New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-30
THE CHURCH PROPERTY QUESTION
LETTER FROM ARCHBISHOP HUGHES
m RELATION TO THE PETITION ov ruv mrs.
TIES Or ST. LOUIS cKsRcH srvrALo. AND
TO nR. PtTNAMs ASTI-CArHoLN cuuRos
PR0PEnrf BILL.
NEw-YoRK, Mach d lax

, - -'NN y! ire aUsntic yeslerfiy, / ~,
F''e oaa barely t@e 10 read the foregoing str ,u,,,
''u" ems The petition OF the Trustees Of 8,
nou'" oahoh1 Church ., B1ff,l, AMI thu
,VP"g oll OF senior Pa,asm. nov before
'Ne Leeha'afe proceed to make the f,llo riox
MY oose''a ''Is IN regsid to them. ins.mu n AZ
Catholics, and othsrs, perhaps are so,ioa, 10 49,
ry opinions.
d. no. th!ik tiers Is any real sror,i IN, n.
''am ari apprehension which uu iers scd is COW
cevslent srncos he Catholics OF this CITY an, ~,
couot tf tie etti'e State as 10 the ,ffs,ts Of law
which ir now utasr discussion in the Lecsl,tu,s
It Albany, regarding ecclesiss icsl property. N,
ooubt II is n its spirit and in its object a, AT,
Catholic enactment although il pr,f-ss, I, snhrscs
~ DENOMINATIONS, except tbs Society Of Friends
sn"uid II pass, 1t may reach other religion, cor,
iiuniu.s, ana selAe oeep~r into their ecciesi~i, vi
orsnT zstors than its trainers would yi.h n, IN.
ther bsud, they fclt Themselves obliget 4, o. :,
ne form ana sppe,rsIce Of general Law in....y
OF cslirg 1t BY us true title, Z" a penal en.etrsn,
.VV9Sl.ig Roman Catholics Of the State of New,
. orr 10 be governed in the enjoy pent and uss ~
neh own property yet apart for ccclssi sticai mar
Poses not by the discipline of the rAli,;o, 49,
uey prgess but by the statute Of tire L,gisl.urs."
Ms world be the true title Of the biz a, h h.s ~
Isssed tbs Ser ate Bat even should il baco IA -
We can baro'y think thit our Protestant fIa.,
e'uztns would take any pleasure 10 executing upo.
u the ennoyanc.s and jnres, for toe utllctoa OF
m
p"se such lntrrcste onerous aud sometimes obi an,
duties on the ffcers who ssould be apooin,at 90
sse Il executed that. unlsss ample fees were pro-
vosd, they would become disgrsted Win its reoure
n epfs.
IL would cetsBly iofc' verT srest ioiury on ma in
or rights Of conscience, and in our righ,s IF prem
ety. ana thus rithont producing sny benefit to any
cass of our feow-ci,izens Still, should il pas ~
shall not sink under il. We have borne no under
Ueighttr dsoouragements. | shonld 20. be sur.
'fsd II its res uits would be beneficial rather than
therwlse TO the real interests Of the Catholic
CbUrch and people. The very fact tina, we have
been singled ont sod fettered 10 the epioymen. OF
religious immunitiss, by civil en.ct~,snSse wso suf-
var uncer the reality, or even under the appear
ence of persecution, whether that persecution be
/, gal or not. IL Will have the effect to brace msny
~to have hitherto been luke warm Catholics to q
higher DEEPER and boiler appreciation of that re-
lsicu Doh is thought TO require civil enactnents
fl he oripplirg Of lis progress. IL will Withdraw
u sry from the too ardent pur-uit of poltics Gods
political objects, by which their minds were led
away aud wasted on mere trsusioy and temporal
concerns. IL will rsbuale TO Catholics that ia the
mind of their fellow. citizens they bocsuss Of their
relis ion, ave hardly quslied to take part in the
political strifes by which the counuy is perpet-
usly agtated And the more they Withdraw from
such AZ tsfiobs-whetber by their OTn choice or by
such les slave febukes the enactment under con-
siderst,op conteDJ lates-ihs more taer hearts add
their minds will turn 10 other coosderations affect
lg their future being, and the religion by mssus Of
vi ich they are to secure ultimately toe end of their
creation. In this view, it is probsble that the Law
now before the Lee islature ar Albany, will prove in
its ret ulfs rather beneficial than Otherwise TO ths
Catholic bcdy at large. The Legislature does not
propose 10 confsc ,te their church property,
but only to take the management out of their
tands. II proposes to furni.h them, and to force
upon them wiser, jusier, and therefore better code
OF ecclesiastical discipline for the management OF
eir church properly, than their Church has provided
for them But still it Goes lot go the length Of con
fscation 1t appt as TO be foregOne conclusion in
The urds of the trainers. that the law will accom-
sh in practice the ults witch outlined Ia it's
theory. This is not certain. Pfofessio al gentle
men may discover some defect la the framing and
wording Of the enactment which will render il insp-
plicable But il this should not be the case, it
will only produce, In the minds OF Ca,holc' the very
f. elm 90 aud purposes which IL aims TO overthrow or
prevent.
