Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-11-05
NUMBER 81.

Letter from Colonel Clemens to General
Cass.--NOS 2.
(coNTNUED.)
Your late letter, General, reminded me of the
course Of the school boy who in getting his lesson
Skipped ths hard places Allow me to say, With
out the least disrespect that you did a good deal
OF skipping Among other hard places, was the
claim Of temporal power on the part Of the Pope.
You could not deny, and you would not admit.
The denial OF any such claim on the part Of the
Pope was, think, first made by Mr.. Chandler, in
the House OF Representatives and you recolect
the kind Of proof he adduced to sustain him. Tie
Catholic cause was on trial before the Parliament
OF Britain, and the Church furnished the evidence
for itself There would be little need for our crin-
inal courts II the offenders own statement was
sufficient to justify acqnittal prefer to rely upon
testimony OF less equivocal character.
For the first six centuries after the death of II
humble fisherman whom the Popes professed 10
take as their model and the founder Of the Church
they made but little pretension to temporal pow.r'
But as time wore on, corruption after corruption
and error after error crept in. They forgot that
Peter himself was married man. and ordainc
celbacy for the clergy. They forgot that he ira,
elled about on his mission in threadbare garments,
with his coat off and clothed themselves . in pu.-
pie and fine linen They forgot bis confluence,
and surrounded themselves with courtezans Trey
forgot the humility which induced him to prpy
that he might be cruoifed with his head dowl :
wards, TO avoid an appearance, even In DEATH II
equality with his Lord, and boldly claimed tht
they occupied the place s'of the true Godn The
assertion OF temporal power was necessary cor
sequence Of that claim, and it has been exercised
ior q thousand years. Pope John VIII obliged
Charles the Bald to confess tnat he held his en-
pire by the gift of The Pope" Pope Benedict
VIII exacted like pledge from Henry, Emperor
OF Germany, as also a promise to obey him I. in
everything" Pope Nicholas gave Capua to
Richard Guiscard and his brother Robert all the
lands ne might conquer in Sicily, Apulia, and Ca
iabria Alexander II proclaimed William the
hair from the head Of Saint Peter 10 diamond
ring. Gregory VII accommodated the Emperor
OF Germany, and absolved his subjects from their
alegiance. Alexander III forced Frederick to hold
his stirrup while mounting his horse Innocent
III deposed King John of England for confscating
the property Of the clergy, and imprisoning thcir
concndines. Henry VIII Of England and Queen
Elizabeth were also excommunicatcd, and their
subjects absolved from their oaths OF fidelity In
1910, papal bull was issued against Bonaparte,
and another against Switzerland. In 1855, a like
bull has been Numbered against the King Of sar-
dinia
These are but few cases. selected from tie
mass Of material at hand, many more might te
given, but more Is not needed. It is maxim Of
q
claims--to be client when silence is expedient, but
never to lose opportunities. In our own land, such
was the policy for years. but apidly-accumulating
numbers have given their organs a tone Of cor
scious power. and they now speak out boldly in
defiance Of opposition
The following extracts are taken mainly.from
" The Americans Text Book" They have not
been denied, and cannot be.
Brownsons Review says
''Let us dare to assert the truth in the face OF
the iying world, and instead of pleading for our
Church at the bar OF the State, summon The Stnfe
itself 10 plead at be,bar Of The Church, lis dipine-
" constituted judge
The Rambler says
You ask IL he (the Pope,) were lord in tie
land, and you were In the minority, If not in num-
bers, yet In power what would he do to your
That We say, would entirely depend on circum-
stances. If 1t would benefit the cause of Caihc-
licism, he would tolerate you--if cxpedient, he
would imprison you, Danish you, fine you, probably
he might even hang you but, be assured Of one
thing, he would never tolerate you for the sake tf
the glorious principles Of civil and religious
liberty"
The Boston Pilot has uttered this Church and
State sentiment
No good government can eria without rel-
gion, and there can be no religion without on IN
QUESTION, which Is wisely designed for the promo
lion and protection Of the truc faith"
Mr.. Brownson also asserts that tho spiritual
order is supreme "and temporal sovereigns are
subjected to it and TO he Pope, as its supreme
visible chief.n
Again:
"ls the Church dependent upon and responsible
TO public opinion, and therefore in nothing supe-
rior TO an ordinary Protestant sectf We own we
had thought It the Office Of the Church not 10 learn
from public opinion, but TO insfruct and form il
not TO be Judged by it but to Judge a-not TO coG-
form to the maxims Of the age, but to use all her
powers to make The age conform to her marin,sp
Kings and lords, magistrates and rulera, soyer-
eigns and subjects, are under it (the Church) in
all things--alke ia things temporal and in THINGS
spiritatai. Whose denies This, denies not merely
the sonnder opinion, BUr THE CHRIsrIAS RELIGION
ITSELF"
Brownson's Review again says:
Wherever the occasion occurred, the Church
asserted her power, not in empty words only, but
in deeds, 10 judge soyereigns, kings, and Cmsars
to bestow or 10 take away crowns, TO depose nm
god1y rulers, and 10 absoloe their subjects from
their oath of.niiegiance."
So much for American authority Let us see
what Daniel o'Connell Gays:
4" declare my most unequivocal submission to
the head Of the Church. and to the hierarchy in its
different orders. If the Bishops would make a
declaration on this BILL never would be heard
speaking against IL. They have only to decide,
and they close my mouth they have ouly to de-
tcrminc and l obey. / wish 1t to be understood
that such is the duty Of all Catholics"
II is needless to pile authority upon authority TO
prove assumption Of power so notorious. Mr..
Brownson was recently appealed to by some gentle
man In North Carolina, probably in the expectation
that he would deny the Interpretation put upon bis
former writings. | do not propose to follow him
through all tho involved and complicated reason
ing Of his reply. The letter has been widely pull
lished and Is accessible to every one. His COR
cluson is all that is important;
"The Pope is the proper authority to decide for
me whether the Constitution Of this country Is or
is not repugnant TO the laws Of God.n