The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-03-31
THE CHURCH PROPERTY QUESTION.
AkCHBlBHUP HUGHES LETTER,
IN RELATION TO THE
Petition Of the Trustees Of st. Louis Church,
Bufale, and 70 Mr.. PutnAn's ANTI
Catholic Church Property BNl.

NEW YORK, March %, 1855.
TO THE KDrToR OF THE NEW FRKEMAH's JOURNAL.
Having arrived by the Atlantic yesterday have had
barely time to read the foregoing strange documents
proceed to make me following ha.ty observations re-
gard to them inasmuch as Catholics, and others per-
haps, anxious to know my opinions.
do not think there IL any real ground for the alarm
and apprehension which understand now prevalent
among the Catholics Of this city and NO doubt Of ths
entire State, to the effects Of law, which 10
under discussion in che Legislature In Albany regarding
property No doubt 1t Ia its spirit and
in its object anti Catholic enactment, although IT
processes to embraces ali denominations except the 60
hgious communities and strike deeper into eccle-
siastical organizations than its trainers would wish On
the other hand, they felt themselves obliged to give
calling 1t by its title, Ga penal enactment reqnir.
ing Roman Catholics Of the State Of New York to be
governed in the enjoyment and use q their os.
by the discipline Of the religion which they
profess, but By the statute Of the Legislature"
passed the Senate. But should IL become law,
hardly think that Protestant fellow citizens
II Us s
ingeniously provided. II would impose such intri
cate onerous, and sometimes od0us duties the Off
unless ample fees provided they would become dis
gusted with its requirements
1t would certainly inaict very great injury in
rights of conscience and In rights Of property
and this without producing any benefit to any class Of
fellow citizens. STILL should 1t pass, shall not
IL. W
couragements should not DO surprised If ts results
would be beneficial rather than Otherwise, to the real
interests Of the Catholic Church and people The very
enjoyment Of religious mmunites, by civil enactments
will in all probability, excite that sympathy which Is
suffer under the reality, under the appearance
OF persecution, whether that persecution be legal
or not. 1t will have the effect to brace many who
have hitherto been lukewarm Catholics, to higher,
q deeper, and hoer appreciation Of that religion
which 10 thought to require civil enactments for
from the too ardent pursuit.. OF political ends ana pot
cal objects by which their minds led away and
wasted on mere transtory and temporal concerns. IT
will ninuate to Catholics that in the mind of their fell
low citL they because of their religion hardly
qualified to take part In the political stres by which
the country perpetualy seitatsd And the more they
withdraw from such agtations, whether by their own
choice or by such legislative rebukes the enactment
under contempates the more their hearts
their future being and the religion ny means OF which
they TO ultimately the end OF their creation
Legislature at Albany, will prove in its results rather
beneficial than otherwise to the Catholic body at large
The Legislature does not propose to confsca.e their
church property but only to take the management of
it out of their hands proposes to furnish them, and
to force upon them, a wiser jaster, and therefore
better code of ecclesiastical discipline for the man
agement of their church property than their Church
has provided for them. But still it does not go
the length Of conscaton It appears to be foregone
law win accomplish in practice the results which
outlined in its theory This is not certain Pre-
fesSlOnal gentlemen may discover some defect in the
framing and wording of the enastmert which viii
der it inappcable But if this should not be the
case, will only produce the minds Of Catholics the
prevent,
The Catholic lsity in my opinion, will reason with
themselves thus"The Legislature wishes to prevent
our doing with own property what we think proper;
it wishes to give nothing by devise conveyance gift
any other form Of transfer to bishops and clergy
for the purpose Of promoting supporting religion,
except as il sees At TO direct Now in this it seems to
NEEDLE with our religious az well as civil rights and we
shall End twenty ways outside the intricate web of its
prohibitions for doing, and doing more largely still the
very things which 1t wishes not to do In these mat
ters which invade religious wel civil rights,
we shall take the liberty Of doing what right in our
1t does follow from all this that should witness
the passage OF the act in question With pleasure or
satisfaction but look upon it iu anticipation OF it's
worst and in order TO aay the apprshen
sions which prevail, ] point out its probable conse
quences
uncer any circumstances, we must maintain our con.
