The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1859-01-01

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The M0rtara Case.
The communication in our paper yesterday
merits brief comment at our hands.
Az to the main facts Of the case, the taking
furtively baptised child from his Jewish
parents and retaining him in Roman con-
vent, there is no dispute. The Jews and the
world generally understand the facts as they
are stated in the Albany resolutions, which
We published, and the Catholic papers differ
in their version of the particulars of tho case
from each other quite as widely as they do
from the statement OF facts which we pub
lished. AZ We are no respecter Of persons"
in our columns, we esteem the testimony Of
the father and mother of the Jewish boy Of
equal weight with that of the Pope himself,
and in the present case there are no circum-
stances to cast a shadow of doubt upon the
truth Of their statement.
ga Catholic asserts that the Mortara boy
is eleven years old, instead Of sir as stated
by his parents, and that he embraced the
Catholic faith Of his own choice and remains
10 the convent Of his own free will, notwith-
standing the assertions Of his parents that he
cried piteously to be allowed TO return home
with them. And upon his version Of the
case, "a Catholic" asks, 'sHas not the boy
y,1bt "a - "a.
Of eleven right to leave his parents enter q
convent and devote himself to the church
against the will Of his parentsi Jesus Christ,
in addressing the doctors Of the Jewish
church more than eighteen hundred years
ago, said, "You make void the command.
meni Of God" which required children to
obey and honor their parents, "by your ira
dition," which released the child from the du-
ty OF contributing to the wants of his parents
through the conservation OF his substance a,
gift to the church. We hold to the law Of
God upon this question in opposition to tn,
traditions Of the Jews, the practice Of til,
Catholic church and the views Of our CORES
pendent, and tn at too, whether the boy was 81,
years or eleven years old. Aniif the Jewisi
church by their traditions should take Cath
Ollie children, or the children Of our Cathol
friend under their fostering charge, thus Il
make void the commandment of God, h
would, in that case, agree with us, we doub
not.
But "a Cath olicn says that the Mortara
violated an old law by employing Catholic
servant girl in their family, and that tn
Pope has no more power over the matter thai
Governor Lowe has over the laws Of Iowa. -
The, Pope has the full power in Temporal
matters over his territory and over his thro
millions of subjects that belongs to othe
European monarchs. But if he has no pow
er to interfere in this case in his double Gu
pacity Of supreme head Of the church and thu
state, all the officers Of which are ecclesias
tics, he has at least the power which Govern
or Lowe would exercise very promptly, t,
condemn barbarous law and earnestly re
commend its repeal In behalf Of the rights 0
man, OF conscience, and in conformity witt
the law of God. And, therefore, we say 10
the rcmonstrances Of the civilized people an
governments Of the world be rolled in upo
him till the pressure Of public opinion sha
constrain the Papal government to repeal til
barbarous Law under which such an outrag
has been perpetruted.
As to the examples alluded to Of Protes
ant authorities in this and other countris
acting upon the same principles, We do n,
admit the facts, and, If they are facts, we
not justify them. Does our Catholic frient
He cannot. No man in this country and
this day can.
Catholic France has demonstrated again
the proceedings in the Mor.ara case. T.
the Catholics OF the United States, who a.
in the habit Of citing the religious liberty O
tablished by the Catholics Of Maryland as
example for prosessan, imitation, speak o,
~ becomes fresmen and patriotic citizens /
this land OF civil and religious freedom. l.
them exercise their influence in behalf
these glorious principles, and their power vi
be felt and respected in the Papal State
and they viii excite the respect and admire
ton Of the christian world.
IL cannot be supposed that either the i
norance or the prejudice charged upon Pr
testants BY our correspondent would inf
ence US 10 take the side Of the Jew Morta
rather than that Of the Pope. And the peculi
religious doctrines OF the Catholic church
not come within the puryiew OF our cor
nents, Tor we are concerned only Wfsh tho
great principles Of civil and religious lber
established and recognized in all the lnstit
lions Of our land.
Character Of Minors Officiais.
Mr. Morris, the Representative Of the vi
ser-al Democracy Vt Washington, srn,, .
district opposite Us in Illinois, during /
course OF some remarks in the House of Re-