Washington telegraph., 1856-07-09
Orestes A. Brownson on Democracy and
Catholicism.

We think it very probable that the
publication of the following extract from
the writings of sOREsTEs A. Brown
SON, in the Hampstead Democrat of the
Gath ult., went very far towards convinc-
ing those who never read anything else
from his pen, that the Roman Catholic
Church is the peculiar and tutelary genl-
us of liberty. Mr.. Brownson is repre-
sented in the extract published in the
Democrat, as saying
"By popular liberty, we mean democ-
racy; by democracy, we mean the demo-
cratic form of government; by the demo-
cratic form of government we mean that
form of government which vests the SOW
ereignty in the people as population, and
which is administered by the people, Ell
ther in person or by their delegates. By
sustaining popular liberty, we mean, not
the introduction OF institution of democ-
racy, but preserving it when and where it
is already introduced, and securing its
free, orderly, and wholesome action:
"But we are told that Catholics are OPP
posed, not because they are Catholics
simply, but because, being Catholics, they
owe allegiance to foreign power, and
therefore cannot be good citizens. No
Catholic, it is assumed, since he owes al
legiance to the Pope, can be bound by
any obligation he may contract as citl-
zen. If we really supposed that any one
among us could be so simple as to believe
this, we would contradict it. But they
are charges too absurd to need reply
The Catholic does, indeed, owe allegiance
to the Pope, as the visible head of the
Church, but not as visible head OF the
State. Whoever knows anything at all
of the obligation of the Catholic to the
successor of St. Peter, knows that it
would be as absurd to conclude that the
Christian, because he owes allegiance to
God, cannot be good citizen, nor true
to the obligations he contracts as eltl-
zen to the State, as to infer that CathO-
lie cannot be a good citizen because he
owes allegiance to the visible head of his
church. So far as this allegiance is a
fact, and so far as it is operative on the
heart and conscience of a Catholic, it
binds him to be peaceful and obedient
subject to the State, a faithful and conscl-
entious citizen"
In our issue of the 11th of June, we
| said ...-
-s'because the Pope and his consistories
of Bishops, his satraps and emissaries,
endorse, as orthodox, his MIR. Brownson' >
views of Rome, you cannot refuse to ad-
NIT him as credible witness, however
much you may affect to disbelieve in the
power for harm of the inevitable tenden-
cy, of the unchecked growth of the prin-
ciple to which, by the force of his rea-
soning, the power of his eloquence, and
the subtLeky of has dangerous arts, he
may lead the popular mind, if not disa-
bused of the errors which he clothes in so
specious a garb.'
The Hampstead Democrat admitted Mr..
Brownson as a witness, and gave the lap
guage quoted from him, and which ap-
pears above, as evidence that the Romish
Church was not anti-Republican in its
tendency. Let us see how far the Hemp
stead Democrat was right.
There is absolutely nothing deducable
from the extract from Mr.. BrownsOn
which We reproduce. 1t serves to show,
however, that Mr.. Brownson possesses, in
no ordinary degree, the faculty of dis
guising, when he so chooses to do, the
real nature of the plan of that great COM
bination of powers which he so ably rep
resents. Mr.. Brownson gives, in the
above extract, quite a scholarly definition
of the term Democracy; he tells, in very
fine phrases of set speech, what it means.
But the Hampstead Democrat, when it
attempted to convince its readers that the
Romish Church was the friend of Democ-
racy, and that it was not Republican,
did not tell its readers what were the
terms upon which the Romish Church
espoused the cause of Democracy and Re-
publicanism. Mr.. Brownson, however,
did set forth and proclaim these terms
and in order to give the people an oppor-
tunity of making up their minds as to
whether they will accept this ''friend'
on the terms proposed, we will publish
the terms. Mr.. Brownson says, speaking
of the Roman Catholic Religion and the
necessity of its supremacy in order to the
existence of Republicanism-
'sThe real question then is, not the COM
patibility or incompatibility of the Cath
otic Church with Democratic institutions,
but is the Catholic Church the Church of
God? Settle this question first. But,
in point of fact, Democracy is mis-
clsieuous dream wherever the Catholic
Church is not predominant to inspire
the people with reverence, and to teach
and accustom them to obedience to an
tAority." .-e-.s-.
Will the Democracy of America ac
| ,o,,{ -or,-ard,apcl,n 81