Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-04-23
The American Party, and its Mission.
Speech Of Mr.. Smith, Of alabama, delivered in he
United States House Of Representatives. Ja,us.
uary 10, 1855.
TcoNcLUDED.

DPeccH ~ MT CWHN, y dIdOdHd, deftpered IN the
United States House Of Representatives, Jaau.
[ooNcLuDED.l
These historical facts show, not only the grasping
and aspiring inclinations of the Pope but prove the
absolute supremacy of his temporal power as ii ex-
isted in the thirteenth century Similar scenes and
similar struggles to those already described in Eng.
land were OF continual occurrence In all the countries
| IN which at that day. the Roman Church had foot
hold II needed but littlea slight offence was suf-
icent to cause this arrogant Pont to turn loose his
| anathematic bull and the furious ANIMAL blinded
with thousand curses, rushed madly amid the in
discriminate masses Of mankind
IL seems strange 70 us Of this age-nay, sir, are
astounded--when we look through the telescope Of
centuries, and behold alar of. in dim chamber a
feeble old man, alone as il were holding his court
amid the deserted ruins of ancient city without an
army without feet without sword, weighing in
the hollow OF his hand the mighty empires Of the
| world conquering mankind with no weapon but ar
rogancc, with no power but the anvincible super
stitions which surround his throne!
And, 70 uphold this arrogance, he had his faces of
brass and his arms of iron, in every nation and to
spead this superstition he had his cowled emissa-
ries prowlng all over the face of the earth
And these cowled emissaries who were they?
History, with its burning scroll, declares them to
have been the most degraded and degrading Of man
kind, given to all the sins and inioutes that human
flesh, in its weakness is given to.
DOWNFALL OF THE CHURCH.
But, 1t Is said, there is danger Of the en-
croachment Of Popery. The Reformation redeemed
men and kingdoms The nations Of the earth ara
freed from the chains of superstition; and the Pope
is now but sort of innocent father conessor to the
priests. Sir, be not deceived When the lion sleeps
who SO foolish as to approach him in his slumbers !?
mouse has too much sagacity to approach snoring
cat as II in its small Uranium could be crowded the
grand idea Eternal oigaace is tie price q liJel4g"
The Reiormers prevailed The Pope surrendered
| nothing. He retired, in snen silence to the gloomy
recesses Of the Vatican to brood over his fallen for
nf fn IN
ddma with more intense gusto and to mnglc the
wine ~ The sacrumeats IN the ink with which he wrote
his anathemas, in imitation of one of his nallible
predecessor Nc, sir the Pope was not dead "72e
His mathematical bull was only turned out to
grass:
81 who was once great as Cesar,
Am now reduced to Nebuchadnezzar
And from as famed conqueror
As ever took degree in war;
Or did his exercise in battle, r
Have been turned out to Craze NTH cattle"
True it is sir that the "thundcrs Of the Vatican"
no longer shook the corners of the Garth The Pope
sat in his quiet court seemingly feeble in every re-
| spect, as if waiting for gentle and immortalzing
martyrdom He who yesterday had been the builder
of kingdoms, the maker of monarchs, and the destroy
er of constitutions, the meekest of mankind
But We find him shaking his puny arm over Henry
the Eighth, and grinding his teeth at Queen Eliza
beth.
TEMPORAL SUPREMACY FULLY PROVED.
AT ue Tsk OF Dting teulOus, nave collected these
historical facts and will add ilustrious Roman
Catholic authority, upon The claims and po,csr Of he
Pope 70 interfere Nth and depose moadrchs and 10
absolre Heir subjects. The WastriQus De Maistre (as
he is called BY the Roman Catholcs,( in his truly
elaborate and able performance, in legal treatise
upon the various powers Of the Pope thus argues in
reference TO the above question:
CAS- they had at their command, moreover, all tho
science Of those times, the very force Of things gave
them an undispucd title 10 that superiority which ut
NynS fri ufIn lint
soceegty comes from God strengthened beside those
ancient IDEAS and there came TO be formed opin-
ion, almost universal which attributed to the Popes
certain jurisdiction questions in which sovereigns
were concerned. This opinion was quite sound, md
certainly far better than all sophisry The Popes
did not at all interfere as TO embarrass wise Prin-
ccs in the exercise of their frnctions still less did
they disturb the order Of the succession Of Sovereignty
80 long as things conductedaccordng to the
dinary and known rules il was only when there
great abuse, great criminality or much doubt tlat
The Sovereign Pontif interposed."
