Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-07-21


seNeye cepSureS are cast upon those who
venture 70 rcduce the inha6itants Of the
East or West Indies into Sayi49I1yPi inbnv
iseil, give, or exchange thenf,i Il separate
them iroia their wives and children, strip
them OF their property. take or send them
into strange places, or deprive them of
their-liberty IN any way: to retain them in
slavery; or aid, counsel, sIceor or favor
those who dol these things under any color
or pretense whatever or preach Or teach
that this is lawful and, in fine. cooperate
Herewith in any way whatever. Benedict
XIV has since confirmed and renewed
thes ponti6cal ordinances slefcre mentioned,
by new apostoi:cal letters to the Bishops
OF Brazil and some other countries, dated
the Goth of December. 174f, by means of
which he calls forth the soiicitude ofTthe
bishops for the. same purpose. \ long
time before, another Of our more ancient
predecessors. Pins II, whose pontifchte
saw the empire of the Portugese extended
in Guinea and the country of the blacks,
addressed letters, dated the 7th of Octo-
der, l4S2, to the Bishop of Ruvo, who
was ready to depart for those countries: in
these letters he did not confine himself to
giving to this prelate the means reouisite
for exercising the sacred ministry in those
coun.ries with the greatest fruit, but he
took occasion very severely to blame the
conduct of those who reduced the neo-
phytes into slavery. In fine, in our days,
Plus Nh, animated by the same spirit of
charity and religion as his predecessors,
zealousiy interposed his good offices with
men OF authority for the entire abolition
Of the slave trade among Christians.
"These ordinances and this solicitude
of our predecessors have availed not a
little, with the aid of God, in defending
the Indians and other nations who have
Just been mentioned, against the barbarity
of conquest. and the cupidity of Christian
merchants but the Holy See is far from
being able TO boast the complete success
Of its efforts and zeal, for if the slave trade
has been partially abolished. i. is still
Carried on by great many Christians.
Wherefore, desiring to remove such dis
grace from air Christian countries, after
having maturciy considered the matter
with many of our veneraLls brethren. the
Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, as
sembled in Council, following the exam
pies of our predecessors, by virtue of the
apostle office we warn and almohish in
the Lord all Christians, of whatever con-
,dltlon. they may be, anu enjoin upon them
that. for the future, 10 cne shall venture
unjustly to Cypress the Indians. Negroes,
or other men, whoever 'hey may be TO
strip them of their property or reduce them
into setvtude ) or give aid or support to
those who commit such excuses, or carry
on that Infamous traffic, by which the
blacks, as if they were not men, bat mere
impure animals, reduced like them int
servilnde, without any DISTINCTION, contrary
to the laws of justice and humanity, are
bought, s4l and devoted to endure the
hardest labors and On account Of which
diSsensions are excited and almost contin-
ual wars are fomented among nations by
the allurements Of gain offered to those
who first carry away the Negroes - -c.
"W hcrefcre, by virtue Of the apostolic
authority, we condemn all these things
aforesaid, as absolutely unworthy Of the
Christian name; and, by the same author
ity. we absolutely prohibit and interdict all
ecclesiasticS AMI laymrn from ventmihg to
maintain that this traffic in blacks is per-
mittel, under any pretext or color whatSu-
ever; or to preach or teach in public or in
private, in any way whatever. Anything.
contrary to these apostolic letters. And
in order that these letters may come to the
knowledge of ail, and that no one may
pretend ignorance, we ordain and decree
that they be published and POSTED up,
according to custom. by one of on, officers,
on the doors of the basilica of the Prince
of the Apostles. of the Apostolic Cllancery,
of the Palace of Justice, of Monte Citorio
and at the Campo di Fiori. Given at
Rome, at st. Mary Majors. under the seal
of the fisherman, the 81 of November,
1889, the ninth year of our Pontificatc
LOUIS, CARDINAL. LAMBRUs sCHINI."