Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-10-12


au ihority, their subjects freed from the sacred
obligation Of fidelity and allegiance, by the power
OF the Church, or the bulls Of the Roman PontiK.
[Hosheinr's Ecci Hat, vol. 8, p. 4s9, mofs.
Let the Roman Catholic Bshopsof the United
States, in full council, make similar declaration
with this addition that the Catholics OF the United
States are under no obligation, and ought not 70
obey any mandate or Injunction of tho Pope affect
ing, dir. city or indirectly, any temporal concerns
or interests whatever expressed in terms appro-
pirate TO our country and government, and TO the
occasion, and, venture 10 say, no more will be
required. But nothing short OF this will, In my
opinion, give satisfaction for Mr. Brownson, speak
ilg for the Roman Catholic Church in the United
States, fI say this because the orthodoxy Of his
writings ia endorsed by all the Archbishops and
Bishops belonging thereto has declared that the
temporal order is subordinate to the spiritual; =
that civil allegiance is religious dotyi' that the
Pipe has "power to release my (his) conscience
fom this religious bond !" that the Pope is the
proper authority to decide for me, (him and all
other Catholics Of course,) whether tho constitu-
ton OF this country il or is not repugnant to the
laws OF God. 1.-The decides that it is not, then !
an bound lii conscience to obey every law made
in accordance with II, and Of course conversely,
Il the Pope decides that the constitution is repug
nant to the laws Of God, they are not bound to
obey 1t or the laws made In accordance with 1t.
And we know that the Pope, in his Encyclical Let
ter, In 1882, denounces, in the most emphatic
terms, several OF the most precious provisions of
the constitution, such as J" the liberty of speech"
and liberty Of tho press, besides the liberty Of
opinion and liberty of conscience and the discon-
nexion Of the Church and the State.
We often hear it said that the obedience due to
the Pope refers exclusively to spiritual matters,
aid that be lays no claim to any but spiritual pow
er. But as have already minated, no good
Catholic will ever arrogate the right TO decide
whether or not requirement of the Pope relates
to spiritual or temporal things Count DeMaistre,
iihis bouk, entitled "The Pope" written and pub
lishcd under the censorship OF the Church of Rome
in Italy, states that, properly speaking, the Pope
has no temporal power beyond the limits of his
own States; and That he deposes governments,
absoves the people from their allegiance, declares
the laws Of sovereign nations null and void, and
whatever else that he does in regard to temporal
things in such nations all in virtue Of the spiritual
power which he possesses as the successor OF Pc
ter. To US it il OF no consequence whether 1t IL
called temporal power or spiritual power. The
ast is Just the same, as well as the effect conse-
quence.
Besides Church temperatures the Pope does ex-
ere sc authority over other temporal matters, even
in dis country, such as the writing, publishing,
an | vending of books and the connexion of CATH
olcs with secret societies. knew q poor fellow
who was i member of the Odd Fellows Society for
several years; at length he acknowledged it to his
priest, who required that he should withdraw from
th society. He evld,d it by ceasing to attend
the lodges but re .aii ing his membership by pay
Ing his dues He oiel, but previously was, as
have been Informed and believe, refused absolu.
Ii IN Till he had rcnonnced all connexion whatever
with the Odd Fellows In consequence, all his in
terest in the society, which would have been of
much service to his family, was forfeited and lost
They have even one 80 far as practically to anuul
the marriage laws OF STATES priests have been
known 10 actually divorce men and their wives who
were lawfully married, and, in defiance Of the PEN
ales for bigamy hanging over the guilty party, to
marry one of them to another person.
In commentator OF the Church of Rome, Mr.
johnson refers to tho faithful performance Of
puoic trusts by members Of that Church, and
especially to the exalted character of our ven
Grated Chici Justice. Ho cannot speak of that
excellent man in terms OF euloSy too high for
my assent. have had the pleasure as well as
the honor OF personal acquaintance with him
for more than thirty years, and yield to no
man in the degree Of respect and esteem, with
which | have never ceased to regard him. His
Church has reason to be proud of him. He owes
1t nothing. He is one of those rare men, whose
moral purity never fails to elevate and diguify
them, whether among Christians, jews, Mohame-
dams, or heathens Ike the pous Cornelius, his
prayers and aims need not the sanctions of
u
fore God" But the most extraordinary circum-
stalce is that such faith should not avail TO soil
his putty.
He alludes to the part which the Roman Catho-
lies took in the Revolutionary and subsequent
wars. They were but few at tho period of our
Revolution, and Il was war with the government
and tile Church Of England, their unceasing and
eleniless opplessors. Strange indeed It would
have been had they taken eitles with the enemy.
AZ tbo ~ In watl hot
their condition could not be rendered much worse
by defeat, and there was fair prospect Of its be-
ing greatly improved by success. And as to those
who fought IN the war Of 1872 and the war with
Mexico nine tenths of them we've never paid so
well before for any service or Jared 80 well In their
lives. They were amply compensated; for, as TO
the greater number, they bad no motive whatever,
SUPERIOR to that Of eating and drinking and to be
shot in the field Of battle was an honor they had
never possessed TO hope for n their own country,
though an end more exalted may have been con.
templated by them. a
Mi. johnson refers to those cases to prove, IL
would seem, that foreigners, on arriving here,
nre even more patriotic than native Americans.
I. is strange that patriotism and love Of liberty
should sunber in their breasts till they touch the
American soil. live can believe Mitchell, Meagher,
AID others Catholic Irishmen's patriotism at home
was nj go low degree in 1913, that, when stimu-
lated TO the utmost by the most fervid eoquence,
a bare flourish Of the wand Of a. priest was
en- ,ugh to keep II from rizipg above zero. And
OConnell declrcs, in his letter TO Queen Veto
ria, as a thing that should cndear Irish Catholics
to TIE Crown, that in every struggle in the king
dom between the people and the Crown, the Irish
Catholics have Invariably been found on the side
Of the Crown.
Mr.. johnson says "By con6niDg the exclusion
OF such citizens adopted citizens) from the right
20 fl the Office Of President Of the United States,
aid from no other right, il was designed TO place
them in all other respects on an equality with the
natives"
This Il not exactly correct. Naturalized citizens
are excluded aso from the right to ill the office OF
Wee President. And one of them cannot be q
Senator Of the United States until he has resided
il the United States at least fourteen years. or a
member Of the House Of Representatives until he
49,. xastdopt AZ l.oct twaiye yeara. liz was