The true Democrat., 1855-10-23

tic note through MT. Van Buren, little did the great general and hero of New Orleans imagine, that an evil day would ever come in this country, when any republican gentleman,
 bearing the name of an American, would be found using his great talents in the ingloriouS ooork, of attempting to substitute for equalrgh and liberty of conscience, disabilities and penal ties on account of relgim and place of nativity, because it so happened, that his mother was not resident of England, Ireland, Scotland France, Germany, or Italy. when he was born.
 "There are few in this country" said John Randolph, in the House of Representatives of the United States, (himsef among the few as adescendant of Pocahontas,) "who have not for eign blood, of the richest mixture, in their no- bIe compositions"
 I will now contrast the opinions of Chief Justice Fancy, when attorney Gen ral of Maryland, and of the late Chief Justice Gaston of North Carolina, with the to,'- elgn creed n,ann.factured and pronaulyated by Capt. Pike, in his moments of amusement, for the prescription of his Catholic neighbors cx- cept those of Louisiana and elsewhere, but a0here that ELSEWHERE is situated, 1 have, in vain con- suited both ancient and modern geographers to discover. And as for the French Catholics in Louisiana, l can assure the noble captain that they are governed by eccleastical superiors appointed by, and in communion with the Apostolic See, and whenever they cease to be thus governed, they cease to be Catholics, and may then choose what is most pleasing to their fancy. La toi Catholique est toyours la mense, and hence | look upon it, as piece of mask ed deception, and false favor for gentleman of the know nothing party to attempt to insin- uate that he would abolish the Catholic test oath in the platform by emitting the words Roman Cathohc, and retaining at the same time the NIjunct ecclesiastical The thing is absurd it is adding insult to insult, for every native American Catholic whether in Louisiana or else where knows, if he understands anything of his religion, that tLe spiriturl and ecclesiastical
 jurisdiction of Plus the TX in o,bee te1ra, una
 is a dogma of Catholic faith over eigiteea hua- dred gears old, and whoever abjures that spiri- tual and ecclesiastical authority, abjures in toto Catholcity-Qm afeadt in uno .tactus est oma- mum, reats.
 OPINION OF CHIEF JUSTICE TANEY.
 The power exercised by the Pope in the Ro- man Catholic church, has no connection whatever with that which he possesses as a temporal Prince, but differs from it altogether, in its cha racter and the means by which it is enforced And if he should be deprived of his temporal dominion, his jurisdiction in the Roman Catho- hc church would remain unaltered in any res pect. His authority in the church is merely spiritual, and obedience in spiritual matters, to a spiritual superior, is certainly no transfer of allegiance in temporal concerns, and it is inn possible in the nature of things, that obedience due from Roman Catholic, whether layman or clergyman, to the authority of the Pope, in spiritual matters, can ever come in conflict with the duties of allegiance or the calls of patriotism.
 OPINION OF THE LATE CHIEF JUSTICE GAsToN.
 The Bishop of Rome is the acknowledged head of the Roman Catholic church, and as such must have a jurisdiction of some sort over it; jurisdiction implies obedience The second question therefore involves the inoui- ry, whether the fact that the primate of the church possesses a temporal sovereignty over DOT ion of Italy, renders spiritual obedience on the part of its members here breach of their allegiance. 1 answer, no. First, because he who omits no duty, and violates no com- mand, which fidelity to his country demands, has fulfilled aN the obligations of allegiance. Secondly, because the obedience rendered to the orders of the spiritual superior, has no con- necton with, or reference to the temporal au- thority of that superior, and would be precise ly the same whether such superior were the inmate of prison or the possessor of throne. And thirdly, because the conscience of him who obeys, and his conscience only regulates his obedience, and of that conscience his coun- try allows him the undisputel dominion.
 What pity for the honor of Arkansas, that Capt. Pike had not read the official opinions of two of the most eminent and learned Catholicju- rists that this or any other country could boast of, on subjects supposed to be known to all li- terary gentlemen. when through motives best known to himself, he undertakes deliberately to charge the religion of Fancy and Gaston, as being dangerous to civil liberty and hostile to republcanism. An! Captain, you could not have been se,ious-you knew better, for facts, and stubborn ones too are against you, and truth and only truth demands of me to say 50, otherwise 1 would not have taken up my pen.
 Read at your leisure, dear Captain, the unan- swered and unanswerable arguments of the inn mortal Gaston in defence of the religion of his choice and convicton before the State conven- tlon of North Carolina in 1885, and if the power and force of truth have any charms, to captivatc and engage the mind to serious consideration, you will be frank enough after careful peru sal of Gaston's eloquent and able exposition of Catholic principles, to acknowledge that you have been egregiously mistaken and have done a gross injustice, to your neighbors, who never did you any wrong, in defining Roman Catholics to be, those only, who admit in the Pope a power to meddle in temporal matters, and hold that members are bound to reveal all secrets at the confessional.
 It is far from my wish to write or say word approximating to disrospect, but this 1 have no hesitation in saying, that if the lamented Gas ton were still on this side of the grave, he would, in his characteristic meekness, feel for the weakness of a learned brother of the Ar- kansas bar, who made himself conspicuously ridiculous in giving the outpourings of his fer tile imagination for the meaning of the term Roman Catl,olic. A school boy would really pronounce the definition sheer and exquisite noa- sense For what man with his senses about him ever believed before the days of Cap tain Pike, that the obligation of confessing or revealing all secrets and not oU sins at the con- fessional, made up one haIf of the latest invent ed rule of faith, that constitutes in omnibus re- bus a member of the Roman Catholic church? Confession is only the second part of the sacra- ment of penance, and not i,deed tue most essea- tial part, and when member of the Catholic cnurCn goes to COnleSSOH I IS HOt GO TeOeU SeCTetS but to confess with true sorrow and contrition has ovn sins, committed against the law of God, and not the sins of his fellow creatures. For it is forbidden to mention the sins of third per- son at the confessional.
 recommend Captain Pike to read in the ap- pendix, Judge Gaston's defence of confession before the reform convention of his native State, Worth Carolina) in debate on the thirty second article of the constitution, which declared, that no man who denied the being of God, or the truth of the Protestant religion, could be capa- ble of holding any office, or place of trust or profit in the civil department, within that State. While this penal law remained on the statute book, Gaston was appointed chief justice by the legislature, but in taking office was not req,lir- ed to swear to the truth of the Protestant reli- zion. PETRlCULA.
 Little Rock, Oct. Il, 1855.
 North Carolina COnyentiOn, 1885. JUDGE GAsToN ON COMPASSIONATE. FISHER IN
 THE CHAIR.
 Sir-It has also been asked, whether Catho-