New-York daily tribune., 1856-04-23
PUBLIC MEETINGS.
CATHOLICISM AND REPUBLICANIsM.

IA
Dr. Orestes A. Brownson gave lecture last evening
in the Taber1ac IL aid OF the Catholic Library As
soca'ion Several hundreds were present.
DR.. BRowSsoS CONNIE need by aluson TO biz last
lecture He said that be then proved that Cathocity
was rot hostile to a Republican Government He
should rrove 70 night that our Government was not
hostile to Catholcity. The postulate OF our Govern
MT Mt was that all men were equal. 1t was Instituted
TO secure cerrain rights inherent in msn-among which
was the right of conscience. The state in leaving re-
Hcion TO the individual, not infdel or anti-re
igious. The State was bound TO secure every man
in the enjoyment of his religion provided it dl not
interfere with the equal rights of Others This was all
which the Church demanded or desired. For her o"d
proper work she had her own goyernment-her own
supreme governor, here own legislative judiciary ana
executive. AL she needed Of civil government wa
freedom to exist and to work-precely the freedom
which our Government proessed 10 afford. Hs
Church his rigb-hs night TO h- own conscience
and she had night to be here because he had
right TO be here Cheers |. She existed, not
BY a special eOncordat, as in most European
countries but by q general concordat made be-
tween the Government and al religions Inc
Government recognizes the independence OF a!
religions and guaranteed the pepetuty OF their inde
pendence, with none but moral or theological oPpo-
sition 10 encounte- Whist more had the Church TO
ask Was she less free because the sects bod the
same freedoml He felt more secure because Pfesby-
plysical violence 10 the Church, she would call upon
he secular arm TO puni-h them. But che never called
the Government 10 suppress heretcs a. long a 'hey
confined Themselves to the force OF argument Cneers
She was quite able 70 meet argument with aigumen,
She not in the habit even of opposing physical force
10 physical force but she in the habit OF vanqush-
ing enemies in being slain, not IN staying Ihe nucn
had never employed the secular arm against hereuc-
EXCEPT in cases in which own Government would
be by its laws compelled TO interfere. Rome never
compelled the unbeleving Jews TO be baptized; she
never perecuted them. The only States Deslr, o9t
own which secured freedom OF conscience werc 'fh'
Olc States States in which the great majority oi the
people were CahOlics-such a. tra1ce, Belgium ana
Austria. The Church condemned te slaye'uade IN
1852 The rev OcaiiOD Of the Edicfs Of Nanier was
done without the authorization OF the Church. Inc
persecution Of the HuguenOts and the dragonades
carried while there was no intercourse between
The Court Of France and the Pope. Bame LOUIS XIV.
and liz advisers much 8s they pleased, they would
Dot touch biz Catholicism for be look ed 70 Rome and not
TO PsIis-he was Payst and not a ROyai-t. The
class Of persons against whom the power OF the lnql-
sition w6s conceded by the Pope were only such a.
were accused Of crimes which own laws would
puu-b. He admitted that the Spanish lnqusltion was
abused and perverted this be was neither prepared
nor di. pOsed 10 deny. But King who, Ike Philip H.,
could make the Pope not precisely the per
ION to saddle the Pope with the stigms of h acts The
blame rested with The secular government and in1i-
viGusl iuquisitors, who perverted from rs Original
purpose He should undertake 10 defend these any
more n an be should undertake defend ltas l-caTOt
The Church denied the competercy Of the state IN
spiritual subjects and she Therefore denied the right Of
the State 10 d,terruiEe the religion Of it subjects
Because the Church held infdelty to be sn she did
OF call on the state TO punih lnhdeHy The Church
hed drunkenness aud intempersnce TO be sin, bat
VITO ever heard Of the Church calling on the Govern
NETT 10 pese Maine Lq or law Prolonged ap-
plAuse. There a WIDE difference between Cathol'
csm and Calvin-m. Calvin, when be made the code
for Geneva prohibited everything which be supposed
forbidden by the sw Of God. The Puritans prohibited
pies and pudding. from being made ChristInGs or
c. - IL
va. all different with the Catholic Church. 10 Prot
e-iant COMMITS the state did great many thing
vi oh done IN Catholic countries by private char
tiles far better. Let the Calvin.tic spirit have free
scope, and the Cslvinist himself would find the
world 20 be one eternal IeadTnill Indeed they be
Hsved that every ought ~ bold n the doctrines Of