The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-03-15
OUR ACCUsERs ANSWERED - THE DEFENCE
OF THE RIGHTS OF MEN, NOT THE ADOP-
TON OF THEIR BELIEFS.

OF THE RIGHTS OF MEN, NOT THE ADOP-
TON OF THEIR BELIEFS.
A correspondent asks us to print speech
delivered by Mr.. Smith, of Alabama, in the
House of Representatives, as containing full
reply to the main positions of Mr.. Chambers
argument, which lately appeared in the Era.
We must decline the request. Mr.. Smith has
not the logic, learning, and candor, requisite
to the discussion of the question of the Papacy
and its Pretensons. 1t is not in his power to
enlighten our readers upon that subject, or any
other, that we are aware Of
A very different man is Professor McCln-
took, of the Methodist Quarterly, who has ex-
amined the argument of Mr.. Chandler, in
Letter, printed in the Philadelphia Bulletin
The Professor is scholar, and polemic; and,
at the request of friend, who has fearful mis-
gvings as to the effect of Mr.. Chambers speech,
we give place to the Letter, which will appear
in this number and the next of the Era. The
writer is of Irish extraction, and this will prob
able account for the warmth and personality of
his style; for, it is worthy of remark that the
most severe assailants in this country of the
Pope, those most apprehensive of his domino
ton, are to be found among Irish Protestants,
or their children. In many cases, they bring
with them or inherit the animosities which
have characterized the wars between Catholics
and Protestants in Ireland, broken up social
intercourse, and made political concord almost
an impossibiity. AS to the question discussed
by Professor McClntock, whether the Bishop of
Rome has claimed the right, in virtue of his
spiritual Office, to interfere in the relations be-
tween subjects and their sovereigns, between
citizens and their Governments, it is one in
which we take no part, and feel but little inter-
est as political man, dealing with existing
political responsibilities. 1t is question which
has no practical Specification at this time in
American politics. What foreign potentate
may claim is one thing what person stand
ing on American soil, may acknowledge, is quite
another. We naturalize Englishmen, although
the British Government has repeatedly claim
ed that no subject of the Crown can release
himself from his allegiance. We pronounce
that assumption, hctiou-the English emf
grant repudiates it, renounces allegiance to
every foreign sovereignty, and becomes citi
zen of the United States. What to us are the
ply regard the man, who abures allegiance to
it. Grant, that the Pope claims, all that Pro-
fe5sor McClintock contends that he does-and
we confess, do know what extraya.
gance some Pope or other has not committed
how does this affect the position of the Cath
olics in this country? We said we considered
Mr.. Chambers argument unanswerable-
swerable, we meant as it indicated the Catho-
lies of this country against the charge of owing
and owning allegiance in civil affairs to the
Pope. He disavows any such allegiance, and
speaking in behalf of the Bishops and Arch
bishops of the Church in America, asserts that
they all agree with him-quoting from the wri-
tings of those most distinguished, to sustain his
assertion. Shall we believe all these men, and
the members of the Catholic Church generally,
liars, peri urers, and traitors? We must look
through the light of facts, not dogmas
As matter Of fact, then, the Pope has never
attempted to interfere between the native and
naturalzed Catholics of this country and the
Government, nor does any sane man dream that
he ever will. In the days of Engands weak
ness, when Spanish Pride sought the empire of
the world, the Pope's power was put in requis-
ton to absolve her sub jects from their allegi-
ance-but even then the experiment failed, and
who in these modern times has been silly enough
to suppose that the experiment could ever be
repeated? Irish Catholics have long constituted
a portion of the most gallant and efficient sol
diery of Protestant England, no matter how
the Pope regarded the wars in which she was
engaged.
AS matter of fact, the Catholic subjects of
all Protestant States are counseed to obedience
and loyalty. The letters of the Catholic Bisb-
ops in the United States are full of such coun-
sells, Astounding with as much reverence for
Law, and devotion to the Union, as were dis
played by the clerical supporters of Daniel
!. Webster in 1850. Even the Jesuits are not
failing in this respect, as would appear from the
following paragraph in one of our exchanges:
4 "The general of the Jesuts has addressed a
circular, dated Rome, January 10. to the pro-
vlncials OF the order, in which he instructs them
how to act with respect to the different forms OF
tpohtical Government. The company of the
tJesuits being, he says, solely religious order.
and devoted exclusively to the salvation of men
souls, the various members of it are everywhere
to act as faithful subjects of the Government
, under which they live, and in no case to inter
tere in political matters. In that manner only
, can they, the circular declares, conform to the
principles on which the order was founded"
: This is all hypocritical, you say, and dictated
by their weakness-gve them the power, and
they would hold very different Tone We have
nothing to do with their motives-we state mat
tiers of fact, to which we must look in determin.
ting course of policy. What probability is
Fhere that they will ever be stronger-that they
will ever acquire power enough to be danger
ousY Never, unless, by anti-C Christian and pro-
scriptive measures against them, we give them
the benefit of a reaction. Cannot we trust our
frotestantism, an open Bible, the Common
School, Free Press, Steam, and the Telegraph ?
., most anxious student, affrghted with the
spectre OF Old Boniface-art thou indeed lv-
ing man, moving among the iron men of this
IRON age, or ghost from the dark ages?
As matter of fact, the rule has been, even
{ In Catholic countries, the Supremacy of the
! temporal Power over the Spiritual Philip Of
t SPAN, the prince of bigots, devotee to the
Church, who sought to subject the world to
Catholicism, retained for himself the headsbip
OF the League, using the Pope as his instru.
ment The Power that holds the purse and the
sword, may be influenced, may be corrupted
by the Spiritual Power, but, if allied to It will
subject it to its own use, if separate from Il