The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1855-08-22
INA, WEDNESDAY MORNING, AUGUST p, 1855

ton with party politics may impair their
influence in "the care of souls" The
Protestant or Catholic minister who re-
fuses to vote. but conforms to the spirit of
our State Constitution, w! disqualiies
them both for political Office, because
they are, "by their profession, dedicated
to the service of God"
leave the religious faith of the Catho
lie to his Maker and himself Wisdom
and her twin, humility, suggest that, while
we avoid his faults, we should initiate his
virtues, and not be thanking God at the
market that we are not as other men
are" James Balmes, Catalonian priest,
high in authority with his Church, and
an emancipationist, when defending his
sect, before the Abolition jury of Europe,
against the charge preferred by NJ. Gu-
sot, that the Catholic Church had con-
sented to the continuance Of slavery, gave
utterance to the following language:
"In colony where black slaves
abound, who would venture to set them
at liberty all at once2 Their intellectual
and mora! condition rendered them in
cap .ble Of turning such an advantage to
their own benefit and that of society; in
their debasement, urged on by their la
tired, and the desire Of vengeance, which
ill-treatment had excited in their minds,
they would have repeated, on a large
scale, the bloody scenes with which they
had already, IN former times, stained the
pages Of history. And what then would
have happened Society, thus endanger.
ell, would have been put on its guard
against principles favorng liberty hence
forth it would have regarded them with
prejudice and suspicion, and the chains of
servitude, instead Of being loosened, would
have been the more firmly riveted. Out
OF this immense mass Of rude, savage
men, set at liberty without preparation,
it was impossible for social organization to
arise, for social organization is not the
creation of n moment, especially with
such elements as these; and in this case,
since it would have been necessary to
choose between slavery and the annihila-
tion OF social order, the instinct of pre-.
servation, which animates society as well
rs all beings, would undoubtedly have
brought about a continuation of slavery
where it still existed, and its re establish.
ment where it had been destroyed Hap
PLY, the Catholic Church was wiser than
philosophers; she knew how to confer
upon humanity the benefit of emancipa-
ton without injustice or revolution. She
knew how TO regenerate society, but not
10y rivers of blood"
Let it be borne in mind that these re-
marks were made in refereuce to white
slaves captured in war-to slavery as it
existed at the time when the master had
the right Of life and death over his slave,
which right was exercised by Quintus
Fiaininius, who slew his slave in the
midst of II festival; when Vedius Polio
threw one Of his to the fishes, because be
broke a tumber; when the Spartans in
stampede assembled all of theirs, at the
temple OF Jupiter, aud put them to death !;
when, at Rome, should q master be as
sassinated, every slave that he had, the
innocent and the guilty, had to die, as
when Pedonius Secundus was killed, four
hundred of his slaves were executed.
Let it be remembered also that the in
fluences Of benign religion were the in
struments to degenerate society,"" to
which Balmes referred, and not to ruth
less assaults upon n sacred constitutional
compact. How mild and liberal the SEN
timents of this dangerous C) Catholic
upon an institution which, as it then ex.
isied, was crime and curse, compared
with those Of the AboIitionists Sumner
and Giddings, and the Know Nothings
Hale and Wilson, upon an institution un-
condemned by Christ, and blessing to
the negroi
But the political relations which the
Catholic does or may bear to the people
have the honor to represent, it has be-
come my duty to discuss. And il in this
land, famed for the plentitude of its civil
liberty and liberty Of conscience, chris
tian denomination is TO be disfranchised
and prosecuted, by an irresponsible and
inquisitorial secret organization, what Sc.
curity, let me ask, has the next weakest
denomination that the same fate is not
held in reserve for il Z and so to progress,
until the contest is narrowed down to The
two largest denominations. when, in the
struggle for supremacy, charity and for
giveness shall give place to violence and
wrath, and the religion of our Saviour to
the scourge Of the sword when some
devout chronicler Of the pious deeds Of
one Of ttese most christian armies, in a
doxological parody, might sing, at the
close Of some evendul battle
/" Now God be praisedi tae day is ours Luz
theran has turned his reign;
Methodist has cried for quarter: the Episcopa-
lan IL slain;
Andas we looked on them, We thought Of Seine's
enpupled food,
And good Coligays hoary hair oil dabbled in
his blood;
And then we thought or vcsgesaoc, and all
along our van,
Remember 81 Bartholomew was passed from
man 70 man.
And IN remembering the atrocities Of
some second 81. Bartholomew massacre.
may not men, transported by the frenzicd
passions OF distempered minds, forget that
!. is written, 'syengeance Is mine, saith