The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-11-03
[AnVERrta%MEET.
Prescription and Intolerance.

scriptlon, upon which our opponents now
place their whole reliance. Tic eighth
article Of the Philadelphia Platform sin
| ply procla;ns resistance to the aggrcs-
sice policy Of the Roman Catholic church;
and when that or any other church steps
aside from the Legitimate objects Of its
mission, n;ngles its religious tcnets with
the political movements of the tine,
converts its pulpits iAto rostrums and its
conventions into political caucuscs then
we say it is time its transgrcssons upon
others we're resisted. TO come at once
to the point we Charge it upon the Ro-
man Catholic church not Of the XIV or
| XIV or XVI centuries, not of Italy,
Spain, France or England, but tic Ro-
ian Catholic Church of the XIX ontury
the Roman Catholic Church in the Uni
ted States, that for years past It's course
has been that of ma1dIcr III the roliti-
cal affairs oftlis country and IN ag.rcS-
scr upon the political rights of the pco-
pie, not unfrcqucntIy marked by the
| bittcrest prescription and intolcrancc.-
Who does not know that i'll 1911 the
Catholic papers publicly denounced Mr..
FrclnghuyScn, and called tpofa their
church acu.LcrS to vote against him and
! .or 10 other reason than because he was
the president Of Il society, the object of
which was to place u copy Of the Billc
without note or comment in the hands of
every citizen. Was this not mcdd!ing
Was this not aggression? aye. was this
not prescription and intolerance of The
bittercst kind! Three years previous
Archbishop Hughes had mounted the
stump in the city of New York.. and
openly instructed lis Catholic adhcrcnts
10 vote for a Legislative ticket, which lie
there named over, favorable TO such Il
change in the school system, as would
! give to Catholics share OF the public
money to establish Catholic schools
Since that time the most violent and
bitter "ar has been waecd by Catholics
against the common school systems Of
the different states, and the single otiac-
ho&ojle teat@rchas nI'cnys been the rcad-
ing If the open BD!a eri&oH no'a
commeAt. The great aim Of these sys-
TENS prompted by an enlightened libcr-
atty, is 70 place the best possible means
Of obtaining correct ~iews of religion
viz the BiLlc,-:n the hands of every
child, unswaycd by scctarian teachers
and then to allow that child the indcpcn-
don't use Of Its own reason in pcgard to
It's choice OF doctrine or sect giving the
information and then leaving the judy
mcnt and the conscience free, thus rcco@-
nizmg in its broadcast and at the same
time its trucst sense the cardinal primci-
pie of our government: the right of every
man to ''worship God according to the
dictates of his on conscience"
But IBIS enlightened lberality, this
freedom Of Judgment and conscience is
utterly rcpugnant to the spirit, the doc
trincs and teachings of the Roman Cath
Ollie church, and act the less rcptgnant in
this nineteenth century than when it
was promul gcd by the Council of Trent
in the following language:
sAs it is manifest by experience that
g if the Holy Bible trans lated into Il
''vulgar tongue where permitted indihcr-
Gently to every body, more evil than good
would result, on account Of the rashness
"of men, this matter must be left to the
"judgment of the Bishop or the Inquis-
g itor, who upon headyicc Of She curatc
cor contcssor, may grant the reading of
&C the Bible in the vulgar tongue, trans
"latcd by Catholic authors, to those
"who shall know how to obtain from
{" the reading not harm, but All increase
"of faith and ricty. This permission
"must Lchad in writing. Absolution Of
sins cannot be given to any who, with
"out such license, shall presume to read
cor have in possession such versions,
"until the Bibles shall have been sur
rendered to the ordinary Now with
this-as u tenet of the Roman Catholic
Church--we have nothing to do. With
in the legitimate sphere of its authority
let it enforce this, or any other doct sine
with all the severity of its peculiar regul-
atoms, and visit the nfraction of its do
nestle laws with the most rigorous pen
altics, which in its zeal for the cause of
religion, it deems necessary. But when
it attempts to saddle our municipal or
State governments with the execution of
its penalties, and cngraft It's church
tenets and its council DEGREES upon the
law of the land, then it assumes Il posi-
ton politically at war with that RELIGIOUS