The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1863-04-18

spise him-to sell BIS vile and chilren
into slavery Tie thought is not to be
entertained of the blessed apostle
II a fugitive slave in this country was
10 be sent back 10 some master in Mis-
sissippi or Texas by Catholic Bishop of
our days. bearing such an epistle as the
above, how would the master mock and
the world laugh at the Bishop! What q
Joke il would bc considered in thcSouthl
But what did the Popes think Of slave
ry? Ills will probably throw some light
on ecclesiastical history. Paul.lII, 1887,
and Urban V IIl. in l639, condemned in
the strongest terms the crime OF reducing
men to slavery, separating vrrr ifon
their wives and children, or ~ ANY tnan-
ner depriving them Of their liberty, or
upon any prete>t 70 Theach or teach that
it is lawful Ii9>, ii, 1869, also de-
nounces the system in the strongest
terms. Gregory WI, who, In his Apos-
tolic Letter of December 3, 1880, refers
TO the foregoing, and uses this vehement
Language on tho same subject. Where
fore We, desiring TO turn away so great a
reproach as this from all the boundaries OF
Christians. and the whole matter being
maturcly weighed, certain Cardinals Of
the Holy Roman Church, our venerable
brethren, being also called into Council,
treadng in the footsteps of our predeoes
sors with Apostolic authority, do vehe-
niently admenish and sdjure III the Lord.
all believers IN Christ, that no one here,
after may dare, unjustly, to modest lndi-
ans, negroes or other ucn Of this sort, or
to spoil them of their goods or reduce
them to slavery. We, therefore, with
Apostolic authority do reprobateall the
aforesaid actions as utterly unworthy OF
the Christian name; and by tic samc
Apostolic authority do strictly prohibit
aud inler,!iat that any ecclesiastic or lay
person shall presume to defend that very
trade Ia negroes as idpful under any
pretert or stud,td e.ecuSc, or otherwise to
| preach, or in any manner, publicly or
privately, to teach contrary to those
things which we have charged in this,
our Apostolic Letter
This is tolerably snowy lqngragc. Its
I import, wethitthh, is clear enough TO any
one who has human mind. There can
be "no pre,ext or studied excuse says
tie good aud great PoniiH AY Cutho-
hes afraid OF unwilling to read the admo.
milton Of the Vicar of Jesus Christi
But it will BIO said that Gregory XVI
alluded to the foreign slave trade! This,
however, is a pretext, and has not even
the dignity of a studied excuse" We
have q word TO say on this point.
Shortly before the appearance of this
1 Apostolic letter, religious order in the
United States, by their olose communica.
ton with Rome, received information Of
its existence and approaching publca-
4 ton. With more wit than piety, the Su-
pe,ilrs Of that order collected together a
isi 5 - ttt,tthef Of their slaves and sold them
TO u Southern genfemaH--wc will cal
him so-wbJ drrled them lGta L1uisi
ana, and they were scattered over the
South without reference to their relation
ship one 10 another.
The whole Catholic community wa
shocked at the occurrance. Pope Gre
!. gory's letter appeared soon after, and di,
notmoderate the feeling of indignation
When the fact was known in Rome, sucl
was the emotion felt by His Holiness
that the Superiors, on whom the respon
sibility rested, were ordered forthwith t
proceed to the Eternal City, aud they dl,
not return for years. Why they were de
tanned it is unnecessary TO discuss.
This shows, that slavery, in every shape
is condemned and reprobated by III
Church In the meantime she did moth
ing violently. She only spoke tn,
: solemn words Of admonition. Events hav
+ hurried on--what the Church would no
or could not do the politicians have done
The door is now made open without an
agency Of the Catholics, and those VIII
wish 10 despise the venerable Pontiffs an
be The silors of their fellow men may Gu
deavor TO close and lock and bolt it, w
take no part in any such proceeding
Ali 10 fer the Hest.