Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-04-01
For the Nashville Patriot
AncricaRlisnl.

In onr last article we mentioned fact that
all ought to know, that the idea of prescription
90 account of religion involves a stupid con
cet, totally at war with facts. We also stated
that allegiance to a foreign power is the true
point at issue. In this form the question must
be met, or not met at all. Any other view Of
the case is preposterous.
Leaving the Gaican Catholic free from i'm
putation, we ask, are not Roman Catholics in
allegiance, through their bishops and priests,
to the Holy Father7 Can they, while so cir
cumsanced, take tho oath of allegiance re
quired for citizenship, without mental reserva
ton9 They cannot. A Romanist, for in
stance, appears to swear according to law;
bat, while the work proceeds, he silently un-
derstands the renouncing of all foreign powers
to refer to temperatures. At the same time
he believes that lie owes a spiritual allegiance
to the man at Rome, which recognizes in him
the right to absolve from all civil relations and
engagements, when he judges that such are in
compatible with the duty of a Romanist.
In plain English, if we were Romanist, We
could very freely take the oath of allegiance,
as now worded, and turn round ard laugh in
our heart at those who might think that we
renowned the doctrine "that the temporal is
subordinate to the spiritual"
If the words of the oath were presented to
US AS follows we should, as a Romanist, refuse
to become a naturslized citizen :-"That we
shall support the Constitution of the United
States, and absolutely and entirely renounce
and ALLURE all allegiance and fidelity, both
SPIRITUAL and temporal, to every foreign prince,
potenGate, &C." Let the oath be put in this
form to a bishop or priest, and our word for it
in advance, that you will never hear of anoth-
or naturalization of q bishop or priest. We
shall give four days to any man to deny this,
authoritatively, before we produce some start
ling facts on the matter.
The point involved in what we have just
stated, is that which is embraced in the cele.
brated letter of Mr.. Brownson to Mr.. Davis,
Of North Carolina: "The Pope is he prope,
authority to decide for Inc whether the Cousti
tuition of this country is or is not repugnant to
the laws of God
The words we have thrown into the oath
would settle tue matter, if fully reduced to
practice. To understand Hebrew is a small
task 10 comparison with acquiring perfect
understanding of the ways and workings of
Romanism. How many understand this dec
laration Of Brownson: "Gsllicanisn is a spe
c;as Of oil fNvvisto in ha propar eanea of La
word and as such, is powerless shall not
learn my religion at Paris, bat at Rome
How many understand the meaning of the
following declaration of the far-famed Romish
writer, Dens: "All tie faithful, also Bishops
and Patrisrchs, are bound to obey the Roman
Poutiff. The Pope hath also not only direc.
tive, but also cosctve power, over sll the
faithful ID de EecIcs No. "a, p. 49,
We shall now suggest how Romsnists may be
reached by political article in party plat
form: Resistance TO the dangerous influence
Of all, whether called Roman Catholics, Prot
estants or Mormons whether natives or for
egners by birth-who acknowledge allegiance
to any foreign power, civil or ecclesiastical,
signifying thereby that said power has the right
TO interfere with the relations which exist be-
tween subjects and their civil rulers, under the
plea that the temporal is subject to the spiritual
by the advancement 70 all political stations, ex-
ecuiivs, legislative, judicial or diplOmaiic--of
those only who protest against the allegiance
and the plea stated, and who are Americans
by birth, education, and training-thus fulfill
ing the maxim, Americans shall govern
Amsrieai'n
Reader, remember the question involved in
the four days mentioned in ihis article.
J. L. CHAPMAs.