The daily union., 1856-01-16
HON. MR.. SMITH, OF ALABAMA, US. THE CATHOLIC
sH CLERGY AND POPE.


CLERGY AND POPE.
He mr. Smith) asked that gentleman, (Mr. Eusts of
Louisiana any other gentleman whether they could
point instance where Catholic priest had been found
arrayed the side of the people in opposition TO King
or arbitrary powerP
hope Messrs Editors may be pardoned for presuming
to tespass upon your indulgence the patience of your
readers while before them facts challenged be
produced in single instance" by the above quotation
from the remarks of the honorable member The
numerous and well known to every at all
with the history Of Europe and America that it would
Re more difficult to make selection from among the
many than to find individual instance of eccesiastics
Of every grade epousng the Of the people against
the arrogant professions Of kings and rants As space
will permit to be lengthy, will only allude 10 the
great struggle between King John aud bis Catholic sub
ects 1915 when they wresed from him the Nogna Char
a. that buwark Of English liberty well the founda
ton upon which rests constitutional liberty in America ;
for it for the liberty it secured Engshmen that the
republican fathers pleaded for fourteen years at the foot of
Protestant throne, bu, pleaded in vain
shall aude to this of the oppressed against the
oppressor the willingly because it incidentally
alluded TO House by the honorable member in which
the Pope also implicated opposed TO the reasonable
demands Of the people 1t said, moreover that but
small part OF the Catholic people engaged in this IL
lustrious affair Let what authentic history de-
care as il is the only reliable OF Information and
aon the 25th Of August 1914 the barons met at ST
Panls in London Langdon the primate and Archbishop
Of Canterbury, (Caholc) read them the provisions OF
the charter OF Henry commented upon them enforced
the necessity Of restraining the Kings lawess tyranny and
prevailed upon them each other to die in de-
fence Of their liberties sooner than make any surrender
thereof
aon the goth November I2l4 the barous again assem-
bed at the Abbey OF ST Edrpuuds After having several
previous meetings fixed the special demands which they
to make all having been committed to writing they
one by one advanced and ascended high altar and took
solemn oath God and to his pecrs TO withdraw bis allie
glance from John iyrant should he refuse 10 grant
the claim Of their and the public rightsP
On the feast Of the Epiphany January l2l5, exactly
six hundred and oryope years ago the bishops and other
barons followed the King the temple 10 London where
be had shut himself up and there presented their csim
John threatens them but finding them obstinate the King
gave bis suretes TO give favorable answer before
Easter the Bishop OF Ely and the Earl Of Pembroke Du
ring this respite he used every TO the nau
and adhesion Of the clergy and also applied the
Pope to aid him, making public that he would 20
Crusader and wage against The inhde oppressors Of
the suffering Christians in Greece and Asia On the 10th
March the primate Archbshop Langdon) received
from the Pope complaining Of the injustice Of refusing 10
John the rights which he had peaceably possessed by his
brother Richard and his father Henry charging the Arch
bishop with seiiouSly Encouraging fhe subjects against
their monarch and requiring bis influence
reconciliation The bsrons also received letter from the
Pope in which he censures them for demanding roleng
what they might have asked as favor He promised
hot they behared nih humility and moderation he would
nercede for them and obtain from the King any
BILE boon But the Catholic bishops and Catholic barons
could not be Influenced by the Pope longer denied by
the yrant john and the monarch compelled TO sub
nit Thus Bunnymede exhibits the value of Papal
ference with Roman Catholics who while they were faithful
to the head OF their church. Jet acknowledge In him no
right TO interfere In their temporal government They
would have resisted even him. they did John they
would any other dcspot or unpnncipicd tyraptl
The parties engaged In this memorable contest for lib
ery and the rights Of the people the King egats
Pandu and eight bishops wbo had been drawn away by
influence of the King" and fifteen gentlemen On Tho
side Of the people stood Fizwaer "Ms general or N,
army Of God and Of ne Holy Church" accompanied by the
Archbishop Of Canterbury the res, OF the English bishops
several abbo and the host Of the Catholic mobility to-
gether with their knights and csquires. Thus was OBJ
taned and secured to the world The s great charter
popular liberty
Every reader OF history knows very well that all the
claim Of the Pope to temporal power bp concession
Of the monarchs Of continental Eorope when all we're