Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-05-11
RIDAY MORNING, MAY IL, 1855.

Nnw, wo obey ihiS injunction Of tho Constitution III
the letter, when irrbrar pass law establishing
such 'c"tn but 'r We not violate its spirit II W. trans
fer the deed from the representative o the c"usttu
Ell body. and bind this asi by vow. ANA pledges, {"
vote for II" man Ur office who is himself n Catholic.
or " would appoint members Of ;at Religion t" oil
hrci We may preserve the shadow -. the cunsi.in
tinIn prov IsuL, bu do we Net sHrriCc the substance
hy such nn evasion ar, will it be maintained, that tn,
Constitution binds IT, uuy Us members "i the guYUru.
mc ana not n. Individual citizens! Surely tl,i- is
n Poor view o' such question. We Obey ihr Con
siul"n NOT hs matter of cunpul~nn, but "i choice;
n"' ~ lining forced upon us hi hcrais" we love IT;
he'ahso we concur III is princ p!cs, and sympnihisc
III ils sprit. X is the c"npn"t al government {"
"''h we nave "grc"d. mud "" arr houd not only in
"ur pubic hut Also our private rnpTrt, Ia rH,rui"
II m IS spirit ana truth. The Constitution "i i.
United States, III reference its nhyccis nny be >aiG
10 CONSIST "i three portions; first, 1t establishes tho
iha'i'i'e'! oi government; ncx;, II distributes u"
moving power amongst the paris "f thnt machinery;
hnd. ihirhlT provides certain securities Tor the
rights "l States, and Oi individuals Now tEo-" last
are "l inc very Essence OF the coinpnCt aud c"iat
iuc !lio conditions upon which il was ,orIncd All
ha phrties, terei'rc who enjoy TIE benefit ol the
compact, are bound TO curry out the slipuai !uIs
whose execution m1y depend upon their agency
How often have complained "f those Northern
Sa'rs, which cNhdc the nhlihiinn IN regard Ia foreign
slnrcs and. without vrlnnG The letter of the Cnnsii
tuition, defeat the spirit oi is provisions 10y ntcrpHs-
ing obstacles III the way ui the recovery snc iu-
givca' We have said Justly, ii, il seems - me, ihnt
when they taka r benefit OF all tle provisions al the
Constitution which interest lhcm they are bound to
carry out IN good faith those which The Other
parties tu the compact their obi CATION Is u carry
the object that prov i~iun i'll its spirit not
ly 10 absaIn from violating its letter. Nov, Hny not
the sam" hc said nj the provisions ul the Constitution
in regard 10 religions recdnm Were they nj" -!
the esscice ut The compact Could the Federal Con
-tunn have been ratified i'll Virginia. il il had brtu
supposed IL sanction the cH Of tho establishment at
Religions tests, Gs qualifications for office. As il Is,
1t WAS received with fierce opposition by many "i
most distinguished Siuicsmrn; but what would have
been said II il had contained authority ur such
ILinus tests as rc now proposed qualifications Tor
Uifcc! james Madison vas lis great advocate. uIl
defender, H. II uuw stands; but. IN the contingency "t
which speak, what would he have said nl il. dis
2uIshCd ~ he was Tor largr ail generous sentiments
Oh the subject oi hun:n liberty And what would
old gorge Mason have said the author of The "rn
ration III favor nj rrll-i"n freedom, in Bill Of
| Rights! And, nb"yu all, what woul he lIav" -aih
who once exclaimed, tive HE liberty, give mc
death. when II was supposed that HE aul property
were lmprrct by such declaration!
Fellow citizens care mol III what capaciry il be-
whether representatives. nr constituents, that We
violate the spirit aud defeat the "cc:- oI the Cn-t
tn'."n; IN either ras,, We sap aud mInc the "auda
tiOHs OI our government ana ,.i-r.gard l.hlnrs
obligations rs citizens.
