Washington telegraph., 1856-02-13


ask the gentleman from Alabama whethe,
/ Stephen Langdon was not a Catholic priest
and whether be did not present Magns
Char,a to King John /! s- -.
A Member lie was not Catholic
priest
Another Member. lie was an Archbish.
op. So much the worse.
Mr.. SMiTH. (resuming) I do not re-
member the name of the distinguished per-
son who led tie revolution which resulted
in the establishment, OF Magma Charta.-
lie may have been Catholic priest but,
sir, he only interveued between the Pope
and the King and The gentleman ought to
have remembered that the Pope excommu-
nicated every man who aided in the estab-
lishment of Magra Charta. cloud and
long continued apnlause) Isay. Mr., Clerk,
that Stephen Langdon may have been a
Catholic priest. and no doubt he was, but
be only intervened between the King and
the Pope; and the gentleman ought to have
remembered that for his agency in working
out that great chart of liberty, he. with ev-
cry other man who acted with him, includ-
ing the King himself, was excommunicated
by the Pope; an interdiet was laid on the
charter itself. and its great and glorious
doctrines were denounced as heresies =
Again. sir. ask the gentleman when, in
any assembly ON the face of the earth, was
the Roman Catholic clergy ever found on
the side of liberty When, in any contest
between the people and the tyrant. did the
Roman Catholic clergy fail to take sides with
the existing power, whether king pope, or
emperor
Mr. WRIGHT I ask the gentleman from
Alabama ii he regards Charles Carroll, of
Carrollton, as having been friend to lib
erty p?
Mr.. SMITH. Certainly. I would not ut
ter word against that ilu>trious name
He stands revered, in my estimation. not
far below the Father of his Country, [point-
ing to the picture of Washington That is
an individual case. am speaking OF the
Roman Catholic clergy as legislators. l
trust. sir, that [ shall aever be wanting in
my veneration for any of the illustrious
founders of this Republic and | am sure,
sir, that no member of the American par
ty would hesitate a moment to do hOm-
age in memory Of Charles Carroll, of Car
rollron.
Member But he was not Catholic
priest at all.
Mr.. LErCHER, lin bis scat) No. but he
was Catholic, which is the same thing.
Mr. SMITH. 1t is no matter whether he
was a priest or not; the American party
viii be the last to forget him.
But. sir, when was interrupted by the
two or three questions which have been ask
ed me, | vas about to revert to the assem-
by in France, in the beginning of the
French revolution. when Lafayette and 9th
er illustrious lovers of liberty acting with
him, desired to frame constitution which
France. Where were the Catholic clergy
then! Did they not in the National Assem-
bly,, invariably cast their votes on the side of
the King. using all their efforts to thwart the
liber'y party. sometimes retiring from the
hall, to produce anarchy in legislation, and
always contending for the clergy and priv
leges-the Pope and the King | nigh;
refer you, sir to other aud numerous in
stances. in the legislative history of nations,
to. show the bearing of the Roman Catholic
clergy to that sort of government which is
best ;ypifed by she monarchical regulations
in the Roman Catholic church-an essential
tyranny head the leading tyrant of
Christcndom And this brings me to speak
of the great fundamental principles of the
American party on this subject. 1t is not
the religion Of the Roman Catholic-it is
his politics. | say that | object to the
Roman Catholic because spiritually. tempo
rally. and politically, he owes an allegiance
to the Pope above that which he acknowl-
edges to the Constitution of the u. States !;
and at the proper time. shall give to gen.
tleinen of this House, the fullest. most tho
rough and complete authorities in reference
to the points which here make; and |
shall defy them. not to meet my poor argu-
ments, but dispute the authorities.
Now. sir, as to the position of the gentle
man from Louisiana. MIR. Eustis.i | have
only this to say: If the Louisiana Catholics
are not Roman Catholics, they do not come
within the objection raised by the American
party.
Mr.. EUsrIs IF the gentleman will al
low me to interrupt him, will inform him
that the Louisiana Catholics are Roman
Catholics. Every Catholic is Roman Cath
oic. There Is but one denomination, there
is but one word known to that church, and
that is Roman Cdthoiic.
Mr.. SMIra. Then my opinion is very
distinctly known to the gentleman from Lou
isiana
But perhaps the gentleman is mistaken
1t is we'll known that there are very great
and leading differences of opinion as to the
Pope's temporal power. between the various
orders of the Roman Catholic church.
do net think, sir. that the gentleman from
ILouisiana. MIR. Eustis, or his friends. ought
to consider themselves prescribed by the 9Th
I article of the American platform
If the gentleman from Louisiana Mr.
Eus,is] will remember that Aae1'can'sn,
l =; a.. 1oad;no idea of the partv he should