Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1855-11-30

hostility to the aggressions of the Catholic Church
and particularly to the temporal power exercised by
the rope OF Rome over The members of that church
Democrat l should be sorry to agree with you
that the democracy underrate what YOU call "this
deep-seated SENTIMENT" because think the manner
IN which we treat that public sentiment shows verv
high confidence in the intelligence of the American
masses admit, at the start that hostility TO the
Church OF Rome has for hundreds of years been the
cause OF frequent excemenls in different countries
out believe that IN all the excuses which this feel
ing has given rise to- nothing has been more dscred
iIaDe to the human character considering our ad-
Vanced clVzation) than the excitement which now
prevails throughout this republic on that subject
The democratic party, as you well aware, rarely
stops to count the cost when once convinced that It
Is right You alege that the Pope of Rome exercises
almost unlimited sway over the Catholic mind in this
country
Know-NothiDg And ! will prove to YOU, by re-
cent occurrences that the Pope OF Rome does exer-
clse a vast power over the Catholic mind give you
the following proof:
The people Of Piedmont the other day, feeling
the oppressive weight of the vast property which the
Bishops of the Romish Church had collected togeth-
er IN that small kingdom, passed law sequesratng
the whole church property, amounting to 5000, 900,
and giving 1t into the hands of the civil authorities
ana the King OF Sardinia approved the law On the |
22d OF January Of the present year, Pope Plus the
Ninth issued alocution, which is precisely the
same style his predecessor treated Magma Charta
he cancelled abrogated, and annulled the law and
|
all the DEGREES already issued by that government
upon the rights and the authority of the general of
churches and the Holy See, but likewise the obiec.
tionabe law proposed and declare all these acts
/ to be entirely worthless and invalid"
Democrat. | perceive you have been reading Mr.
Ullman's speech delivered at Troy New York. on the
23d of October last.
Know-Nothng, Well, if have, will be obliged
to you for answering the fact which has been SO for
chilly presented IN proof OF the assertion | have
made
Democrat. | will answer it, ard think satisfac
tOrly You, of course, remember that Great Brit
ain there is an institution known g Church and
State.' You know also. that the established church
of that kingdom, which is the Episcopal Church of
ourEown! country, is supported in part by revenues
extracted from the Catholics of Ireland who are com
PEELED to pay tithes to their English oppressors for
the support of this Episcopal Church a church to
which they not attached, but to which, they are
consicentIousy opposed; and thus they compelled
not only 10 contribute 10 the maintenance Of aris
tocrac ecclesiastical nobility who attached to
the established church, but at the time to sup
port their own pastors. Would it not be most un
just thing hold the Episcopal church of the United
States responsible for the conduct OF the high church
of Great Britain ? and do you think that Mr..
Ullman and yourself have gone out the way for the
purpose of holding the Catholics of the United States
responsible for the act of the Pope, ION matter
aUtthi1 the jurisdiction of the Catholic Church, and
not affecting political obgations) supposing what
you have quoted to be correct in reference to the
King of Sardinia | might go multiplying in
stances to show that it this rule is carried out the
Protestant Church in the United States would be
constantly held responsible for the justice of those
who call themselves Protestants in the Old World.
Know Nothing. Why, Mr.. Brownson, of the
leading oracles of the Catholic Church, has admit
ted this Temporary power of the Pope.
i Democrat Now, you perceive you directly
running into the same from which | have Just
rescued you. | might well quote Dr. Pussy, and
Judge OF Professionalism from reading his celebrated
front 1hoNO 20 ITI0 nF ho1IO
Brownson, and you ought to remember that Mr.
BrOwnson has appeared in late letter. in which he
disavows the doctrine of the temporal sovereignty of
the Pope, and cOrreCts his former asSeveraton. In
support of my opinion, however, refer to the cele-
brated response from the principal bishoprics of Eu
rope, aud from the council of Catholic bishops at
Baltimore, and also TO the opinion of Bishop Spauld
ing, of Kentucky to show that such a thing allie
glance to the Pope in temporal matters is practical
absurdity. The very last instance shows that these
doctrines are not abandoned | now quote from an
address issued by the Catholic archbishop and bsh.
ops of the province OF St Louis at the late provincial
council held at Cincinnati:
Unwilingly do alude to the frivolous and
unworthy preteXts which alleged by the enemies
Of the church in justification of their hostility. You
are held up to the suspicious and hatred of your fell
ow-ctzens as persons holding doctrines and recog-
nsing principles incompatible with your obligations
citizens OF this republic. We need not tell you,
brethren, that the church imposes upon you obi
4 cations incompatible with your allegiance to the
government under which you live, that your reli-
giOus principles the best guarantee your country
can have that hereafter, heretofore, you will be
found faithful your duties citizens, while you
are jealous of your obligations Christians. You
: know thai all power is from God; that society is
6 constituted divine basis that every offence
against the laws of your country offence against
God; and that, consequently, you are to obey, not
o only for the purpose of avoiding the punishment
t which the magistrate inficts the transgrsssor,
0 but from the higher motive of conscience Nor is
this obligation weakened frustrated of its effect by
the paramount obligation of observing the divine
D law. You know that while rendering 10 Cesar
what is Cesar's you must give 10 God what he ne
s cessarily demands. All who profess the Christian
e religion acknowledge this principle But while
others are left to the suggestions OF their own ndl-
vidua conscience to the direction OF some purely
human tribunal, to ascertain what conscience re-
e quires in the event of real or apparent COLLISION
e between their duties citizens and as Christians,
you have authority TO guide you which the prom
ses of Christ show to be certain means OF avoiding
mistake, and which, TO those who do not recog-
Mise its divine character, must if calml reviewed, he
regarded as safer than the dictates of the Individual
: reason and more worthy of confidence than any
c other tribunal on earth
1t is only by entire misrepresentation OF these
. principles, a1d by confounding things essentially
s different, that the enemies of the Church repre-
her hostile to the we'll being of society, or heE
children unworthy of the blessings of civil liberty
= The exploded caumny of divided allegiance, which
alone 1t is said Catholics can consistently with their
principles. give the government of their country, is
. seriously renewed If 1t had not already been
refuted by every kind of argument, well by the
i testimony of history and experience We are mod
fled to be obliged TO refute charge which argues e."
> treme ignorance extreme malice III those who
prefer We owe no temporal allegiance to the Bishop
), of Rome. We recognise in the government under
established