Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-04-10
Principles and Policy Of the American r,r,-yos

gard its relations the members Of the Roman catho
lie church IL has been charged by its enemies with
being hostile the religious freedom aud a. making war
ON the catholics account Of their peculiar modes Of
faith and worship. The motive which prompts these &C.
eusa,ions Is obvious The purposes sten the odium
intolerance. and OF disposition deny individuals the
RICH, TO worship God according the dictate. OF their
own conscicnees,o the American party But | affirm
that all these charges untrue. The American party
seeks Interfere sritA M rclgion Of an It cheer.
fully acknowledges that that is which rests-snd
should Continue To resbet~eea each niiv aud his
Creator. IL recognises the freedom OF religious opinion
aud OF religious worship in the broadesi OF the
Ii toereut of the religious sentiments OF catholic
OF ProtsstdH.s IL proposes to interfere with
the religious faith and worship OF the one or the other-
Individual members of the order may he disposed 70
further hut challenge the production ct evidence To
them that the American organization party,
such doctrines Turto the authentic exposition Of
the principles OF the party. announced Philadelphia
and If it gives countenance any such idea The
" provisions in tho Philadelphia platform which GU
the subject Of catholicism in form the foos ng
viz the 5th No person should be selected for political
station, whether OF native foreign b,rthl who recog-
nises allegiance obligation OF any description
any foreign prince, potenatc power who refuses
cognse the Federal and State constitutions leach within
sphere) paramount all other laws, rules OF polt.
cal action Aud the 10th which words -op-
position TO any union between Church and State no
Interference with religious faith worship, and
oaths for ofhce.
1t cannot be pretended that either of these indicate
any disposition to interfere with the freedom OF conscience
To peTsecute Catholics account OF their faith
worship On the contrary, the doctrine emphaiicaly
proclaimed in the 10Th section above quoted 40
rERrNcE WITH RELIGIoUs SAirH" "So UNION BETWEEN
CHURCH AND STATE" and ''No TEST OFFICE"
Aud yet in the face of these solemn declarations OF the
creed OF the party, enemies persist in charging
with intolerance and persecution for opinions sake.
This leads enquire why in what respects there is
antagoism between the American party aud the Ro
man Catholics
That there is controversy between the Americans and
the OF the Roman church will
be denied But that controversy not of religious char
dcr but purely political IL has nothing to do with the fd
corsp of the members OF that division of the church
but relates entirely to certain political opinions avowed b!
them in regard "a questions, not OF ecclesiastical Char
acter, but affecting the policy Of the State With the
GaiiicdH branch OF the Roman church, which processes
the religious fdh, and prsctses the forms OF
corSp, with the ultramontane branch-but which repu
dates the obnoxious political opinons,-the American
party have controversy whatever They can cordially
extend them the embrace OF brotherhood aud sustain
them, without sacrifice of principle for political
office
The Roman church is now, and has been for near
hrce hundred years divided into great parties One
OF these u known the GdiheGn, or French branch
and the other the WiTdiRoHidse Italian branch.
The latter maintain that the poser OF the Pope il
premc in temporal well spiritual things They hold
D
vernmcnt oi the car-that the subjects and citizens OF
all governments owe to him higher allegiance than
their immediate ovcreign-and that the Pope has the
power 10 dfhroHs kngs-to s5reri rsp45lic Hniiify
lars aud 10 absoire both subjects and citi,ens from Their
allegiance Z" any sovereign Republic, Eheh may incur
his dispieasurc.
The Gacan branch Of the church recognise the suprc
OF the Pope in all ecclesiastical matters but utterly
repudiate it in all temporal political dTairs.
Great misconcepton has arisen in the minds of men
from not understanding the difference between the two
branches Of the Roman church And our adversaries
with cunning worthy OF esus have studiously endcav-
ored To keep this important division in the back ground
whenever American endeavors show the Danger of
the uitrdaOHdHs doctrine and its ireconcabe antago-
nsm Ia the principles OF constitution they deny that
the Roman church entertAns any such doctrines and
quote largely from members OF the Gdicdn branch TO
Prore their proposition
Begging my readers TO lose sight OF this marked
distinction betweeu the two branches OF the church,
will endeavor exhibit the highest authority
the present position Of parties this important
question.
