The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1860-08-02
From the Press and Tribune.
rs Douglas a Catholic.

We have never asserted that Judge Doug
/ las is a Catholic We do not intend to make
that assertion uutil we can prove it. But
| in spite of our honest forbearance, the talk
on the street makes but prima .facia case
against him. We do not care to repeat all
that is said because much is asserted that
we cannot substantiate. The main points,
no wever, are these: that wheh Judge Doug
las was in Europe, and shortly after he had
left Rome, there came report to this coun-
try, through the Catholic journals, that an
eminent American statesman-a member of
the Senate of the United States-had sub
mitted to the Pope, received absolution and,
as our Protestant friends would say, the
fright hand of fellowship" This report
pointed directly to Mr.. Douglas, inasmuch
as he aoas the only Senator known to be
abroad; but after floating around in the
newspapers, without exciting much COM
ment, it died out The matrimonial alliance
formed, few years after that European tour
with an influential Catholic family, gave rise
to new surmises and suspicious and for
little while revived the rumor that the Cath
olic newspapers had put into circulation
But few believed that for the sake of pollit-
cal power, the Judge had abandoned the
faith of his family, which was strongly CAL
whistle, and given Ehis adhesion to that
g. Il, ell ~.
extraordinary proceedings at Peoria during
the campaign of 1853, came just in time to
arouse the Protestant public once more
What those proceedings were we shall have
OCCASION to tell at the proper time. The re-
newed suspicion of the Judges apostacy also
received confirmation from the attitude ofthe
clergyman and laity of the Church during
that memorable struggle. They were array
/ ed withou, exception in the ranks of the
Douglas men. The management ofthe can
vass was given up to them; and it is beliey-
ed, upon what we think is sufficient evidence
that the doubtful counties which gave him
auother lease of his seat in the Senate, acre
carried Jy Catholic voters ao1o acted undcr
instruction from high ecclesiastical author
hy. We have no reason to doubt that San
canon and:.Madison counties were so carried
The evidence of that fact is overwhelming.
The baptism of the Judges child if we mis-
take not, the only one born to him since that
European tour-in the forms prescribed by
that scarlet woman spoken of in the sacred
text is another link in the chain of circum-
stances which 90 to show that he has en-
braced to the Catholic faith The super hui
man excrtions of the Catholic papers in his
behalf, before and after the meeting of the
Charleston Convention; and the fact of the
appearance of Archbishop Hughes, the
American Primate, at Douglas meeting in
New York--a meeting held to influence the
action of the New York delegation at Balt.
more; the unacc ountable zeal of the Catho-
lies in that delegation when the Convention
assembled-these things coupled with the
other fact that every Catholic journal in the
United States, and as far as we know every
priest and bishop and an overwhelming ma
jority of the laymen Of the Catholic Church
are now supporting him as they necer sap
port any body bit a brother IN tie faith,
make out what jealous Protestants call
strong case. Add to all, the charge which
is not denied, that his pocket has suffered,
that the cause of the Pope in the present
Italian struggle, might be triumphant over
the popular sovereignty which the oppressed
Italians are laying down their lives to estab-
lish, and even our confidence in the Judges
Professionalism is shaken.
Judge Douglas has an unquostioncd right
to join the Catholic Church if he wants to-
| He might become member of the order of
Jesuits with peculiar propriety. Nobody
can complain of the direction in which his
religious convictions, if he has any such, i'm
pei him. Nor can he nor his friends COM
plain ifhis rumored apostacy becomes q
matter of inquiry, now that he is candidate
for the presidency. Most men believe that
Catholicism in this country is not so much
system of religion as politico ecclesiasti-
cal system-an engine for obtaining political
power to the detirement of Liberty, as that
power is now being used in Italy, Austria,
Spain and Mexico; and when it is proposed
to establish center of Catholic influence in
the White House, for controlling the coun-
try's diplomacy and domestic legislation,
naturally enough the people want to know
it. The Protestant principle is very dear to
Americans. 1t is the priciple of religious
and political liberty. To it we owe this Re-
publican government and all the blessings
which flow therefrom; and to it the hopes
of all patriots are turned as the star which
is to light all nations to independence and
freedom. They want no impediments put
IN the way eff the onward progress of that
principle in its mission for freing and blessing
mankind. Least of all do tAey want this
Protestant Government turned over to the
tender mercies of Catholic hands. They re.
member what woes have come to the parent
goyernment-that ofOld England-by Cath
r olic sovereigns who have occupied The
r throne. the last of whom was driven out 10y
that ever glorious Protestant Revolution o
| 1858. And they have the word of the or
| gans of the Church that her policy has no
changed Only few years ago, one o
| these--a journal in st. Louis, published b.