Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-05-05
MI Wise and the catholies


canvass. J he reasons thai have controlled US IN
this course, DO not feel called on 10 siate: but
to prevent msoppreheusion now declare that
it would he n total and egrcgous nscoust ruc ton
of our silence to suppose tina, we think the as
oendancy Of Romanism, in any country, eomPat
ible with the religious or civil liberty Of lis pen
pie. We believe the Roman Catholic church to
be political, not less than religions establish
ment and that its prcdominence IN any govern
ment would prevent the pfcmuigution and prac-
tice Of the principles asserted by the American
party in this State-and. planting ourselves upon
those principles, we can give no countenance or
orcouragr mcnt to any party or creed that does
rot cherish thea We extract from those 'prin-
cplcs," rs published by order Of the Winchester
Convention, the clause 10 which we refer:
1. That the american doctrine u religious iol
eratiun. and 'n.lre absence of all prescription for
op'nlou'- SAKE, should Ice cher she'd ~ one of the
very Fundamental principles of our civil freedom,
and that any scot or party which believes and
maintains that any foreign power religious OF po.
htieal, has the right TO control the conscience or
direct the conduct of freeman. occupies posi-.
tion which is totally at war with the principles OF
freedom of opinion and which is mischievons in
its tendency. aud which principle if carried into
practice, would prove wholly destructive Of our
religious and civil liberty.
I. That the Bible in the hands Of every free
citizen Is the only permanent basis of all true
liberty and genuine equality.
10. That all sectarian intermeddling with poll.
tics or political institutions, coming from whnt.
ever source it may, should be promptly resisted
by all such means seem to be necessary and
proper for this end.
A conformity to the principles here avowed, we
hold to be essential to the preservation Of civil
liberty, and the enjoyment of the personal and re-
ligious rights which coexst with il.
Under the stringent oxigcncies Of the caasa.H
and the pressure of threatened defeat. " So
has permitted himself to become IT,. deIeuaHi
and euogist of the Catholic church and -
gms and supporters, heedlessly ioGowlue rs
dangerous lead, have everywhere courtrd fhr
favor of its devotees, by gnorantly or cklessly
youchng for its purity of purpose aud innocence
of polity. Mr.. Wise, if accounts be true. has not
contented himself with panegyrics on the Church,
and learned eXpostions of what mankind owe IT,
but has rendered his praises more acceptable by
filings at protestant Popes" and "Presbyterian
Elders"
Before we have finished, we shall show that in
'rry '. public man, Mr. Wise has been absurdly
iaoou tcrt We shall demonstrate that IN re.
i.' politics, he has no principles 50 fixed
tH.t liz. cannot he seduoed or driven from them
by interest or passion that he il as tickle in
Judgment rs he is faithlcss in conduct: that "a
with Jackson and Clay, he has been alternately
the friend and reyiler of each that rs with De
mocracy and Whiggery, he has been in turn the
supporter and maligner of each; with regnrd
to the usages and spirit of Catholicism he has only
become their defender after having himself test
fled against their ignorance and bgotry and su
perstition and barbarity"
On the Goth day of January, lS54 II meeting
held in Broadway Tabernacle, New York
'for the purpose of adopting such measures az
may be deemed proper TO secure the influence OF
our national government in the promotion of the
principles of Religious Freedom and especially
in the protection of American citizens in the en-.
joyment of their rights of conscience and of RI
ligious worship, and to bury their dead in such
way and with such rites, as to them may seem
most appropriate, when sojourning or travelling
in foreign lands" The whole proceedings of
the meeting, which are now before us, as well as
the debates which occurred in the Senate about
the same time, under the lead Of Gen Cass. show
that the object was to break down. by govern
mental iuterferonce,t the bgoted and superstition,
intolerance which forbds Christian burial To Pro.
testants in Catholic countries, md to secure to
Protestants rights of conscience denied them
wherever the Catholic religion prevails When
the meeting was called to order, preliminary
statement was read, setting forth the objects
and necessity of the movement, from which we
make afew extracts to show its character:
when the attempt was made few years ago
by the American Seamen's Friend Society 10
have Protestant religious services conducted
aboard American ships at Havana the Chanlain
was compelled to desst, because il was NOT onlv
required that he should "domicHate" and ,ako
the oath of allegiance to the Queen of Spain. but
also that he should swear that he was good
Catholic" As these words signify "Roman
Catholic" in that land, no conscientious Protes.
tant could or would take the oath. The same
statement holds good of Porto Rico, the other
principal Spanish island in the West Indies.
In Italy itself, the central country of Christen
DOM with the exception of the kingdom of Sardinia
no religious service could be held by an American
Protestant minister for the benefit of his ooun.
trymen, unless in the house of diplomatic or
consular agent, beneath the American flag, and
as it were on American ground. This is SO even
in Rome, the Capital of the Christian World, as
some vauntingly claim. Although the Roman
Catholic Church is permitted to enjoy in these
United States, (seven-eighths at least of whose
inhabitants are Protestants,) all the rights and
privileges that any Protestant Church does. yet
American Prntestants are denied the right to
have a church Ia Rome or even a chapel. unless
unde, the precarous condition Of enjoying the
patronage. Of, and in connection with. the Amer