New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-03-30

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- ~ 1isAop Haxhcs v concerned poe'~1 70 ne
- ~ he septrp OF the petition, snS Of re Lsss
ne ssd Of the whole world, ,hs :. INC ekase.!
xsoged, there rs nos . sentence '''
Ale, nor letter Of huh.
.,svins uytmistd % ruch !; may De proper TOT M
q. ave b,ief history Of the C.gin ana insure ,ae
S,&n,,;es be, seen mysen aud fhs ifu-,ees Oh ~.
nns' Church 10 Buffalo In order 10 mase zee IN "
Ger more intelgible, ,s necessary ,u sc.aa ne
csthoic people Of the Diocese OF New YORK a. the
period r,ferred 70.
eminent OF the Diocese, IN 1889, ne iouno esey
Shnrcb therein under the management, as far as re
Isted 70 what was called temper slhes, oil LAY itos
1e,. He found tie congregations OF those Cnurcne.
ser orally divided amoDe Themselves INTO .hs
psrtes having 10 nuiusl s{InPsth'e5 V rnona than
other He ,1nd them involvef 10 deo, INC o. ~
souel 70 the value of the property. 10 ine C.5,,c
Nev.York there we're at that perloa III 20 mat
fhnrohes OF these three were puiev Az ,vh;Ie
CsI..p., on tbeir debts az Il became Que, "Ile
ne m,ies' ,h,.a we're involved apparently Do
-. ~ ospect OF exrlcstOn' iuo'o %.
IT, Cb1rcbes or rather the Trustees repressu'ns
En-, became bankrupt In their corporate IaPttSy,
Tem and personal properly passed iuto the nsoos
- .ss;ore.s and were disposed oil 10 tne oIum1y
r Of law ust the same ss II they ha1 oeen oank
yupt tbesteIs. The price shlch tnsy @ Lila N
~, have paid more than thirty cents on tae aolar 70
81, creditors AID, ON the other mana, u "Ou'9
have teen stigma the Ca'bohc oooy ti:rss, anu
No, on the trustees as individuals, II toer deo,s,
hath
A., +; iu,tiee should not be paid TO the last fartnns;
Vow bere YVES result that startled ana sitrIntd
,,s Catholics From the time OF Their origin 10 tne
C;,v ~ New York, they had been In tle htot OF
contributing generou'iy Dy sol Co. continpsn,s
Of sucn contributions during Pehou " in'ie i1n
half q century, they made the neisncuo,y ls1'Veiy
tia, the chur hes which thty MAJ ot;, @ dnh.
n.,ed fhemse Ives to OVID, were suuK 10 deot itr
rmore than ibey were WORTH aud belonged both In
law and in squty 10 their creditors All tue money
thew had contributed for religious pbrPo-es over
ard above current expenses for the maintenance OF
6;yirs worebjp was eone-goIe-and With II their
honor ss a trustworthy religious community bne
preseut Archbishop of NeE YORK was Tue puf-
chaser OF those churches when they were sod re,
spectyely; that If, he was the highe,t oio1er ana
ACCORDINGLY they pa Sod into bis hands for the time
btipe not in the form of trust for him and his
suooessors but by a legal title 10 fee simple. From
that momeLt the confidence and hopes Oh tae Oa.uo
lie people begsn to revive. They raliiei around
then Bst Cd and around the cergyInen respectively
appointed by him 10 take charge OF those churches
Nv an effort which has continued for years. they paid
M5a w " To-. ets a. se.elansa ~ .Gs
their own honor religious denomination, by pay
ing ali those debts for the recovery OF when
was no law They wiped out every stigma whlchthe
bad maDags ment OF lay Trustees had brought upon
their Otherwise uDtsrDihed nsDe
Iwould not be un6erstO ID here as inputing moral
d.ro uepcy 10 The several Boards Of Trustees then
in ex steI CO. TO their predecessors. Bat expert
eIce has proved Ia our own country, as well as else
where that there is a subtle element OF deceptive
pefs ing and inherent in the nature OF corporate
BODIES. Tie members Of such bodies are seldom
conscious of the presence Of this element, which, as
long as things 20 on well, philosophy has hitherto
been bsfed in her attempts to define or identity 1t
is OILY wien the community is stunned by some ex-
plosion of Encouragement Of public trusts by cor
porate bodies that the fact itself becomes palpabe
and uIdeniable. But even then, except in some
stsrtlipp case of fraud the establishment settles do
into that benevolent humanity which winds up
catastrophe q railroad, with the considerate yer
dict thai blame is not 10 be attached to any one in
particular.
have never known an instance of fraud or pecu.
lstion enoDg the Jay trustees of the unfortunate
Churches TO which have referred la other respects
they were not exempt from those self illusions TO
which corporate bodies even in seasons OF apparent
prospe rity are 30 frequently hsbe. This proved
by the result Of their long abors. After an admins
atioD Of the temporal affairs Of the Catholics during
aperiod Of ffy years, they and the community were
asfoI ished at discovering tina. the Church property
under their mans &c meJt still in debt, 10 amount
more than its entire value. Thus il ascerAined
that except in the mere use Of the etl6ces for re-
Hgious purposes, the condition of the Catholics Of
New York was worse than If they had never owned
any Church property whatever. IL was not surprls-
ing therefore, that the Catholic community, clergy
end laity, under such circumstances shoald tura
away az they did, in disgust, from system which
had wrought out such une1pec co. and for the honor
Of their fame as religious community, sach dsersd-
liable results
property by lay trustees has been asice rather,
has died out their reputation has been retrieved and
restored. They have seen paid off not only their
legal debts, but the debts OF honor bequeathed to
them by the defuDct system. They have seen those
Older churches recovered from rnin and churches
spriDgnR up every side. They have seen All end
put to divisions chickering's and stres in the several
congregations of the Diocese, and spirit of union,
bMnoDy, and, above ALL charity. extending itself
ov their whole community.
With this experience fresh in their memory nothing
than absolute coercion will induce them to return
to systep from the effects OF which they have es
!. captd at the expense of so many and such nobl,
! sacrifices.
am, however, far from being satisfied with tn,
mode in which church property is generally held a
the prseent time II has involved the Bishop 10 many
cares, aDxiees and responsibilities, which it would
be for him great and most desirable relief to be rid
of. And should hail with delight any legislative
measure by which, on the eide, the dangers that
have resu ted from the former Encouragement of Lay
Trustees might be securely guarded az anst; and, on
the other, the inconvenience of the present system
remedied; the rights Of the laity well as Of the
clergy provided for and the church property legally
secured to the sacred ends and purposes for which it
was created and intended.
Legislature on behalf of the Trustees of St. Louis
Church il lie insiRuaed if not asserted that the sys-
tenn Of lay Trustees set aside by the improper ex
ercse OF episcopal authority in the Diocese of New
York. This is entirely untrue. When that system
was set aside there was no Catholic Bishop in the
State Of New York, except myself, and know tina,
never used my episcopal authority, whether properly
or improperly, for the purpose of dispacng lay 1rus-
tees in sDy Church in my Diocese 1t is quite true
that when appealed 10, have recommended in a
few instances, that they should resigp as the best
means Of putting an end to strifes among themselves
or Of saving the church under their management from
being sold for It's debts. This, however, was always
IN the form Of friendly advice but in no case have
ever asked them to resign their office as an act of
obedience to episcopal authority. In no case have
ask ed them any of Them to make over the title of