Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-12-29

addressed to my spiritual adviser, but upon re
Election declined doing so until after the cleo
ton, wishing to avoid if possible, the mixing Q
the date of this l have received the Priest
reply, of which will furnish you a copy, bu
not for publication. Yours, J. Il. c.
lCopy.J
Reverend Father:-You will pardon, I trust
the irreverent Impotence with which received
ON Tuesday last, your kind admonitions agains
the dangerous principles and policy of thu
American Party. The sacredncss of your char
acter as priest and spiritual adviser, claimed
from me higher degree of Difference than III,
unbounded impulses permitted me to yield tt
your discourse on this occasion. VIII you par
don me?
But while thus apologising for the impro
priety of my conduct, let it not therefore be in
ferred that | consider my adhesion to the Amer.
lean Party as, in any manner, inconsistent with
my religious duties as a good Catholic. On the
contrary, Father, it is evident to me that it is
you who committed wrong by trespassing up
on my rights as an American citizen, and usurp-
ing spiritual authority in matters over which
you have no jurisdiction. have, | believe, al
ways been observant of my religious duties
my purse has never been closed to you when
called on for pious contributions; and neither
the Creed nor the Commandments approve or
condemns the naturalization laws of the United
Statcs-but say you Il quote your own words, J
''You belong to secret organization; you be-
long to a party hostile to the Roman Catholic
Church, and your associates are atheists and
protestants. All these you must renounce, or
the Church will renounce you"
The Church prohibits secret associations
True. Clement the XIIth communicated the
society of Masons because of their republican
tendencies. All secret societies, believe, are
now similarly interdicted, excepting, however,
those which are under the immediate supervis-
ion and control of the Priesthood and the Pope
Without referring you to the Society of Jesuits,
OF which you are a bright ornament, will here
merely allude to another, which was founded
under your auspices. Except in its name, and
in its charitable character, it is substantially
secret association, whose proceedings in certain
matters are as little known by the public as are
the financial accounts which, it is supposed, you
render to your superors in the Roman Herar-
chy. In truth, sir, this subject scarcely de-
serves the serious consideration of intelligent
and well-informed gentlemen.
Among your most esteemed practitioners are
to be found NIasons, Odd Fellows, Sons of TEN.
perance; and, unless I'm greatly mistaken,
the same observation applies equally to your
never wars upon, nor persecutes those who IA
yor his pretentions and the religious crusade |
now waging against the American Party, is ac-
counted for in the fact that nine-tenths, or per-
naps more, of the Catholic clergy of this coun-
ry, are unuaturalized foreigners, who dcspise
'ur republican Institutions
You have said that the American Party is
hostile to the Roman Catholic Church. If by
he words Roman Catholic Church." you mean
lot the ruling authority, or power of the Church
Is distinct from this communion, but include
he entire body of its members, as well as its
ulers, then do l unhesitatingly say that your
is without just foundation but if the
words are to be taken in their usual acceptaton,
II that case, the truth of your accusation de-
lends upon the nature of the allegiance which,
n your opinion, is due to the United States by
Catholic Priest, as citizen.
The American doctrine, which you so bitterly
ppose and condemn, is, in substance, merely
his: the advancement to political stations of
hose only who do not hold civil allegiance, d.
ectly or indirectly, to any foreign power. The
uestion, therefore, is narrowed down to this
o you hold civil alleg lance directly or indirect
7, to any foreign Potentate? in other words,
re you subject of his Holiness, the Pope or
re you an American citizen? You cannot be
9th. Under our republican government Church
nd State are absolutely divorced, and no con-
ordat empowers the Pope to annul the allegi-
nee which the citizen owes to his country. If
GU are truly an American at heart, your accu-
"e'oA 10 hSSeo0dAiy Sl4OutUuS. IL you are u
inject of a foreign Prince, how can you consis-
unity style yourself an American freeman?
The American Catholics are satisfied with
leir laws and their country; and for all that !,
ley hear and read of Italy, they much prefer
leir American liberty and republican simplici-
I, to the bloody rule that has long existed I'M
er the different Sovreigns of the once Proud
distress Of the World
am under obligations to you for the epithets q
hich it has pleased you to apply to my associ- a
es. And pray, Father, who are, at times
in Mexico, and the South q
merican Republics? Among them have oc-
'sionally seen frequenters of grog-shops spout
6 fuddled theology; unprinciped men mas
lerading in sanity mimicry; men of high
anding aiding and abetting: and worse than :
this, Ihave seen Il will not say who or when) c
hers benignly smiling on the wonderful popu- ,
rity Of the Church! May Providence protect
against its unenviable popularity and sever it
ON it's allies. =