Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-03-10
speech Of Hon. VIM. r.. smith.

Hon. VIM R. Smith, Of Alabama, spoke be-
fore the American Protestant Association In
baltimore on Thursday evening. His remarks
are thus reported in the American:
Hon. VIM R. Smith, Of Alabama, said he was
here as an American, and that distinction
enough for him anywhere. He was here TO do
what he could and to give his advice in time Of
danger. Our country had enjoyed prosperity for
more than half a century, aud that prosperity led
maiy 10 believe that no danger pressed upon US,
but danger always came In the midst OF prosperity.
But there was danger Of the Roman Catholic reli.
Ron, however silently and furtivey they got hold
OF the power they had In the eleventh, and for
twelve centuries they used II, and IL may be that
they win do 90 again.
Were the people 30 bound up In their security
that they can say that after two or three centuries
there would be no dark agesf The power of the
Roman Catholic Church had been obtained in the
dark ages. Il had triumphed and fallen, and should
Il rise agalnS Should Il rise In this free and happy
country Il had been stated by Mr.. Wise, Of Vir-
ginia, that this country had been discovered by a
Catholic, and that the Pope Of Rome had given
authority TO Spain to populate the country. He
here read extracts from the letter Of Mr.. Wise.
That was the language Of that great American
statesman, and there was no doubt but IL was laid
up in the vatican. and would be used among his
people 70 make them believe Ii and II was not
hnuNu INV lux " Wh oS btAosC suo VPo Whh
claim this country spiritually as his.
Many laugh at this, and so did King John at the
frst demand Of the Pope; but the powers of he
other Roman Catholic countries we're brought to
operate upon him, and he fell before Il. Mr.. Wise
called Virginia Protestant Virginia, and he calls
MARYLAND Catholic Maryland He hoped 1t would
DO American Maryland and he wished the people
Of the whole country knew as much Of priestcraft
AZ did the people Of Maryland. He did not expect
TO see ladies' the occasion OF his address, but he
was glad az they had great influence to WELD.
He spoke OF nunneries where the fairest are bu-
RED alive, which exist in all Catholic countries and
which he heard existed in this city. He spoke
generally OF the evil Of the nunneries and read the
words Of Pope, In the poem, of Heoise 10 Abelard.
They shut out woman from the world, which was
against nature; and what was against nature was
against God. He wanted every female 70 read that
poem, and Judge whether nunneries were Gods in
tended institutions There was not prison in the
country which the law did not compel the grand
Jury 70 visit, that there may be no oppression II
slave, friend, brother, were In jail, there was
writ ofhabeas corpus to compel the jailer TO pro-
duce the body Of that slave, friend, brother; but
there Is no habeas corpus 70 bring daughter from
snunnery. The grand jury should visit them twice
every year.
lie would like to see Catholic Maryland pass
law 10 prohibit the building Of any more nunneries.
lie would object to religious persecution, but let
the nunneries be examined, and IL any secret cell
or iDqusition be found in them, let them be RACED
TO the ground. Who knows how far the vaults Of
the cathedrals 20 down towards hell He would
not say that there were inqusitions in this coun-
try, but he would say that they existed in the old
countries OF Europe for centuries before they
discovered He then spoke Of the difference be-
tween the Protestant and Roman Catholic reli.
gions. When man leaves the Catholic church he
Is cursed, the expression IL "let him be damned"
common grog-shop phrase The Protestant
would reclaim him and bless him. He spoke OF
the intolerance Of the Roman Catholic church "A
shown In the burning Of the reformers at the stake
the burning OF Bibles. lie thought II they had
the power In this country they would suppress the
liberty Of the press-tbey would burn tho editors