The Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1859-1865, 1863-02-19
A Catholic Bishop ON slavery.

A Catholic Bishop ON slavery.
| There can be no doubt that the Catholic
Church is opposed to SlaynV. Her
Councils aud Popes have often declared
against the whole institution, and at least
one of the denominations connected with it
the slavetrade-has been absolutely for
hidden. In our own war against the
extension and perpetuation of Slavery, we
have not heard the voices Of the American
Catholic Bishops SO often as, from the
we'll known declarations of Councils and
Popes, might have been expected and in
Catholic Church, which dislike democratic
institutons and favor absolute monarchies,
have often avowed their sympathy with
the Rebellion, whose leaders they justly
regard as less imbued with the democratic
principles than the statesmen OF the Free
North. Yet there are still Bishops who
think this fit OCCASION to renew the tesii-
.mony Of their Church on Slavery
Prominent among them is Bishop Npan-
loup of Orleans, in France, one of the
most distinguished Catholic prelates now
living Bishop Dupanloup ranks among
the first scholars OF France, and was,
therefore, few years since, elected a
member of the French Academy. His
great influence among the Bishops of the
Catholic world became apparent at the
great Council Of Bishops, held at Rome,
in May, 1862, at which he and Cardinal
Wiseman were the acknowledged leaders.
Bishop DupaLloup has lately addressed
a circular to the parish priests OF his
diocese for the purpose of exhorting them
to take up in their churches collection
in favor of the operatives suffering from
the cotton famine. l hR whole document:
which abounds in uoDle sentiments and
touching appeals in favor Of the poor
starving workmen, is published by the
Journal des Debdts, fiom which we trans
late those passages which refer to the war
and Slavery in this country.
sYou know" says the Bishop, "my
dearly beloved brethren. that already for
long time deplorable tidings have reach
ed us from the United States of America.
The war ravages these beautiful countries.
a war furious, like all civil wars, and the
end of which the tenacious pride OF the
American character does not yet permit
us to foresee Without douot, there are
some consoling facts mixed with these sad
accounts. l speak of the hope, founded
upon the most solemn acts, OF seeing at
length the adjustment, by peaceable and
prudent means, of the disgraceful scourge
Of Slavery.
"Who could have thought, few years
ago, that this young American Republic,
SO beautiful, SO strong, and apparently so
united, was on the eve OF such grea: dis
asters? Bue it is thus with human affairs,
those which appear to be the best establish d
are the least enduring the nations which
are believed to be strongest rest some
times upon an abyss, and in an evil hour,
an unforeseen shock, breeze, the least
accident, suIices to overthrow the whole !"
In another place the Bishop asks !:
.sWhy, in this land of Washington, have
thew committed the crime of introducing
in violation of every DiyiGe Jaw or sentl-
ment of justice, Negro Slavery :; and In
answering the question, by reference to
the cotton spinners, to whom slave labor
furnishes their means of subsistence, he
speaks of the mysterious mixture of
suffering and prosperity, of faults and
expiations, of the wondrous Interviewing
of human destinies, to all appearance SO
diverse, but at the bottom flowing in the
same current, and thus by the experience
of life teaching that article of faith
which declares that all men are breth-
ren.
IF the American Churches in the South
Catholic and Protestant-had not ceased
to give their testimony against 1.-The dis
graceful scourge of Slavery" and to de-
nounce it as a "vioatipn of every Divine
law or sentiment of justice" they might
have done much to avert this war, from
which now SO many millions both in
America and Europe are suffering: