Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-01-02
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. RIGaTs.
RICHMOND WHIG.
SATURDAY MORNING, JAR. 3, 1894.
The Catholic Church and the War.

In making the present appear W you, pethreu, iOr
unanimous ami erVent prayers for peace are aware
i that some will perhaps condemn the measure as use
less or INJURIOUS We do not speak here OF those Who
imbued with iDhde principles and blinded by ahestical
predictions would exclude the Almighty from human
affairs and assert that God had nothing DO With this
war as some have not been ashamed to advance. Iu-
excusabe indeed is the blindness OF those who would
view In human affairs no other spring than human pas
sions human agency, human exertons. 1t Is true, God
who has given man free will makirg him thereby SINH
lar to himself leaves mankind apparently 10 the bands
of their own counsel TO do good or evil but no has not
on that account laid aside the government of the world
he remains the Supreme Moderator of gil events, and
he directs the tide Of human aarI as he likes without
offering violence 20 the free will of anybody He that
watches over the birds of the air, ard without whom
enc hair of our head cannot fall to the ground cannot
permit 50 momentous transaction as a war between
powerful nations 10 take place without his permission
and il is equally clear that he has thousand TaJs OF
bringing such to Close without departing from
the Jules which lie has prescribed to himself in his in
hnitey wise providence, for the government Of the
1 world.
'Some also there nigh. be- who could see no possible
end of the war except By the subugsOn of the South
ern portion Of the country and in their views 10 pray
for peace would be identical with praying for that sub
iugaion. But evident is the halucinaton of such To-
iYiduals. Peacs cannot come by subjugation. Subju
CATION will not change the minds Of the Millions and Of
the immense majority, not TO say unanimty, OF the
people who have irreYocaby decreed their separation
II
nation Of an independent government. SubjugGtion
therefore, if il possible, would not be peace but
would be the beginning Of an interminable war worse
even than the one which is carried openly. It
would become war Of implacable and relentless
Il snmiies-of muTdsrous revenge and hatred of mid
night assassinsoa and other secret Cruees and infS
miles, worse than the present state of things This 10
but too well exempl6ed in parts of the world by
the presence Of two hostile clans in the country
where ncessaRt murders become as it Were the order
Of the day.
at i tue we could not consistently with reason and
with the teachings of the gospel praJ for peace, if We
were Waging an unjust war, and II We we're fighting
against right justice and the will Of God. Begeren
engaged in sush war hsva no other mode OF being
heard IN their prayer for peace than by laying doHn
their arms and ceasrg attack order and justice But
the eAss is very different with The justice of
cause clear clear enough to admit Of doubt 10
minds Whatever opinion be maintained on the nature
OF the contract which bound the States Of the former
Union together and although would be admitted that
each State was ut liberty TO retire without and
reason still j. Is evident that if majority Of the States
break the social compact the minority is not bound to
stand By it. Il Is exactly what has occurred. The pe
ousr institutions Of the South, although not reproyed
by the law of nature by the law OF the Gospel have
Tor many years past BEEN everybody knows apple
of dscord threatening the dissolution OF the Union
compromise received, some years ago. the sanction
o the whole county, and became law OF the land 1t
vas law cementlng the Union Of the States and was
under stood by all such. Thst law gave the Southern
man right to recover his fugitive slave vhsrever be
found him. even in the Northern States In the faoo of
that law which in the circumstances In which il was
framed tansncunt to provision Of tho Consttu
ton many OF the Northern States in their Legislatures
and by judicial enAements having among them the force
of Law, decreed imprisonment and fines Egknst the
master who would pursue his right secured 10 him by
the law of the United States. These euSctments Of
State legislatures sgeinst the law of Congress- const
iued true rebellion, which was however, unchecked
either by armies by blockades This w=s tearing the
social compact No reliance could be placed any longer
upon faithful compliance with the conditions Of the
Union and the Northern States having thus themselves
broken the Union the Southern States not bound
stand by it, and they vindeated only their plain right
when they formally abjured Union which had already
been virtually dissolved. These principles would hold
good, even in monarchlcal governments; how much
more so in republic where all admit that the right Of
the people to govern themselves is paramount to all
| constitutions"
In another part Of this Pastoral Letter BIhOp VerOt
uscs tho following language, which re infer 20 DO a
upon the rursued by Archbishop Hughes
of New York
at is true, ministers Of God ough. not to mlnglc In
politics Diplomacy, strategy election insrigues are
not of their province. Hence, We remain mindful Of
the advice the Scripture gives that being eDgaSsd in
divine warfare, ought not to entange ourselves In
| secular affairs that may please Him to whom We
n
The tOue Of these sentiments, particularly they
late to the justice OF eur cause crSdtable to the
dor and good judgment Of the venerable preatO Who
has proclaimed them. Il shows that Vhie AIehbShop
Hughes has exercised bis influence in behalf Of The
cause Of our enemy in violation, according to Bishop
VerO opinion of every principle Of justice the Cath
| ole Hierarchy of the South are warm supporters
of the Southern cause, and zealouS advocates
of the justice upon which this war o. de-.
fsroe Is conducted. It Is well known that
complaint was made to the Pope BY some South
i ern Bishop of the conduo. Of Archbishop Hughes
IN respect to this war and that Ihe letter addressed to
that gentleman by the Pope which found its way s0ve
raj months ago into the Southern journals intended
as warning TO bis Grace to discontinue bis informed
ding in this contest The effect has been spparent in
the absolute silence of the Archbishop since, at
least in any saVOring Of partially for the North
ern cause significant result Of his psrtiKAnship is
found ia the total arrangement from him of every
Catholic paper ia the North. The "AstrOpOliAn, q
which was his confidential organ from its origin has ut
tery repudated that function, md is nov one Of the
most bitter opponents of tie administration of Lincoln
in the whole North It's saAthnE criticnn of Lncon's
late message in which pAlpable charGH of repeated
perjury are boldly proclaimed, would have inrOlved the
suppression Of any paper ouAde OF New York. What
ever remnant Of liberty ss at the North is assorted
there and tho liberation Of its enjoyment Is conces-
sion to expediency and not to right The suppression
Of the Metropolitan" Of any Of the Catholic papers
of the North, which now denouuoe LinOOlns tyranny
with so much Vebsmence, would involve mutny in the
Northern ranks II not internal revolution The 0SthO-
lie papers throughout the North are, without exception,
favorable to the Southern cause and the fact may be
justly deemed proper index of the feeling of Catholic
Europe. We cannot doubt that this accord of SOFT
ment between the great majority of the Catholic Her
archy and clergy of the North aud South and Catholic
Europe has some common principle of action, which Vl
l...to.o ;k.oIe In rrsot;caI avmnathv