Politicians not generally very well informed que-.
tons OF ecclesiastical character aud they may there
fore, be- very naturally led into error understand
Ing matters of detail.
striking illustration OF this fact exhibited hut
little than year ago, in the Congress OF the United
states. In the Of debate in that body some al
fusion made TO the claims OF the Pope supremacy
M temporal Affairs. This at once drew from Mr. Chand
Ter, himself member OF the GdilicdH branch OF the
church. eloquent reply in which he utterly dclaimed
and denied any such assumption the part Of the Pope
Catholic lore, sienced aud speech
iothe country conclusive the unjust charge
against the church But unfortunately Tor Mr. Chandler
neither PrOcsants the members the franonfdne
branch OF his church disposed quietly under
his exposition Of the doctrines OF the church The press
both ia this country aud Europe eemed with articles de-
mandatory Of the speech OF Mr. Chandler insncee or
founded IN ignorance or cowArdice.
Professor MoClintc among the first correct the
lie said III Mr. Chandler had been well informed
the subject, he would have told his auditors there are
fassu IT,. in Hh.afn IL.
,tIe ultramontane party d5rDjig and the other thr
Galcan party denying that the Pope, by OF the
spiritual power, has also supreme power least ndi
rrctly, in temporal matters
He then proceeds the relative strength OF the
two parties and shows that the utrlnonane largely in
the ascendaney and that the tiallican party
faction, which Is rather tolerated than cherished by the
enurch Indeed, GaHeani'l is stgmated the 'half.
rdy hOfse 10 Profcsfdqtioa"
Professor McCtntic then saw,
1t remains for me briefly to set forth the present state
Of Roman Catholic opinion. The utramouiane doctrine
held ], 10y the Pope; ., by all the cardinals without
exceptions 3, by all, nearly all the Italian bishops; T.
by majority OF the bishops Of Ge many SPAIN aud Por
tugal q 10y about two-thirds OF the French bishops
Among the religious orders it is held l. by the Jcsut-
without exception, "a be admitted the
der Who denies IT, . by majority Of the members Of the
other (sHty or more) religious orders, which With
each other in devotion to the Pope yeach of them having
= General nj Rome. As for the Catholic journals / the
Civic Cataica at Rome established for the very
tain Utmost effcctually 2 the i-toch Potsche Batter
the most sIunent Papa journal in Germany is strongly al
trsnonane; g. the Cniyers Of Paris Is ultranon-
tame than Bellarmuc f. the Belgian papers think with
out exception that side; and g. BrOwnsons Review
in this country, is what have shown you above
have new done all that promised to do in the begin
ming May not hope that after reading this letter YOU
will se in your place in Congress- the fist convenient
opportunity aud resate your theory Of the church Doe.
not your reputation scholar and gentleman need
such yndication you only make by defining your
position anew II you do not DO this my confidence n
your candOr aud ingenuousnes wall have been sadly mis-
placed II YOU do, beg you to read in the course Of
your speech, the following i passage from the cory
pheus Of Roman Catholic editors in America:
There j., in Judgement but vaiI defence Of
the popes in their exercise of temporal authority in the
middle ages over sOyeregns and that j. that they
by divine tight that ME Bope hods that authority BIZ
rrfHe ~ has coiaission from Jeu Cbris a. e scc,s
'or of Psr, Me prince az he aD2scs and ri5ie head
NJ me Church. ANY defence % them on lover ground
must n our Judgement fail to meet the real points in the
case and is rather evasion than fair honest direct and
-nt-irctoy reply 10 defend their power eStaor-
binary power or a. accident in Church history grow
ing out Of the peculiar ccunstauecs civil constitution
aud laws Of the times passed away. perhaps forever
may be- regarded less likely dplcase Catholics