fdence in the justice and wisdom Of the State to whish
aonayert hs,eaS,er ha the srn ns ~ th. y
partial and oppressive upon denomination, and only
one, OF the community, another future Legislature, bet
ter informed OF the true state OF the case will either
amend its defects repeal altogether case should
be found not amendable.
1bave said that could not nor can any Catholic ap.
prove of 1t, or witness it's passing into law with any
feeling Of pleasure satisfaction. But, the other
hand IL is matter of congratulaon to the Catholics
that they have not had recourse to like public
meetings or circumstances, such as usually had
course to- to prevent the passing OF nqultous in
curious enactment There have been times when 1t
might have been their duty thus to meet, pass resou
tons, and forward nnmerousy signed circumstances.
But in an hour pregnant with excitement, when IL
would be easy to eDgencer feelings that ought TO be
guarded against they have acted wisely in leaving the
matter entirely in the hands OF those who appontei
legislators to represent the sovereign will of this
egn State. No remonstrance shall 20 forth from me
against the contemplated legislation shall encour-
age any thing of the kind in others
The matter Is in the hands of the Senate and Assem-
bly, Of New York. They entirely nearly all Pro-
testant and Potesans have always boosted that they
10 favor of the most unboupded civil and religions
liberty. II Il be their good pleasure in this instance to
refute their professions by their acts be So but the
glory or disbonor shall he theirs alone.
think, however, thatthe chances for right legisla
ton In this matter would be greater IL the Legislature
Of New York better informed sf the state of
the case OF the facts and their bearing involved in
have referred II hardly possible that they should
be acquainted, by personal knowledge tn the reii-
gous discipline peculiar TO the various denon atoms
OF the community So, also, in regard TO the specific
facts involved in the so.caned ecclesiastical property
question among Catholics. Their tutors appear TO have
been the lay trustees Of st. Louis church in Buffalo
What these gentlemen have said whether oralig or ia
the form OF petition has been regarded Catholic test
mopy, and consequently the testimony OF men VINO
could not he suspected OF wishing injury to that demo-
mnation 10 which they profess TO belong. When one
reads their petition, and the act row under debs-
each other The petition OF George Fisher, Michael
Hesmer, Wm D. lie Couteulx, George Lsndrack, and
seventeen Others the foaniation-the bill before the
House, the superstructure to be- reared upon it. Now
wise legislation should rest upon sound and solid basis
That VT ch presented 10 the Legislature by the gentle
men from BuiIao is neither sound solid and with
this part OF the question propose 10 deal at
lengththe more SO that they have introduced my
into their petition / begin by declaring as Of
honor and yeracy, that the petition Of the sestyed
Catholics Of ST. Louis church, far il alleges grew.
20 be redressed or provided against is compound
Of fiction in oil its material parts, with small sprinkny
Of trutb in portions which not material from b-giu
ming to end II begins with the following statement:
Shortly alter these Bishop Hughes aem pted
compel the trustee TO convey the title this church. est
LouisD to him. The trustees resisted firmly
The whole burden OF the petition rests upon the
racy the naccuracy of this statement at least far
Bishop Hughes Is concerned. proclaim in the face of
the sgnes Of the petition and Of the Legislature and s
the whole worls that in the extract quoted there
Of truth.
Having promised much, IL may be proper for 10
give brief history Of the origin and nature OF the diff
culhes between myself and the trustees OF St Louis
Church, in Buffalo in order to make the matter
Ineligible, II Is necessary that should revert TO the
bearings Cf the question as it affected the Catholic
people Of the dioctss Of New York at the period