Bu, Uhi"rl ~ this prescription oi Catholics. on
account ut their rrsI"u OPINIONS, for other rcGs"ns
which arc vet 10 b" gwen ltls unanng The work "i
! Martin Luther, II lis wumolrstauzing Pro:Caiansm
ilscl!, and Returning. tn The practices of The darkest
! aS"s at relg"nr biG"ry aud persecution.
| wha, WIS tho great object Of Luthcrs mission
-. II 10" (" establish ii;. righ" private Judgment i'll
matters of con,cicnccl And wrt WINS III" great work
| of protcstan!ism' Was il n"; (" max" good Iha;
right md iha duty of individuals, aud To enter So
lemn protest against any human authority, whether "t
blshurs, churches, governments {" "v";rur "r de-
stray ~ And Vet there inrm, -GiIming tu be good
lroicoam's wIi" rr"p"-" :" laii-h. by prescription
! from Office nll persons wh"-c private Judgments
lcnd irm o the adoption ui ;hu Catholic faith. |
have shown h0w such pr"scrI ion May b" rnn-i-
!ncn 4" the worst sort hGt Q" farther, md snr HAT
tho I,"a upon which This ~ Justified ii carried "ut 4"
~ l"G"al conscqurnc"- must lead $ tu ir r.''i-
lengths. ia short. ;c!r miotll" ,r"uud between
absolute lnd perfect federation "n the on" hand or
positive persecution the other II the C"th"!'r-
nn To- hoi any office. however slnnl on account
Ui their faith they unht 10 vote or u requires hS
much patriotic feeling and s"nnd !nHEmth' /" u" '1
one ~ the other. l., them they ore inc"Inicii In
the !i.rhnro of III. irsf duties III citizenship. hnd
are To be treated al,Gns. they hcc"m" aang'r"u.
u,ruhrls uf the s"ciry when ihi- h-t'l,~ iH"im'
and the ,aiacSt dictates -! prudence n"iii seem -
rcouirc their removal. Louis NV. therefore.
uh, r.v,E,,l tlI.. rdlrt ui Nnui,-, anI druv"
., many oi h- ilnguGu"t sui.I"cis I" bear
their industry aul ;hrr AIS Ia Germany.
Holland, l.nyiaud, and IL i- country. dbl hUt
carry out h. principles Upu whI"h il i p"" prup"--
c net Ia il lncviinhI" ana lr-i"a c"I-cfd"u"r".
a, said h.i"ru, there hc middle GROUND, n'.
dcbutabr land, "Iwecn p"sitiv" prohibition and per
feet u!rrn:iJG. ii III" r,gii ~ private Judgment III
marr- of CnnSrirc' exists at all, IL issHiuic and
independent OF ali hunnan authority Such il Ia" re-
suit uf the great principle established by Luther AMI
such the mighty work Of Protestant reform. Ii l. now
II iic moro thRu three centuries, since tie city 0
Worms presented %. the most remarkable sccGc-
which has ever appeared III the course "I hnnan ai-
fairs. The Emperor Charles, The GrrInnn Ca-nr, had
convened there II Dict al princcly diyuari.s. lii"
Archlubc, Electors. Landsrnves, Margrnvcs. civil
ana ecclesiastical Princes, Counts "i the Empire hnG
btltcd knights were there, numbering, III al, more
ihnu twJ hundred persons ut regal, scmi-rrgal
tate, Tia; Diet assemble! Ia c"n-idcr the caS. n
II poor monk Of Witicnhurg, who had mad" nm ISSUE
with the See uf Rome, upon nothing less than the
rir!it of private Judgment in matters uf conscience
and dared 10 take appeal In pnhlic opinion for lis
Judgment upon that great controversy. 50 poor was
ihn monk. that hc depended upon the charity ni one
Prince f,r the money which wns I" bear lis expenses
10 Wuriiis md upon that ut another, for the very
clothing which he wore; he had neither official pla'r
