The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1855-02-01

realty to"dIub Ills OWH pOHtlchi OONcrnInenI.
Let me read a paragraph from the published
remarks of the honorable gentleman:
Mr.. BANKS. / have no objection to any mar
of the Catholic Church, or faith Here is oul
friend from Pennsylvania, Mr. CHANDLER, an
amiable, learned, and eloquent man; might
be willing to vote for him, Catholic as he is, in
preference, perhaps, to others nearer my politi
cal faith than he is. What he thinks of the
Seven Sacraments, or how many he accepts, il
no concern of mine. To me it is no objection
that he receives the interpretations of the Coun
Gil of Trent as to the doctrines of original sin
and justification. 1t cannot concern me, and
1t can concern no man, that, as a matter o.
faith, any person cherishes the doctrine of tran
substantiation, accords the full measure of Cath
elic veneration to sacred relics or images, and
accepts every article of the Nicene creed. Each
man is accountable for his own faith, as fol-
mine. And even though my name were ap
pended to the declaration, read To- us by the
gentleman from Mississippi, from the Rennsyl
Uanian, l might still vote for such a man, i
otherwise it lay in my way to do So"
thank God, and the honorable gentleman
for that. may think as please on matter.
purely spiritual. But the honorable gentleman
proceeds:
"But there is another branch of this subject
1t is current belief that the Pope, the head o.
the Roman Church, who stands as the Vicar o.
God, and is invested with his attributes of infal
libility, is not only supreme in matters of faith
but has also temporal power that cannot only
control Governments, but, in fitting exigencies
may absolve his disciples from their allegiance
am aware, sir, that this is disputed ground But
1t IS wellattested historical fact, that often in
time past, the claim to secular power has been
nd | raft <11 = l. Al. D.
or any general council speaking with his acquies
ence-the only authorized opponents Of the
true faith-that this claim has ever vet beer
disavowed. IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE IN ENGLAND
L will say that, if it be true that the
Pope is held to be supreme in secular, as il
sacred affairs, that he can absolve men from
their relations with others not of the true faith
1t is not strange that men should hesitate il
support of his followers. ] would not vote fo
any man holding to that doctrine, and / doub
not, other gentlemen here would concur witt
me in that feeling"
The charge, then, against the Roman Catho
hes of this country, is, that their view of tn,
supremacy of the Pope re,lders them unsafi
citizens, because it renders them liable to b,
Withdrawn from their allegiance to their owl
civil Government by the DEGREES or ordinance.
of their spiritual superior. Of the cruelty O
disturbing the public mind with such questions
and DISTINGUISHING well-disposed citizens, shall
not now speak. shall leave to other times
and other persons and in other places, too, the
task of impeaching and of developing the motives
upon which such discreditable and unrighteous
proceedings 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 Christi
anity; and that those who are vitiating public
sentiment in thus ministering to the appetite
which they have made morbid have their pro
totype in the malignants who would cruelty the
Saviour 4" lest the Romans come and take oul
city from u.s." or in the Titus Oates of later
times, who disturbed the public mind of Eng
land by discoveries Of plots that existed only in
his infamous invention, and who, by his PERU
ries, sent men to the scaffold whose innocence
is now as generally admitted as is the corrup
ton 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 of the community, and send to the scat
fold and block men OF immaculate purity, mere
ly to give himself a temporary notoriety, and q
sort of political ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. That branch
of the discussion | turn from, with loathine
and disgust at the offensive details and with
horror at its intimate association with the men
the motives, and the means, of modern times
l leave such considerations to others, and pro
coed to take notice of that part Of the subject
which concerns the political relations of Amer
lean Catholics with the head Of the Roman
Catholic Church-the character of the fealty
which /, and all of the Catholic creed in thi.
country, owe to the Bishop Of Rome.
The question raised by the gentleman from
Massachusetts,, is one Of political power; and
that, | imagine, is the leading objection to
Catholics and to Catholicity with gentlemen
who venture on the dangerous movement o.
dragging religion into the political arena. Mr.
Chairman, deny that the Bishop of Rome has
or that he claims for himself, the right to inter
fere with the political relations of any other
country, than that of which he is himself the
sovereign! l mean-and l have no desire tc
conceal any point-I mean that deny to the
Bishop of Rome the right, resulting from his
divine Office, to interfere in the relations between
subjects and their sovcreigns between citizen:
and their Governments. And while i make
this denial, / acknowledge all my obligations tc
the church of which / am an humble member
and / recognise all the rights of the venerable
head of that church to the spiritual Difference
of its children; and | desire that no part o.
what | may say, or what may concede in my
remarks, may be considered as Welding q sin
gle dogma Of the Catholic Church, or manifest
ing, on my part, desire to explain away, tc
suit the spirit of the times, or the prejudices Of
my hearers, any doctrine of the Catholic Church
| believe all that that church believes and teach
es as religious dogmas, but am not bound by
the imputations of its opponents. | am not
bound by the assertions of those who would
make political capital out of denunciatons OF
her children, or misrepresentation of her creed
Nay more sir; and / ask the attention of gen
tlemen to my disavowal. ] am not bound by
any action which the Pope takes as a temporal
sovereign, or which he performs as Bishop Of
Rome, or Pope, when he is only carrying out a
contract with Kings and Emperors to secure 10
them the integrity of their possessions, and the
perpetuity of their power.
As cannot accept the honorable gentleman's
discrimination between me, as Catholic, and
other members Of the Church as Roman Catho
lies, must regard myself as involved in the
general censure, and feel that / stand charged
a national Representative, with holding opinions
and owing fealty that may demand from me a
sacrifice of patriotism TO higher obligation
pointed at, sir, as man who, while he swears
to maintain the Constitution Of the country, and
processes to make the fullillment Of his obliga-
ton to that country his paramount political
duty, yet cherishes in his heart the principles OF
latent treason. / may be allowed, without the
imputation of vanity, to make one more direct
allusion to myself and my creed. And, sir,
clearly and dintinctly do deny that the power
of the Pope extends one grain beyond his spir-
itual relations with the members of his church,
or impinges, in the least degree, upon the polit-
ical allegiance which any Roman Catholic OF
this country may owe to the Government and
Constitution of the United States.
And, sir, that this disavowal of divided
.fealty may not be regarded as mere generali-
ty, give it explicitness by declaring that if,
by any providence, the Bishop of Rome should
become possessed of armies and feet, and, in