The Portland daily press., 1864-01-04
The Catholic Church and the Slavery
Question.

Those who think because Bishop Hughes,
the Boston Pilot, Thos. Darcy MCGEE and
John Mitchell give but feeble support to uni
leans in favor Of slavery, were never more
mistaken in their lives. We are aware
that DIR. Brownson, for his unflinching and
unconditional support of the administration
and OF Emancipation, has fallen into dis
favor with portion of the Catholics, who
have Withdrawn support from his able Review,
and that henceforth he will drop out its thco-
logical and ecclesiastical elements, and make
it an organ of loyalty and freedom, but even
such fact does not justify too sweeping a
judgment against the church of which he is
distinguished member. The Irish Catholics,
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS we might say
seem welded to the worst form OF modern
Democracy, and instead of sympathizing with
the cause Of the oppressed as the great Con-
nell exhorted them 10 do, they seem all too
ready TO espouse the cause of despotism, and
to lend their strength TO those who are doing
the most to dishonor free labor and to degrade
the free laborer. There are, perhaps, reasons
for this, which will be dispelled by the prog
ress of light and the diffusion of knowledge
among the class of our foreign population re-
ferred to. The German Catholics, on the con-
trary, almost to man. are on the side OF free
dom, and the sworn enemies of all kinds of
despotism.
1t is refreshing to turn from such journals
rs the Boston Pilot and the Catholic organ in
New York, to the Catholic Telegraph, pub
lished at Cincinnati, which, recognized as the
organ Of Archbishop Purcell, makes the fol-
lowing remarks as to the necessity of COM
pletely emancipating the Government and
Union from the influence of slavery. That
such sentiments should be avowed by the
ablest and most influential organ of the Cath
Ollie Church in this country is not the least
significant Of the many signs of the times.
"Pcople say that the war is drawing to a
Z close; that a cessation of hostilities is to be
asked for, &c. We hope it may be so; but we
hope, too, that those who will have the inter-
ests of the North in their keeping, ,ciH insist
on the total abolition Of slduery. If this be
not done, what will we have gained by the
war? Allow slavery to raise its head again,
and our efforts viii have been in vain destroy
u, TOOt uHu OTdAch. tctth0u mercy, 1rtth0ut
hesitation; destroy it nth erery demonstra-
ton Of horror for its memory, and ice ,cM
hare CAMEL much By the ,ear. The unity of
the nation will be preserved, peace will be on
as sure basis as aught in this world can be,
and other nations will not mock us when they
point at our battle fields, and say the men of
the North died in vain. We must have some
compensation for the blood and treasure which
we have been forced to spend"
The New York Evening Post, after copying
the above extract, well says, cit is the peculiar
glory and distinction Of the Catholic Church,
that, from the earliest periods of her history.
! she has been infexibly opposed to the enslave-
ment OF men. We might fill columns with ex-
tracts from the writings of the Fathers, and
even from the bulls Of the Popes, condemna-
tory OF the practice as inhuman, injurious and
sinful; and we are glad to see that the West
ern Catholics are determined to adhere to
these uniform and solemn teachings of their
spiritual mother"