, 1862-01-14


Ty,'' is Il trenchant review of an article in the
iMetrupogitap Record, Of October IL, 1851, criti-
cising an article In the October number Of
-Esotc7tson's Rti1tte on secession and slavery.
In this article it is maintained that tic Roman
Catholic Church and doctrine are for freedom
and against slavery The reviewer says:
Never did our Catholic publicists and po-
litica1 and social leaders commit greater mis-
take than when they seized the bait thrown
out to catch the Spanish people, and reconcile
them to the surrender Of Cuba to the southern
s]ayeholdcrs-that slavery and Catholicity are
the Only two conservative institutions III the
country and that to strengthen the s1arc-
| holding mower would be to strengthen the
| Catholic Church, place the country on the side
Of conservatism, and secure the salvation Of
souls. It was q sad mistake. In this country,
as every where else, the interests OF Catholicity
| are linked with the cause Of Freedom, and the
proper alliance Of Catholics is not with the
! friends Of slavery, but those who love, respect
and are ready to die IN defence Of the rights Of
t man. In regard to civilization and the
continent an anti-slayers Protestant is worth
more than q pro-slayery Catholic 1t IS not
| from tie slaycloldiDg South tlat We can hope
for accessions to our church; and thus far ez-
| pefience shows our 1ccessions are to come, If
they come at al, from the free States, and first
| scendants settled in other sections Of the
Union Our religion can prosper in this coun-
try only as It accepts and conseerates true
! American civilization, and that civilization is
represented By the free North, not by the
slavcholdiDg South. Hence VIC should resist
! a out4uuec every rro-slaVcry tendency that nc
discover III our Catholic community"
Quoliug from the writer in tic Metropolitan
| Record his defence Of the slave-tradc, the re-
sic#cr says:
"Tlis, At first sight, looks very much like
IN apo1ugy for tie slave trade, for the writer
not on1y SAYS that lie cannot discover the crime
in the slayer. or that there would be any NOR.
al tran=gres5lon of the law Of God in the act,
Lut even explains sway the terrific part Of the
| Question that mot only tic individuals brought
to tie American continent OF islands are them
selves to be slaves, hut their posterty, in like
| manner, for all time to come by GEeniB, II
to tie consequences which original sin has
eutli1ed upon the human race, and, therefore,
| as not alien from the condition Of mankind 1t
general So understood, the writer has uu
dduestionabl5 incurred the interdict pronounced
| bY tlc Church, for she tonly cxcommuni
I Gates all who arc actually engaged IN tht
| traffic. as he ALLEGES, but absolutely prohibits
and interdicts all ecclesiastica and laVmer
from maintaining that this traffic in blacks i!
permitted, under any pretext or color whatso
ever; or to preach, OF teach in public or II
private. in any way whatcver, anything in il
1ayor or exclamation To excuse the t4ath'
l under any circumstances WhateVer, and to at
. tempt to lessen our horror Of 1t by Gkcnin;
it's consequences to those Of original sin, ant
.. | assuming that the men who actually engag
| in It are Tree from actual guilt in carrying
.. on, Is plainlf to do what Gregory XIV, in til
: words we taye cited from Lis Bull given i
Rome, the Cd Of November 1889, absolutel
] | forbids and intcrdicts.