Weekly Trinity journal. [volume] (Weaverville, Calif.) 1857-1972, 1864-01-09
Opinions OF q Catholic Newspaper.

As the Copperhead prints and speakers OF Ohio
saw fit to abuse Bishops Purcell and Rosecrans
because they voted the Union ticket at the re-
cent election in that State the Catholic Telegraph,
printed at Cincinnati, defends these prelates,
and replies in the following terms to those who
impudently arraign their action:
Archbishop Purcell and Bishop Rosecrans owe
apology to any man for exercising their rights
as citizens, much less to the broken down dena-
gogues who, under the false pretenSe Of friend
ship, and with the stolen flag of the old Democ-
racy have betrayed their people into hostility 10
the interests of labor and freedom
Whatever of political rights the Catholics have
enjoyed in this country, they owe not to the
Democratic party, to the Republican party
but to the American people. The spirit OF that
people has been such that no party could sue
coed with religious persecution as Its platform.
If the persecution had been popular, the Demo-
crats-at least the race now visible-wohld have
been as quick to adopt it as their opponents. In
New Hampshire they kept religious test, ex-
GLIDING Catholics from Office through long years
of unbroken ascendency. In the United States
during years on years of control, they uniformly
refused to grant Catholic chaplaihs to Catholic
sailors and soldiers, and compelled those same
Catholic sailors and soldiers to attend Protestant
worship During the Administration of Polk,
ter addressed by the head of the Church to our
Government praying for kindness toward the
Catholics, leaving it in some waste box for nigh
six months and never replying to it at all. They
have never had the courtesy to accredit Catho-
lie as charge at Rome.
They have always been forward in sympathiz-
ing with the European movements against the
Church Lately the Confederate wing of the
party, now in open revolt against the verdict of
popular election, addressed an appeal to the
Protestant prejudices of the people of England,
in which they ignore the existence 0fthe Louisi-
ana Creoles, and of the sparse Catholic popula-
ton of Mobile, Charleston, Savannah and Rich
mond, and declare that their cause is the cause
of a Protestant people.
In a word Democratic politicians have no more
affection for us than their opponents. They lore
us where we hare many votes. In the roar of many
voices only can they detect the sweetness of the
Irish brogue, and the softness of the German
accent. If there is prospect that our support
will pay they will fawn upon us; and if it will
profit them more, we may expect to feel the fangs
of the creatures now barking at our prelates.
We owe our security from oppression and
wrong to the American people-to those who are
true to the old flag, and the old order of things,
when an election was fnality, and Archbishop
Purcell and Bishop Rosecrans did not "work
for the overthrow of their friends" but the
side of the people, as the result has shown.
But even Qld CatnOncS owe ever SO mucH 10
the politicians who now practically deny us the
right to vote, they would not in conscience give
their gratitude that shape in which payment was
demanded. If man helps me when am right,
gratitude does not bind me to help him when he
is wrong. If he gets me out Of prison. am not
obliged to help him put some one else in. They
asked to desert country in its hour of
need to vote State into isolated and aimless
rebellion, to make soldiers abandon the
ground they have fought over, and the graves of
their comrades, to force them to stack arms on
this side of the Ohio, and wait for the armed
Confederates to come and give us 'peace "
within borders after the style of Guam
trell and John Morgan. They wanted us to back
down from maintaining our right of free cleo
ton, and acknowledge ourselves the menials of
those whose only title to command is that they
own slaves. They asked to make Cincinnati
| n border town, to break down our National Gov
eminent, to leave ourselves prey to rowing
guerrillas and unbridled mobs. This was more
than we could give. We and prelates have
voted under solemn sense of our responsibility
to God, and our duty to our country and the
Church, and are willing to abide by the conse-
quences-fearing not them who cam kill the
body, but Him who can cast both body and soul
into hell.