"dnd 10 matters little tclolAer Ae Pore he'll Ais
primary By Di0ine human right, provided ii be
clear that during several ages he exercised through
out the West with universal consent and approba-
ton, power assuredly most extensive"
The theory alone, therefore, would be imnoya-
BILE. But mhdt can BE- said against facts, mhtch ns
everything IN questions Of politics andQooenmehtg
"None doubted-Soveregns themselves did not
doubt this power Of the Popes; and ieibntz oh
serves with much truth and delicacy, is his
ton that the Emperor Frederick, in saying TO Pope
Alexander I'LL, mot 10 you 6YG 10 Peter, confessed
the Pontf over Kings, and only contested its abusc
This observation may be generalized Princes
struck by the anathema Of the Pope, disputed only
It's justice, that they were constantly ready 10
make use OF il against their enemies, which they
could not do without obviously acknowledging The
legitimacy Of tho power.
'"Voltaire after having related In his own fashion,
the accommodation Of Robert Of France, remarks
'0dt ne Emperor OHIO M pas hi0assi Prese1t al he
council ia wtieh he seneHcc q cooonnluncdttoa tcas
proHonnced1 The Emperor, therefore, acknowledged
tho authority Of the Popc and II is very singular
thing that modern critics will not see the manifest
contradiction into which they fall, IN observing as
they all do, with admirable unanimity, that what
was most deplornble in those great judgments, was
the blindness Of the princes who disputed not their
legitimacy, and who themselves often begged to have
recourse TO them
But IL the princes were agreed, the rest Of man
kind were so likewise, and there IL no LoHQer question
but as 70 abuses. which exist eyerywhere"
This great writer concludes:
THUS the authority Of the Pope was contested only
by those against whom II was levelled Th0s ms
Hspr, therefore mos legitimate p0spsr there never
was power little contested. =" De Mastre's Pope,
1887
But the honorable gentleman from PENNSYLVANIA
dsclaims for himself and for certain colleges that
the Pope claims any power TO depose or interfere with
monarchs, TO absoye their subjects, His personal
disclaimer can amount to noihi1Iexceps so far as the
gentleman himself is concerned. The discaiming Of
the colleges amount 90 nothing except 80 far as the
individuals are concerned who compose the colleges
Besides being In the face Of the historical acts Of the
Romsh Church fr six or eight centuries, they
positively contradcted by the legal LittOo book ~
Us Noistge which have above quoted.
The English editor Of De Maistre's profound work
Claims The temporal throne the pdtriDoag Of the
Goiil,an fsheypsdR."
The bull which communicated Henry Nv, claims
the power expressly "of pd,fe oDlnigUteatis dei''
The bull Of excommuncation against King John,
the interdict laid upon England and NagHa CGtdrtq,
expressly claim by words the poIr0- as gUeH by God
% ST Peter, TO build and pull down kingdoms"
(Hume, 2ge.)
IL the power is given by God, wha, right has the
Pope to surrender itS lie would be hithless 10
render t lie is infallble," says the Church.
Therefore he cannot err therefore he cannot surren
der divine right therefore he has not surrendered
H. therefore the proposition Of the honorable gentle
man from Massachusetts, Mr.. BASKs, :" that the
Roman Pontf has never, Ia any authoritative form,
disclaimed the right" remains still 70 be answered,
Notwithstanding The complacency Of the gentleman
from Pennsylvania.
The colleges may be allowed 10 publish what they
please so long as they stick TO the interest OF the
Church. for ~ time bsiag, and so long as they pro-
mote the interest Of ns Church in de particular place
where questions may be discussed. The Pope will
not call them to account until the interest of the