The Catholic lai,y in my opinion will reason with
Ihemse elves tAas The Legislature wishes 10 prevent
= cur oorR with our own properly what we think
- proper-t wishes us to give nething by devise con-
vey iUce, gift, aOy other form of transfer to
Bishops "a clergy for the purpos, Of promoting
supporting our religion, except as az sees dc 10 d.
rect. Now, in this il seems TO NEEDLE with our re-
igious as well as civil rightS aud we shall fad
vert y ways stside tho intricate web Of its pro-
hibitions for doing, and ooing more largely st the
rery ttipgs which il Wi hes not TO DO. la these
n alters which inv ade our religious we'll civh
rights, we shall take tito liberty OF doing what 10
tight, IN our own way.
II does rot follow from all this that should Wit
the pas sage of the act in question with pleasure
II satisfaction But look upon II IN antclpst iQn Ut
10 worst ees and in order to allay the sp-
Extensions which prevail l point out It's probable
one equences.
Under any circumstances, we must maintain our
onfdence in the Justice and wisdom Of the State
D which il is our pride TO belong. IL experience
soulo make II apparent hereafter, that the working
mt of this law is pa'tial and oppressive upon one
epomip aoD, and only one, Of the co immunity.
loher future Legislature better informed OF the
ue state OF the care will either amend Us defects
speal il altogether, Ia case 1t should be found noE
mendsble.
have ssid thet could not, uor can any Catholic,
prove OF it, witness Its paseOg into Law with
by feeling Of pleasure satisfaction. But. oo tho
Their band il il matter Of eongr 4tulaion TO the
athocs tbst they have not hsd rscoune TO spy
,iDg ike public meet DPs remonsrsnces, such az
70 usually bad recourse 10 to prevent the passing
an iniquitous or Injurious enactment. There
ave been times when it might have been their duty
Jus to meet pass resolutions, and forward numer.
lsy sgned remonstraDces. Ba, in sn hour so
IegDaDi with excitement, when Il would be 30 easy
engerder feelings tina, ought 10 be guarded against,
ey have acted wisely in leaving the matter en-
rely in the hands Of those who appointed legs-
tors TO repre- the sovereign will Of this sovereign
ate. No remembrance snail go forth from mo
,anst the contemplated legislation, nor shall en-
urge anything If the ind in others. The matter
in toe hands Of the Senate and Assembly Of New
ork. They ere entirely or nesrly all Pro'es.sns,
ID Protestsnss have always boasted that they were
favor Of the moet unbounded civil and religious
,er:y II it be their good pleasure in this instance,
rsinte their professions by their acts be II So but
c glory or oishoDoT shall be tbsrs aiore.
think however that tbs chances for right esisLs-
in this matter would be greater II the Legislature
New YORK were better informed OF the true state OF
q case-sf the fActs and their bearings Involved in
. grouad work OF the act Of legelstioD TO which We
we refsred. II 10 hsroy possible tbs' they should
/, acqu ainted By persora knowledge with the 70
,ious oiscipse peculiar TO The various denominar
ms itbe co,Aulni.y So alss ia ard 70 the sps
&c f.ets inyolytd "a the 20 called Ecc'e.isscsl Prop