The Nevada journal., 1857-01-16
THE CHAPLAIN OF THE SENATE.


the assembly expressing no choice in
the matter may be taken as sign
that the people of California are about
to adopt catholicity as their religious
faith.
This event may be looked upon as
the first dawning of that "good time
coming" which has been SO long on the
way. Judging from this high express
sion of popular feeling, California, it is
now to be hoped, will be the first among
the American states to renounce those
damnable heresies which have so
long sat like incubi on large portion
of the human race, and the first to re-
turn, with humble penitence, into the
sacred bosom of "Holy church. >
Henceforth, we may expect to avoid
those errors and evils into which poor
frail human nature is so apt to wander,
when unaided by the truthful directions
of an infalIible guide. For this first
step towards radical reform, the senate
deserves the heartfelt thanks of all who
take an interest in the temporal and
eternal welfare of our race.
The catholic religion is essentially
the religion of freedom and progress.
Wherever its genial influence has been
felt, humanity has sprung up to high
sense of its own dignity, and the human
mind has expanded with intelligence,
and been exalted with noble ideas of
human rights. Where its power has
obtained. no fetters have ever bound
the intellect of man, but its ascendency
has ever been based on the enlighten-
ment of the masses. 1t has never
sought to confne education and learn
ing to its priests and high functionaries,
but has ever endeavored to disseminate
them widely among its humblest vota-
ries. 1t has never taught the slavish
doctrine that faith should precede un-
derstanding, but has always held. as its
cardinal maxim, intelligo ut credO. Ii
has never used the bloody arm of per-
secution to enforce its mandates, but has
extended its empire through the gentle
influences of moral suasion alone. Il
has never sought temporal power, but
has ever opposed the union of church
and state. 1t is peculiarly the religion
of patriotism, for it teaches that the
) commands of ones country must be
obeyed before the commands of the
church. 1t is peculiarly the religion O.
republcanism, for wherever it has pre-
vailed, governments have been free
How much farther advanced would oul
race be to-day in science, in art, in in
: dividual liberty in all that dignifie
, and ennobles us, if the catholic churcl
had always been universal in its domin
ion-if none of the human brood ha6
ever wandered from under its sacred
wing.
History is the great advocate of the
} catholic church. During the middle
} ages, its empire over the minds of mer
, was almost universal, and it is well
known that in that golden period, the
human race made the most rapid strides
towards perfection. After the (so-call
: ed) reformation, professionalism spread
over northern Europe, through Great
, Britain, and in North America. Mark
the result. From that time until the
, present, those countries have showr
nothing but retrogression and decay :
exhibiting no touches of freedom in theil
civil institutions no strength of EN-
pire, commanding respect among the
} nations-no progress in the arts ant
sciences-no enlightenment among the
, masses of the people = no improvement
in anything that shows the development
of mans highest energies. On the othel
hand, in the countries where catholic
, ism has remained dominant in Spair
in Italy = throughout the whole o
southern Europe, and in South and Cen
trail America, the human mind ha
r kept on its course triumphantly and glo
riously individual liberty, in its wi
dest sense, has been common blessing
splendid national government have
steadily increased in power, giving nj
signs of weakness or decay = the art
and sciences have Aourished = educa
ton has been universal = and man ha
stood forth, the paragon of animals
Seeing all this, the people of the state
of California, through their senators
provided, always, that the aforesaid
senators have truly represented thu
above mentioned people) have wisely