The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-02-01
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Missi - i u, " ~ u
sill VOC fof such man, if otherwise il lay
10 my way 10 do so."
thank God, and the honorable gentle.
man, for that may think as please on
matters purely spiritual. But the honorable
gentleman proceeds.
| But there is another branch OF this sub.
ject. 1t is current beliefthat the Pope, The
head Of the Roman church, who stands as
the Vicar of God, and is invested with his
attributes of infatibility, is not only supreme
! in matters of faith, but has also temporal
power that cannot only control governments,
but, in fitting exlgencies, may absolve his
disciples from their allegiance. an; aware,
sir, that this is disputed ground. But it is a
well atlesied historical fact, that often, in
time past, the claim 10 secular power has
been made i; and | am yet TO learn, that by
the Pope, or any general council speaking
with his acquiesence-the only authorized
exponen,s of The true faith-;hat this claim
has even yet been disavowed. IT HAS NOT
BEEN DONE IN ENGLAND. n u II | will saw
that, il it be true that the Pope is held 10 be
supreme in secular, in sacred affairs, that
he can absolve men from their relations with
others not of The true faith, it is not strange
that men should hesitate in support of his
followers. ] would not vote for any man
holding 10 that doctrine, and, doubt not,
other gentlemen here would concur with me
in that feeling"
The charge, then, against the Roman Cath
olics OF this country is, that their views of
The supremacy of the Pope renders them un.
safe citizens, because il renders them liable
10 be Withdrawn from their allegiance 10
their own civil government by the dsass6s
or ordinances of their spiritual superiotl 49,
the cruelty of disturbing The public {|t
with such questions, and disfranchisinf
disposed citizens, shall not now spea
shall leave 10 other times, and other pefa6ns,
and in other places, too. the task Of impeach-
ins aud developing the motives upon which
such discredtable and unrightous proceed
ings rest. | shall leave to those who have
more bitterness of temper than possess, to
show that, though newly revived. the charge
is as old as the hostility OF Paganism to
Christianity; and that those who are vita
ting public sentiment in thus minis,ering TO
the appetite which they have made morbid,
have their prototype in the malIgnanis who
would cruelty The Savior lest the Romans
come and take our city from u.s." or in the
Titus Oates of later lues, who disturbed the
public mind Of England by discoveries of
plots that existed only in his infamous in
vention, and who, by bis pe1uries, sent
men to the scaffold whose innocence is now
as generally admitted as is the corruption Of
the court in which such fantastic tricks were
played, and as the infamy of the wretch
who could destroy the peace of an excellent
portion oil the community, and send TO the
scaffol6 and block men of immaculate puri-
iy, merely TO give himself temporary no.
tority, and sort of political aggrandize.
from with loa,hine and disgust at the offsn-
sive details, and with horror at its intimate
association with the men, the motives and
the means of modern tines. leave such
considerations TO others, and proceed to take
notice Of that part of the subject which con.
Germs the political relations of American
Catholics, with the head of the Roman Cath
olic church-the character of the featy
which !, and all of the Catholic creed in this
country, owe 10 the Bishop OF Rome.
The question raised by the gentleman
from Massachusetts is one ofpolilical power,
and that imagine, is the leading objection
to Catholics and to catholici:y with gente-
men who venture on the dangerous move
ment Of dragging religion into the political
arena. MIR Chairman, deny that the
Bishop Of Rome has, or that he claims for
himself, the right to interfere with the po-
li,ical relations of any other country than
that OF which he is himself the sovereign
mean-and have no desire TO conceal
any point-I mean that deny 10 the Bishop
Of Rome the righ, resulting from his divine
office, to interfere in the relations between
subjects and their sovereigns, between ci,i-
zens and their governments. And while
make this denial, acknowledge all my OBJ
legations To The church of which I am an
humble member, and recognize all. the
rights of the venerabIe head of that church
10 the spiritual Difference of lis children:
and desire that no part of what may say,
or what may concede, in my remarks,
may be considered as yielding single dog
ma of The Catholic church, or manlfesling,
on my part, desire 10 explain away, TO
suit the spiri, Of The times, or the preiudices
of my hearers, any doctrine Of the Catholic
church, believe all tha! that church be-
lieves and teaches as religious dogmas, bnt
I am not bound by the imPutations Of its oP-