, 1860-08-10
POLITICS AND THEOLOGY.

ausng them few Republicans, have shifted
up their noses at the proofs furnished III the
columns Of the Press AND TRIBUNE that Ar.
D,u.l4s is q Clthoiic,-racelved into tue
Church during his visit 10 Rons in ls'3'-or
that he las made euch pledges ard promises
to tue Catholic clergy that be gets therefor
the almost unanimous support Of the bishops,
priests, laisy and journals Of the Church. They
are at liberty to doubt az they will but to
the voters in this country the matter is one Of
great seriousness and importance. If Mr.
Douglas, reared in the Protestant faith, ard
permitting his friends 10 endorse him as firm
believer thereiD, has been seduced By Ills IN.
ordinate ambition into profession Of Ca1holl-
c!sm, that he might gain political advantage
thereby, it is right and prop:r, nay it is in
perative, that the fact be exposed Il he is
false in matters Of eternal concern, he cannot
be true in other and lesser things II lie is
Catholic, let him say 80. It is his right to
be What lie pleases; but it is not bis right to
pretend to he one thing while he is another
to seem to be Protestant while an earnest, if
not deyont member Of the medieval Church.
If he is not Catholic-if not yet divorced
from the faith Of his hthers-his case is not
improved. Why is he able to command an
almost uuhroken Catholic support? AL men
know that in this country Catholicism does
1o.hing without IN object The Church, in
all matters Of lailL and policy, is an unit. 1t
is governed from al road, and by power that
issupcrior to Princes, Presidents or tempoTali-
lies Of whatever sort. What guarantys have
Catholic di.nitaries that tue Administration Of
Douglas would result in their advancement
and the supremacy Of the faith which they
profess, that they should be ranged to the last
man in the ranks Of his most ardent and zeal
GUS friends? Who can tell? We do not
complain because Mr.. Douglas is Protestant
By no means. We hope he is. But it is the
right Of tho American people to know, and it
is their duty to inquire, why the Catholic
Churcb-of all the Churches in tho land, the
only one-goes 10 euch lengths and 60 unani'
mously for bis election? Is there no reason
for this? What has brought it about-what
pledges, what guarantgs, what assurances 7
Who can answer2
The matter, ,hep, resolves itself into this ::
Douglas is Catholic; or he has made pledges
and given assurances which ought never to
have been made OF given ly any candidate for
the Presidency Of the United States- Now,
which explanation of the political phenomena
exhibited in h's candidacy will his supporters
accent? Let them tnke their choice-we care
not which one they light upon. Either being
proved, he ought to be def.nted-dsfeated as
Catholic ashamed Of his faith, or as Protes'
tant who has bartered his faith away.
Many Of our readers who boast Of their tol'
erance in al matters Of religion. will wonder
why We 80 frequently rccur to Mr. Douglas
alleged Catholicism, and make it aa objection.
We will tell wig: Because we are ourselves
tolerant; because VIC deprecate the intnoduc
ton Of theological eir;e in political affairs al
the worst calamity that could possibly be!al
our country; because We erdeavor to main
tain the separation Of Church and State; be
caus, the question, Who saall be President
should turn upon the personal and political fit
ness Ct the raLdidates-not upon their belle
in The Immaculate Conception, or the doc
trine Of Election aud R Rsprobation. That's why
When, then, we see all around US the evidences
that the members Of great religious society,
with scarcely an exception, are. preparing II
cast their votes for Mr. Douglas; when hi
permits the cid rumor that he has abandoned
the faith Of his ancestors to 60 uncontradict
ed; when lie can command the presence o
men ike Archbishop Hughes at his meetings
when he is attendant upon Catholic Churcl
st Washington, in which be has Pew; wher
he permits the baptism Of his children by &
Prott etant wife, into the Catholic communion
when be allows his pocket TO be invaded tha
the cause Of the Pope and Catholicism in ltalJ
may te sustained aud civil and religious free
dom put down-when we see or hear Of thes'
things, and the pretenco that he is yst Prot
@stan. is kept up, VIC are tolerant enough Il
enquire what intolerance is sintended-what in
tolerance is bargained for that these thirg
should be? LIT none ACCUSE us of desire t,
bring theology into politics. Wo labor to pre-
vent the growth Of that bad crop which tb'
c,untry might expect to reap from the see*
which DouglaaiEn aud Catholicism have joint
xuNu.