nor dignity nor ih.r" on' :nan whose services
he could, us nattcr 81 right, cnmnanG; but hc had
spoken the word which wi:nlc natinns nIus pause t"
listen. Il was in vain That ms tri"IdS nnd even the
lnor. generous of his enemies, dl*stad"d iun from
nppearirr before that Diet. They sn, that the Ger
man Casar nj that day in poin; of temporal pow
~ the foremost m"n III nil the world, whs ms
hitter and impacahlc frG; that h Spanish
cavalicr4 ut that day the tfnest representatives "i
Christian cvaIry. riding about tho streets up
on IN. mules, and swearing vengeance agans: the
monk nnl hi. friends; that the Church =" Rome, whose
ecclesiastical ccnsIrcs then Illuminated over nearly
ih. whole OF Chrsi"ndum wOIil be there with II"
hostile nrrnv of learning AMI power, and that pr!,n-
ntcs, ecclesiastical aud civil would also he there,
tIiyslino and crying aloud for his blood. But he
snid he would 90, il there were rs many devils {"
meet LIm in Worms as there were tiles upon tn"
houses. And he did gn he did appear before that
Casnr whose lrown indeed was terrible, before that
CIurch cautng i'll il pride of strength nni be:or"
.Lo., princes WIN had fixed an evil eye upon him.
his face wa- pnc. but with study aud not with fear
hi. bndv so rmaciGtcl with ygi's and labor 'hh us
cv,ry bone could br detected 10y the l"at "bs"r'hit
cyr: in human form, he was not above "a" av"rn-c
stature but MS q Representative: man. the representa-
live of Tie ghcst issue which ii had "Ter i'i'en 10
tnl lot ~ MAXI, he lowered III moral liJcsty 10
the height OF thai great argument, By "i'ch Il" was
n susniu l.; The fire Of hiS eye qucnchvd not III the
nr.srucn of rim,crni majesty itself, the tones Ut h'S
rnic. runr clear and true the tempered Steri, ana
he tnltercd Not he responded to the esnarng qn"S-
tiun- of the ndvcrsary his hcar quail"t MOI before
.h,t GREAT array of hostile power. lie si"Ec, ana
,,r;nrns cotclur the infection oi his noble zeal,
crowded about him in The c"urclI-cnnb%r' ana -d !"
him "Spcak, speak out like u man, lear h', men
WIN can kill the body, but cannot harm tue s"u "i'
,rorl;tc sodi, r. too were b the gallant bearing
nf ,bo linn nhrurtcd priest. Monk, said celebrated
c,rtnu of the times take heed 10 yonr steps, You
,r trrnn,r path far more dangerous than any mt
the rest nt H. have ever pursucI: bl' II w" arr III
L r;ght rouI God will not abandon y"n. -
fI i snrok out with fcnrl"ssn"ss " hen not The
L',vcst w Of those princes conld themselves haye eH.
hihited and he did pursue his path with is''h tyr
Greater than the trust "i ;!I" Old captain ma, ot:
in the right road, God would not annh'h'l nun
ri Tbra",s could not appn blandshm"ni+ seduce
hi% ' " at last run ont BY hs rsr.SySSra"cr e., the
ca;h": Bishop Of rsy,s s%d nj to @ nn i. n ;% s
H"t n sui , ,,,Iy 10 vnu' said Luther. "in the
:!nrds oi t;nmaini, lie, the thing alone; TOY ii'hs
% Mon m W " , II will come to nou"ht, bnt fiji bc oi
G"d ven m cannot overthrow it, Brave words 'hgse
Of % the old Jewish Doctor OF Laws 1T 10 '@ spHSSG ~
~ .' m ' rorJ IN havr been bred at the feet ot such
y, a"; manu- we'll We I fs judgment deserve to he recorded
un ,'' , onrri.hahc pnge of Holy Writ, I" endure
shall hsvo passed away and hsr" ,s'Ds i,ror Of rI