American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-05-10
The c.tholic Instructor
v,os b. oHuacn AND STARE ADnIrTEDlll

with the enuorsemenL anu aPprOoauou
Of Bishop Eewmse over the editoria,
head, copies into the issue Of April, 7Ih
inst. the following from the Sunday Dis
palch:"
"oa Sunday last, 10 the various Catho-
lie churches Of the city, most extraordi-
nary measure was resorted 10 by the
clergy. Notices were given from the
alters that petitions were prepared to be
presented TO the Legislature against the
passage Of the sixth section Of Senator Eli
K. Price,s bill, prohibiting the sccumula-
ton Of real estate in the hands Of Bishops
as sole corporations. The congregations
were informed that every male person
present was required to sign these petitions,
inasmuch as Mr. Prices bill was an attack
upou. the holy principles Of religion. In
all ths churches, SO far as we have ascer-
tanned, the duty Of each communicant, to
sign the petition was insisted upon; and
by some clergymen violent denunciations
were Numbered ut all who would dare to
refuse. Under the extraordinary inhu-
ence thus resofted 10, aud in fear Of the
ecclesiastical ccnsures which were mem
anoed, the laity crowded the vestry rooms
after the service TO do as they were COM
manded." g.....t !.
The fflnstructor" does not deny the fact
Of notice being given from the altar as
alleged BY the Dispatch, but it is certain
that the coloring is too high. The "In-
structor says: (The Italics introduced be-
ing ours
"The assertions are utterly untrue Uith
lMe erception, That notices were given
from the affairs, that petitions were prepar-
ed to be presented to the Legislature
against Mr.. Prices bill.'p M
"In the church in which we had the
happiness to he present, the notice was
published without word Of exhortation
or even explanation, and il we are cor
reclly informed similar course was fol-
, lowed in other places. An earnest inVi-
) tation may hare been girsH by one or t,oo,
although even this We do not know, but
that any undue influence was used by the
! Rev. Clergy or others We most positively
> deny"
There is not one Catholic who belong:
,, to the large congregation Of st. Johns
Church who does not REVERE THE PIETY
J ADMIRE THE CHARACTER AND ABILITY, and
T who might not be BENEFITED by obsery'
b ing the amiable and polished manners oi
j that distinguished gentleman. and we
would recommend the Editor Of the DIS
PATCH as well as the Vox PoPUM tc
y smooth down, for awhile, the asperity o
r party feeling and the acrimony Of religious
S bigotry, and to 60 and take some lessons
= from the Pastor OF st. Johns.
9 Ir the language Of the very Rev. gentle
o man was FoRcIBLE, as it always is, it wa'
e employed in USEFUL AND HONORABLE
: CAUSE. He used no personal abuse, h'
- only DEFENDED PRINCIPLE and thos'
; who censure him for speaking Of this in
5 tended PUBLIC INJUSTICE. might as well de
rs nounce the Baptist for his inserferenc'
ie with the domestic happiness Of Herod, o
" our Divine Savior, for disturbing the eas..
:. consciences of the Pharisees--"Woe t
: you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites.
q The Rev. gentleman, we assure our readers
ie used neither threats nor denunciaions, bu
in only limited EARNESTLY but temperately all
who wished. to sign the Remonstranee.-
!, They CAME BY THOUSANDS, VOLUNTARILY
u EAoERLr, uNIEFLuENcED by ANY MOTIVE Bu
d THAT OF DUTY TO THEIR CHURCH AND RI
spEcr TO THEIR PASTOR. Indeed, we oui
selves saw HUNDREDS COMING to enrol the
names AFTER the Remonstrance had bee
forwarded TO Harrisburg.