The weekly American banner. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1855-18??, 1855-08-10

hlS coNfInunde, no could close tho do0rb Upon
them and take the church away rom them -
The laws Of the country, hover gave to con-
Inregations the right to own tl1elf own church
perty through the medium cf trustees Tor
their use. The Catholic laity do not seem 70
this request of their Pope and bishops that they
should divest themselves of their rights Of pro-
perty 20 % to give to their clergy q NOR
66o1lnte control over them. Consequently e
became necessaryfor the Roman Hierarchy 70
act more boldly and decisively in the matter,
md in the Provincial Council held at Baltimore
II 1849, the following more stringent and ex-
acting ordinance was adopted;
The Fathers ordain that oil churches, and oil
her ecclesiastical property, which have been
acquired by donations or the offerings Of the
faithful for religious u charitable use, belong to
the biohops of the diocese, unless it shall be
made q appear, and be confirmed by writings,
that il Was granted to some religious order Of
monks 81 20 some congregation Of priests for
their use.
This was ~ open notification ofthe laws Of
the country one swoop i s0s e., oy az
snd a'ns ogs y u sss sa1a shs
use and benefit Of the CONGREGATIONS, and gave
it to the Bishop of the diocese q his own indi-
vidual private property. This ordinance was
carried into effect, not by means ofSapplication
to courts and judges and sherifs and legal pro-
cess; but, where congregations and their trug.
tees were refractory, far more summary and Qt1e
haps much more terrible means Of compulsion
were employed. The most severe penalties Of
the Catholic Church were visited upon the
heads of the refractory laity. They were sub
jected to the pains of accommodation. Their
names were held up to infamy and reproach
among good christians. The holy ritesof bap-
tism and burial, the sacrament of marriage, and
the holy consultations Of religion in the hour of
death were denied to them The priests were
forbidden to minister at the affairs, and depriva-
tons of every character, most terrible to Catho-
lie churchmen, were made use of to compel the
offenders to make transfer of their rights of
property to their bishops. Many instances of
the exercise of the terrors of the Church to en-
force obedience in this respect have occurred in
different parts of the country. The German
Catholic Graveyard case in Louisville, a few
years ago, is case in point. The case of the
st. Louis Cathedral, in the city of Buffalo, is
another. In theNiatter case, q son of the grant
or Of the land upon which the church was erect
ed, also one of the congregation, made visit to
the Pope himself at Rome to procure some equi-
/ table adjustment of the controversy between
the Bishop and the congregation who had been
placed under ban. The Pope sent his Nuncio.
Archbishopa Bedini, u settle the difficulty. Be.
DIM however took sides with Bishop Hughes
the Bishop of the diocese, and refused to relieve
the people from their sufferings unless they
! would give npto the Bishop their rights to the
church lands.
i By this arbitrary and tyrannical process mil
: lions of property has been taken from the PEG
Al.
and vested in the Bishops of the Roman Catho
JIG Church. 1t will thus be seen, that in spit
of our republican institutions, the Pope of Rom
!, actually can and does exercise temporal powe
, in this country. He can make and has mad
laws, altogether contrary to the laws of tn
country, and has the means of enforcing them
What he has done in reference to church prop
erty, he might do with regard to some othe
: thing, and again and again he might do SO unit
l his will should be the only law to all Catholic
> in the country. 1t is against the exercise 9
such tyranny as this is on the part of the Pop
l of Rome that the American party has proteste
, and will ever contend. We have nothing t
| do with the religion of any Catholic. He ma
: believe as hepieases, and worship God after hi
y own. fashion, and in all this Americans will ey
!, er heeager to protect him, but we war agains
this absolute temporal power of the Roman Hi
erarchy, against this aggressive policy an
: these sscorrupting tendencies of the Roma
q Church." which thus, al the will Of its Pontif
i foreign sovereign, takes away from the Cathe
!. lies of this country the rights of freemen, an
! even compels them, against their wills and COZ
trary to the laws of the country, to divest then
s selves of their own property without Consider;
J. ton. In all temporal matters the America
n party of the present day has declared its ind
r. pendence of the Pope Of Romes n our fathers
= in the early days of the Republic, declare
g their independence Of King Geofge III of EN-
is Hand.
l. This is the sum and substance Of the ant
4 Catholicism of the American party. This.
= thehead and fronting of its offending in thisr
: spect. We refuse as Americans to give our
e ltical support to any who hold .ciua allegianl
e. directly or indirectly, to any foreign pow
whether civil or ecclesiastical" in the san
manner as the patriots of the Revolution ref1s'
to elevate to political station the Tories wi
acknowledged and adhered to the power Of q
King of England. We call upon every FIRE
r. man, every true lover of his country, to aid
in this resistance to foreign aggression T
Catholics themselves should be deeply interes
3, ed IN the success of the American party, as
III means Of emancipating them from a temper
. thraldom to which no freeman should be So
& tjected. louisville Journal.
he Ia We have desire to know how far !
t may safely venture in exercising the privele
e which is extended to US in the constitution,
s forming our own opinions upon all subjects, q
Us how far that constitutional rightis to be limit
OF by the will of the Jupitar Joners Of the Dem
i e crat We have been guilty Of the audacity
= Z avowing before the people that we are Nat
st American in heart and in opinion. that We ha
q The weakness to prefer that Nations should
=. az offices, and Of asowing several other fool
z opinions, even after the Democraf had III
q Known that the contrary opinions uere orthod
to cnd. that none but f6ozs ihoueh aswe think.
e We desire to know HLat Il d 30 Tie penalty