll ana a'
n mr;n!,cr OF an inferior caste Of society. Why
rstrau.c one who is valuable as Il friend Gnh con-
vert him. perhaps. into m enemy
iu: fellow citizens Tent a little too Tar, wheh
snid il WAS proposed to prescribe CATHOLICS rom al
Offices ~ this crn:rr. There some Office. which
the sons aud daughters oI that Church Grc still c"iis'-
I.rcI cn,nprtrnt 10 discharge mean the offices q!
hrstinn charity imiui>ion Ia the SICK lhc SISTER
If charity NAV enter yunIrr pc-t-houSc from whose
r,nd portals the hrnvcst and sirnnGe-t man qia!iS
md >hrnks: she .nav breathe there the breath o the
nes,iirncc which walks abroad, III that mansion OF
IN sorry in order IN minister Ia hl~ca-c where II i
most InalhSnnc, Gni tr r@.icv" suil"rl"G Where II -
nln.; HELPLESS. There too, the tones "i hrr voice
nav he heard miugir. with the last accents oi iu-
man l,sunr 70 snntl the inintiur SOUL rs she points
thrnurh ;hc rloom If the dnrI; valley ri III" shadow
If death to the Cross OF Christ which snnd- transit
cured in celestial light to bridge the way from Earth
Ia Heaven md when cholera ar yellow fever iuvnies
your cities tho Catholic Priest mrr refuse 10 take re-
l. a., ,laI ..,tf tps. - Of