The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-07-29

s,
slightest knowledge Of his religion, could
for moment entertain the notion that
he could be true Catholic and not be
heartily opposed to Slavery On this
subject the clergy must permit us to say
that they have been too reticent, too
timid, too cautious, and have pushed
human prudence beyond its legitimate
limits. They have failed TO bear that
testimony against Slavery which the
Catholic Church always bears against it.
They know. far better than we do, the
absolute incompatibility of American
Slavery with Christian morality. They
know that, save in very rare instances,
it is impossible for the slave to observe
the laws of Christian marriage, or fulfil
the imperative duties of Christian pa
rent Christian marriage Is almost uni
versally substituted by concubInage, and
the masters seldom respect the sanctlty
of the marriage relation among their
slaves, and they hold it neither adultery
nor fornication to satisfy their own brutal
lusts with any of their female slaves they
choose. 1t is little, either for master or
slave, that the priest can do, even in the
confessional, and in most parts OF the
South the priest is regarded only as a
better sort of servant, and is very inditfer-
entity supportrd.-We- have never con-
versed with a priest in a slavehoding
State, who, when he dared speak his
mind, did not deplore on moral and re-
igious grounds, the existence of Slavery
and feehngly express his earnest wish
for its extinction. How many enlight-
ened, devout, and truly Catholic ladies
have we met in our visit to the Slave
States, who could not without visible
shudder, refer. to the moral enormites OF
negro Slavery We have found Catho-
lie ladies in the Slave States who were
opposed to the intelmeddling of the Alb
olitionists, but none who expressed them
selves unable to see any practicable way
of getting rid of Slavery, but none who
expressed a wish to have it perpetuated.
No Catholic, indeed, can uphold Slavery
as a good institution, or be otherwise
than opposed to it, and prepared TO abol-
ish it in the best way, and at the earliest
moment possible, without doing greater
wrong and creating greater evil. Those
nominal Catholic publicists at the North,
who take Slavery under their protection,
and jcall upon Catholics to sustain it as
an institution in accordance with Chris
tianitv, are not Catholics, except in
name and by baptism, but are really pa
gans, and pagans of the lowest type, low
er even than they themselves represent
the negro.
ONE CATHOLIC JOURNAL SOUND.
Our readers know well, that, without
ever having been or being an Abolition
ist in the party sense, we have ever been
opposed to slavery, and have done our
best to resist the effort to commit our
Church to the rebellion, in its favor. Bnt
Our efforts, though not wholly fruitless,
have to great extent been neutralized
by the fact of our being d convert and q
Yankee, and by the ridiculous suspicion
industriously circulated that we are shaky
in our faith, and on the point of lapsing
again into Professionalism or infidelity.-
Wo, therefore. welcome as an able coad-
tutor in our opposition to slavery, the
Cincinnati Telegraph and Advocate
paper published under the auspices of the
Archbishop of Cincinnati, and which has
from the first held US in sort of holy
horror Its editor is Vicar-General OF
the Diocese, and native ofIreland, and
his Catholicity cannot be suspected. His
voice can penetrate where ours cannot
and will be listened to with respect where
ours will be unheeded We forgive him
and the Archbishop himself, for having
publicly and officially declared our Re
view to be no longer Catholic Review,
and sincerely thank them for doing on
the slavery question the work which we
were the first Catholic puulicist in the
United States to attempt. We can cheer
fully cooperate with our most bitter en-
emies in the battle for truth, freedom and
justice. The Telegraph and Advocate
starts with the assumption that negro
slavery has been virtually abolished in
this country, and it vigorously opposes
on moral and religious ground, all effort:
to restore or re establishit 1t has opened
the question and it has shown that the
church has always been opposed tt
slavery, and has never got along wei
with it. It calls upon all Catholics Il
look the question squarely in the face
and be true to the spirit of their holy re
lgion This opens new era in Ameri
can Catholic journalism, and for the frs
time introduces into it true manlines
and moral independence. If we wer
the first Catholic puhIiclst IN the Unlte'
States to open the discussion, in it ha
been found the first PRESTO bear clear
distinct and unmistakable testimony il
public against slavery, and to condemn
it on moral and religious grounds. Thi
honor belongs to the Very Reverend Ed
ward Purcell brother Of the Archbisho
of Cincinnati May God bless him, an
give him courage and strength to perse
we're to the end in the good. the noble
the truly chri stan work he has so bravel
commenced His name will never b
forgotten in the Church in America, bu
will be repeated with gratitude and nor
or by millions and millions of emanc
pated souls
The very Reverend Editor has throw
a bombshell into the camp of pro-Sla'
cry and disloyal Catholics, and startle
ed not few of his clerical brethren; b
has to undergo much oblOquy and abus
but he will outlive opposition; he wi
bring Catholics to their senses, and 500
have them all or nearly all with hin
He will soon see our reproach wiped 0,
and our Church rescued from the falls
position in which her needless cmldre