Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1859-04-14
For the Yorkville Enquirer.
LETTER FROM CHARLESTON.

LETTER FROM CHARLESTON.
Mr.. Editor Il again resume my pen. Sever
al considerations have concurred in producing my
silence, or rather, in preventing my writing-such
as domestic arraugemenis-increase of profess
sional engagements and the presence Of numer-
Gus friends from the country, whose company
must be enjoyed aud whose enjoyment must be
aided. Quite number Of events Of au impress
sive character have transprcd since my last, to
which, in part, will refer.
First and foremost, let me allude to the obser-
vance of St. Patricks Day, the jubilee Of the
faithful Catholic Irish-children Of the "ever
Faithful Isle:" You will remember that st. Pat
rck's Day was the subject of one Of Mr.. Meagher's
lectures, to which reference was made in former
episte. On this occasion another patriotic celeb.
rity WAS present, in the person of Smith OBrien.
saw him in his pew in St. Finbars Cathedral on
Broad street, and saw him standing from to
10 minutes on the stone steps of the same; and
also saw him walking quietly toward his coach,
and then had q view Of him as he drove slowly
al,ng through the throng of military, citizens,
children and negroes. Thus I saw him at rest
while sitting, in conversation while standing and
observed his motions while walking by me, off
from me, and in getting into tho vehicle in which
he was returned to his quarters at the Hotel. He
looked to be about IS years of age-about feet
in height, erect and compact in form-weighing I
presume 1SO-presenting in his whole appearance
the idea of quiet, intelligent sef-possessed gen
tleman. He is reported to be in practice teeto-
taller -abstaining from strong drink uniformly
and from principle.
Bishop LYNCH, incumbent Of the Catholic dio-
cese of Charleston embracing the two Carolinas
delivered q discourse suitable to the occasion.
In nv Judgment there was in it one indication Of
good taste in the entire absence of alluson to the
presence of Mr.. O'BRrES. This was noteworthy,
in view of the fact that so large number Of the
Romanists among US are Irish, and also in view Of
the distinguished patriot being member Of thai
communion, toward whom there were so many
tokens of respectful, not to say enthusiastic ad
miration; and especially as Romanists are so gen
orally accused of policy, in making capital of what
ever comesin their way. The Bishops discourse
was all about ireland and how il came to be Sc
great a country for patriots, and how it wa:
brought almost simultaneouslyto receive the Cos
pei under the ministry of him who he's since beer
esteemed its patron saint by all good Irish Catho
| lies and .sthe rest of mankind" He evnoed q
good deal of learning and was occasionally elo.
ouent. He is a native of South Carolina, and
understand was schoolmate Of Dr.. THoRNwELL
near Cheraw. The first time I ever saw his name
was in AZ, or r'43, when, with the companion oi
his youth, he WAS engaged in controversy. DR..
THoRNwELL-then Professor-writing in the Co,
lumbia Chronicle, and DR.. LYNCH in his own pa
per, the Catholic Niscellany in this city, Of which
he was then eltor. DR.. T's articles I thought,
were very able. remember they were very pun
gent not to say bitter; indeed, have heard it
remarked by those who were no Romanists, that
DR.. LYNCH. in point Of temper, had the advantage
of him. OF this cannot judge, as did not see
Dr. LIS articles then, only so much as was quoted
in the replies of Dr.. T., and have not seen them
since. Dr.. THoRNwELL's articles were afterwards
published in book form, and doubtless may BE
found in the libraries of many Of your readers
Since that period, and more recently, DR.. BACH
MAN (Lutheran) has been after the Bishop aud
the cause he represents, and handled them also
without gloves. His articles published in the city
papers, have also been put in book form, and put
ting the two together Judge from what is gen.
orally allowed as to the ability of those staunch
and learned protestant doctors, we may conclude
that South Carolina has furnished q good testi-
mony against Romanism in past and present times.
The Cathedral where st. Patrick's day was
celebrated, and in which the Bishop ofioated,
stands on Broad street, at the corner Of Friend
street. and is an imposing structure within and
without, and is no doubt the most costly estab
lishment of q religious character, in our city,
and perhaps in the South. However, when such
,cills as that of McKBNNA-late of Lancaster Dis.
trict-are made, and while the Society of the
propaganda of European Romanism, e1pends its
hundreds of thousands in America annually, we
are at no loss to account for their resources. Be-
sides the Cathedral on Broad street, there is St.
Marys Church on Harrel street, opposite the
Jews synagogue and near King street, and also
St. Patrick's, corner of Warren and St. Phillips
Streets higher up in the city This last is an or
binary wooden chapel on an eligible site. and
understand that within the next twelve months,
action will be taken towards erecting new and
commodious church building, for which purpose
it is understood that Priest NEAL has already in
hand, collections and subscriptions, to the extent
of thirty or forty thousand dollars. So you see
Romauism has some vitality in the old Protestant
City, which is the metropolis of that section which
was settled by those uuyelding opponents Of
Rome (the Hugenots) who were thrust ont from
their homes and despoiled Of their property by
Louis the XIV, whose reign among other nets Of
despotism and cruelty, was signalized by the re-
vocation of the edict of Nantz which, as cause
less and remorseless breach of public faith was in
its reasons and in its results, as inhuman and as
disastrous to Tyrant and victims, as was ST. Bar
tholomews Day. on which, as the historians tell US,
the streets of Paris red with Protestant blood
I think, however, that there are but few in that
communion Of our native population. Occasional
ly high toned, high churchman from the Protes-
tant Episcopal church goes over, and another by
inter marriage with Catholic families. The bal
ance are foreigners-mainly Irish, and their de-
scendauts. We mus, out preach them-beat them