Demoine courier., 1855-09-06
For the Demo.ne Courier.
"Vindex," and his Logic.

An article under the above caption appeared
inthe las. number Of the "Coarier,' signed Lee
gator" The writer has clearly caught the To-
glcsl idea Of the article which he crit:cises, de-
spite the difficulties Of '.syntax." He asks. "If
the Empire gave the Romish Church did il mo-
also give the world the Greek Church? And If
so, are both perfectly na.ura.'' results? Ger
tainly. Whyno Both are of Imperial origin.
and are not both mosttrusiporthy landmarks If
Despotism? One serves The Gar of Russia and
the other the Autocrat of France. Docs d fer
ence OF masters, or any other d ference in ( them
trouble the logical idea of Their character and
Influence, as regards civil government? When
either of these shall, by a ploctss t" perfectly
natural give to the world a full-blooded Repub-
lican state. or becomes the cheerful ally, or VII
ling supporter of Republican principles, then
will the logo of yindex be, indeed, "l.me and
faulty"
But this kind Of logic has by no means :. ORR
g,nated' with Vindex. 1t has long been the
~favorite work OF American writers 10 trace the
free principles Of our government back TO The
stern character of those men no chose rather
brave the pcFils Of the W lderness than TO SUBJ
mitto the claims Of ecclesiastical despolism, en-
forced by the arm Of civil power in their own
homes, on the other side OF the Atlantic. What
American history would be wosh reading if il
told as no hing Of the puritans from England,
and the Huguenots, and others, from the CONT
nent OF Europe, who first settled along our At
lantic coat?
The ship which landed at Plymouth, in 1920,
was freishtcd TO this continent with a band of
Christians whose avowcd purpose was 10 OBJ
serve acovenant with their God, '.to walk in all
his ways made known, or TO be ~made.known UNI
to them, according 10 their best endeayors,
,chGterer IL should cast them.o This company,
when about to form a community by itself, saw
the necessity Of organizing a civil government,
''and here,'' says Daniel Webster, was the
germ Of the Constitution of the United states.o
Rufus Choate says OF the same Puritans, that
they left England and went TO Holland, where,
much to their joy, they found "a state without a
King, and a church without a Bishop But |
will not suppose that s'readers of ordinary COM
preheEs.on" will not understand the logic sug-
gested here.
If, then, the expression I" Church and State''
be understood, and il be also conceded tina
wherever they are combined, they must, by a
logical necessity, be somewhat similar in their
principles of organizatihn; that is, where there
IS aristocracy in the State, there will also be ar
istocracy in the Church, as in England or
where there IS democracy in the State, there will
hpa dpmne a ~ in fAa k.,.rb~ -. -
sets during the first two centuries of her exist
ence, surely we shall be understood when we as
sert, without fear OF successful contradiction,
that the great idea Of the Romisk Church, which
ispower, dominion, domination, has ever been
the great idea OF Rome in her civil capacity,
from the days Of Romulors to the present hour.
So al-prcvaiiing has this idea been at Rome
that it has long since concentrated both the civil
asd ecclesiastical power in the same hands, and
failing to maintain the dominion Of tho world
by force OF arms, she is now trying the efficacy
Of ecclesiastical intrigue.
We cannot therefore,be too yigilant in search
ing out and exposing her arts, nor too careful in
avoiding the path which she has trod. II pow
er was her great idea, let liberty be ours. II she
valued men because they could be used to glori-
fy the State, let US value our civil institutions,
because they protect and vindicate the rights
and Liberties of men. Hers was the selfish idea
OF heathenish ~idolatry; let ours be the true idea
OF an enlightened Christianity. To Americans
thiswili be most wholesome conservativeism ),
It viii be carrying out the principles which first
peopled our shcres-upholding the self evident
truths on which our government is based, and
which our earliest statesmen were careful to
observe and apply, in all their acts of Legislation
sndsr the Constitution.
II asy Of these principles are uncon-
s%li,utional nOe; OF il the idea OF popular
sovereignty did not exist then, le, rs fully
understand il. lie, US discuss this nat.
hf. and secori cur votes upon il with q
~ Hs.hIa raH