, 1860-01-28
33tEaH 33EaH %GF1{fi;t1tttr.
SPIRIT OF CATHOLICISM.

SPIRIT OF CATHOLICIsM. -
II anything were necessary to prove the
utter lack Of sympathy on :!o part Of 1lo clcT-
~ Of tile Catholic Church with the great pop.
lAr movements Of tho century, end to estab-
lsa the fact that tic governments Of: their
choice are suc: as fttcl the Dark Ages, ii
n.x,, bt found III the attitude Of that clergy
in relation 10 the proposed reform in the civil!
administration Of tho Papal States. To the
proposition coming from France, with the
sanction Of lie Emperor, to circumscribc tue j
territory Of the Sovereign Pontif to the city Of;
r nne alone aud 10 restore the inhabitants Of
al other PORTIONS Of tue holy domain to the
family Of nations, with tile power, under ccr- !:
tain limitations, to choose their own form Of
government aud their own rllcra, it was ex- i
pectel that the scaria. stockings md 1nitrcs
o' the European dcspotisms would offer furious
rcsissaucc; b.,: among the friends Of popular
institutions We ut leas. hoped that the dienita-
r.ez CT the Church in the Eaited States, where
other ideas Of government and political justice
prevail. would be SO !ar submissive TO the will
Of the people most r;ta1ly concerDcd, as 10 offer
no opposition to The REFORMS which that people
;nperatiycly demand. In this however. we
were mistaken.
We printed at length 4 few days age,
the proceedings Of 3 public meeting, held,
doubtless, with the sanction il not l'y the ad-
vico Of the bishop Of the dioeese, ut ST. Louis,
in which every laudable attemp: Of the three
millions Of Catholic Italians to rid themselves
ofthc tyranny by which tncy arc oppressed,
was summarily disposed Of as an iustigation Of
the devil The account was followed il onr
columns hy SO much Of the recent Pastoral
Letter Of Bishop Dusgan, Of Chicago, us re-
l.::l 10 the Pope as n temporal prince, in
Which tho rcasonings aud conclusions Of the
faithful 1aymcn in our sister city were gene
rally adopted. In addition to these we have
now in the Metropolitan R-eo-d. the organ Of
Archbishop Hughes, sosnc swords Of cxhoIt-
alton aud encouragement" addressed to the
"dearl;~ beloved brethren ii the clergy aud
faithl1l children Of ,he ]a;ty:'' at the close Of
i 3EGIu1 IIVflltAd1 NtA+NA IA ->Eh l b1h NJ
in which the question Of the dag is
discussed with ability and at great
length, with however the reagre and
unsatisfactory conclusion which the lay
men Of St. Louis and the Bishop OF Chicago
had already reached. This last manifesto
signed br the Archbishop Of New York
John of pious reuowa-and eight suGfagan
bishops Of The ecclesiastic proyiEcc is con-
elusive us to the position Of tue American
clergy Of Lie Catholic Church on this Italian
question Tho ccclesiastics Of Austria, France
AMI Ire,and-,uen to w|iom the name Of free
dom except their freedom to cypress, is hate
ful and i.eretical,-hayc faithful im:tators On
this side Of the Atlantic; and the voice of all
is for The continuation ol that irresponsible
dcspo,isn-tle cross between ecclesiastical
and civil tyranny-by wi.ic!, the Catholics Of
the Pontifical States are borne down to tie
dust
Those who believe that the despotic princi-
pie, Inherent In tie constitution and invaria
biz visible in tho policy Of the Catholic
Church, las been modified ly contact with the
more liberal and progressive IDEAS Of tl11s Re-
public and who ilatter Themselves that the
spread Of Catholic power ard influence in this
country does hot menace the institutions which
Christianity md democracy have built up. will
do we'll TO study the meaning of these three
nanifestos TO wllicl, we have referred. Let it
be remembered, in the outset, that tue propo
aition against which the fuln,inations Of TIL
clergy are directed, las not Tie remotest re
ference 10 tho spiritual domination Of TIL
Pope il all the lands over which he claim
that his jurisdiction extends; that his dignity
rs Poutifi is not assa;lcd or threat
encd will assault !:om any quarter
that as head Of tho church his power
if the :,er arrangements are carried out vii
be as supreme rs at any moment heretofore
It is proposed, simply, that al oppressed ami
discontcutcd people, tired cf the rule. G
the hierarchy, convinced Of their abil;
t. to govern themselves people emlnen1l,,
Catholic in their education md af1inities-
should be permitted, in accordance with Dc
sire clearly expressed. to s.. their own va.
aud choose the rulers ssho please them oes'
This most reasonable demand on the part &
the children Of the church, is accounted trcaso,
Acresy and diaholism by the ecclesiastical su
l'eriors III Euro :'c aud their opinions are AZ
proved aud endorsed By, 50 far as we know
every bishop and priest il the United Stotes
So much for the notifications which the oG
intolcrant, prosecuting spirit Of the hicrarch.
has undergone in iostling against the ideas I
Republican birth aad american development
It s:nacks Of Babylon to the last.
THE LEMmoS CASE:
The celebrated Lennon case is before til
New York Court o. Appeals for argument
Lest any Of our readers should have forgott7
its particulars and Significance, We copy III
following from the Albany Ere,ing journal;
Jonathan Lcmmo:,, The Plaintiff, II citizen {
Virginia, iu 1852. shipped eight slaves-a maj
Il womar and five chi.drtn-bclonElnE IL Il
wife. on board vessel for Texas. The vcsse
however, cam4 iulo the port Of New oti
There q writ Of habcas corpus WIS taken gu
aud they were brought before Justice RUM
who. after hearing arguments, decided tlt'
they could not be held in slavery under II
laws Of this State, ana thcy wers according
las INV