The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-09-05


for the defense of our liberties against
Protestant oppressor, yet they seek to
render us, their fellow citizens, suspected
by, and odious to the government, by
falsely asserting that aoe are reduced to
servstude u'sder the civil and political ju-
afsdictio'a Of a foreign prince, namely, Of
tie Roman Pontiif, and that aoe are there
fore uryasttalto the RepubHc!"
In reply to this letter the Pope says:
8" Your letter was most pleasing to us.
What pleased because they deny his
power over them in civil matters, and
pronounced the charge falsehood? But
[ will make another quotation, and this
one is from a Pastoral Letter of Bishop
Carol, of Baltimore, in the very infancy
of the Republic, being dated Feb. 22d,
1897. He wrote as follows:
"There would indeed be foundation
for the reproach intended by the words
foreign Jurisdiction, if we acknowledged
in the successor of st. Peter any power
or prerogative, which clashed in the least
degree with the duty we owe to our coun-
try or its laws. To our country we owe
allegiance and the tender of our best SER
vices and property, when they are neces-
sary for its defense; to the Vicar of Christ
we owe obedience in things purely spirit
um. Happily, there is no competition in
their claims on us, nor any difficulty in
rendering to both the submission they
have right to claim. Our country com
mands and enforces by outward coercion,
the services which tend to the preserva-
tion and defense of that personal security,
and of that property for the sake of which
political societies were formed, and men
agreed to live under the protection of,
and in obedience to civil government. The
Vicar of Christ, as visible head of the
church, watches over the integrity and
soundness Of doctrine, and makes use of
means and weapons that act only on the
souls of men, to enforce the duties of re-
llgion, the purity of worship, and ecclesi-
astical discipline"
Mr.. Hollister, in quoting some remarks
from Mr.. Campbell, says that call will
admit their appropriateness, since they
were made nineteen years ago, long before
the American party, as party, had an
existence" Ii the fact just stated has
any force it applies with greater strength
to the above quotation from Bishop Car
rol for his letter was written fifty-eight
years ago, and therefore much further re-
moved from the present political excite
ment in point of time than that of Mr.
Campbell. Is it not little singular, if
Mr. HOLSTERS views be correct, that we
find the first Catholic bishop in this coun-
try, fifty-eight years ago, teaching precise
ly the opposite doctrine, from what he
would have us believe has always been,
and now is, the doctrine of the Roman
Catholic church in this country. Will he
say that Bishop Carol did not know what
he was saying? That he was ignorant of
the doctrines of his own church, and lead
ing them into error, and degrading him
self in the eyes of all well-informed and
intelligent Catholics and Protestants? He
spoke the truth, and so have all those who
have spoken on this subject since his day.
1t is weak, puerile and foolish, to say that
he was either ignorant or dishonest But
further, here is another extract from an
other Pastoral Letter issued by the sixth
Provincial Council of Baltimore, held in
May, 1916:
at is unnecessary for US to tell you,
brethren, that the kingdom of Christ, OF
which the Bishop of Rome, as the sue
cessor of st. Peter, has received the keys,
is not of this world; and that the obedience
date to the Vacar of the .Savior IS IN no
,oay inconsistent acih yoar civil allegiance,
your social duties as citizens, or your
rights as men,"
We might go on with page after page
of quotations to the same effect; but
where is the necessity? My opponent dis
dains, or fears, to come to the question
to American Catholicism and surely
what has already been quoted is sufficient
when ] was not bound by any rule of dis
cussion to produce any proofs whatever;
at least not until my opponent had made
out a prima facie case.
/ have heard it said-I know not with
| uOW uuCu tIutu--liidU oOulc VI our AuOH
Nothing friends claim to hold the same
views on this question that General Wash
ington did. If they do, they differ very
materially from Mr. Hollister in this re-
spect. Shortly after Washington's elec-
tion to the Presidency, he received an ad-
dress from the Catholics of this country
in which the following passage occurs:
"This prospect of national prosperity is
peculiarly pleasing to us on another ac-
count; because while our country preserves
her freedom and independence, we shall
have well-founded title to claim from heI
justice, equal rights of citizenship, as the
price of our blood split under your eyes,
and of our common exertions for her de-
fense under your suspicious conduct
rights rendered the more dear to us by
the remembrance of former hardships."
To this portion of the address the
father of his country replies as follows:
GAS mankind become more liberal, they
will be more apt to allow that all who
conduct themselves as worthy members o