Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-06-30
9HlsfeIlaneplla.
From the New York Observer
NEGRO SUFFRAGE AND THE RO-
MIsH CHURCH.

Negro Race, Although they may seem t,
have no connection, it is possible that tn,
destiny Of the first viii depend on the his
tory of the last, the future of Romanism II
I the United States may be wrapped up in tht
status of'the negro race.
The attitude Of the Papacy I'd the Rebel
lion has been full of interest. In common
with the whole North, Roman Catholics rose
IN rne common uprising. The sudden and
unpremeditated impulse of priests, prelates.
and people, was that of honest ana sincere
, detestation of secession. The whole church
stood with their fellow citizens on the side
Of the tIQYernment and with no sympathy
With Tebelhan. - nsNeh was this the case.
that Arehbishep Hughes, of New York. ii is
well understood, was sent to Europe BY the
Government of the United States to exert
ms influence IN Its favor at Rome, and where
! the Papal power extended. Before his re-
turn, however; to this country, it was no.
tlced with establishment and chagrin. that
his utterances it not emphatically in favor
4 with rebellion, did not have that cear-toned
| sympathy with the Union which had been
expected, When once more In his place at
| nome, he clearly was no longer to be relied
! upon as true friend OF the Government.
cry soon the whole Romish Church be-
gan to assume an attitude more or less an
tagonistic to the Government in its efforts
to suppress the rebellion The history of
| the Review of DR.. Brownson~ was am en-
phatlc epItome and announcement of its
teellng, That strong-willed and patriotic
man was heart and soul for the country and
as heart aud soul against slavery. He made
hls review reflection of his convictions
But these were so clearly the opposite of the
convictions and purposes of the Romish
Church, that he quickly brought upon him
self the Hspleasure of his superiors. showing
Itself first in emphatic denunciations, and in
the end By a pressure which crushed the life
out OF his review, and put it out of existence.
The whole Roman Catholic press, as far as
this writer is aware, became consentaneous
and exel'ted Its combined influence, not open
ly, indeed, in behalfof the rebellion-that
would not have been permitted BY the au-
thoIltiesr but clearly and fully as was posi-
Die IN sympathy with treason and against
the Government In Its efforts to destroy it.
ltBas spon apparent that the whole inhu-
ence Of the Romanish Church, through its
various processes, was IN more or less. sym
pathy with secession.
Ihe explanation of this change is simple. |
The tlrsg movement was that of individual |
and Spontaneous impulse as citizens of the |
country, it swept even Archbishop Hughes |
with tbs current Time had not been vet |
given to omark the hearings ofthe struggle as
they affected the Ronish Church As soon /
as that could be done as soon as those far /
seeing astute minds which direct the hier- +
arfeIhlY could look over the whole field, the !
way to obn,.aiIe bY11ies Individual impulse gas
it, aud ali vas vas Y Yc8aIBfned IN a new direc
tloni 9ar, .,..s !, ...,s t
cured this withdrawal Of sympathy with |
the Government IN its time OF peril, u IS
found In the issue which this struggle IN /
wolves in regard to the negro. race, 1t very
early became apparent that the overthrow OF |
the rebellion would terminate the existence |
of slavery, and the rush of events made it as |
clear that new aud elevated position for |
the negro was inevitable The musket was
put in his hand and the whole power of the |
Government was pledged to maintain has
position as soldier Of the Union and as q
citizen of the United States. 1t was not |
difficult for a thoughtful man to see what
consequences must flow from this Ii was |
opening door, which no man would be able |
to shut, 60 the endowment finally OF the col |
ored race with all the a. l.s and lmmunI |
ties of citizenship. The musket IS the pre-
cursor of the ballot, and the dusky hand
that poised and pushed the bayonet, must, |
by law like that OF grayitatlon, by and BY
drop softly vote: and as IL has decided bat
ties. VIII decide elections.
The men who sit in the Vatican are
thoughtful men; they are accustomed to
look Tar in advance. Time is little to Rome,
and she is accustomed to make large and
wide generahzations, She saw all this when
the mass of men in this land did not dream
Of what would necessarily come,
But why should Rome have any especial
interest in this matter2 Simply because
suppressed rebellion and slavery destroyed,
would in the nd-and 1t would come SOON
give more than half million of votes, the
Here would bea sudden and mighty REIN
foreement to Professionalism, which would
make it forever impossible for Rome to hold
the balance of power In this country.
p | VIII not stop to point out the fact that
the Papal Church has been perslstently ann
ing at political power The man that does
not see and know it is blind The man that
does not recognize the danger with which 1T
menaees our institutions, is either Ignorant
or Indifferent Nor will take space to
show that the tnsporteZ Romish vote Is the
element which gives It power. Romanism
is kept strong by immigration. This I'M
migration promises to be larger in the future
than even in the past. Already In our
great cities it holds the balance of power; it
may, whenever there comes nearly equal
division Of great parties, hold it over all the
country. No ebseTyant man can be IN doubt
Of all this when he studies the attitude ofthe
Papacy in this land or listens to It's occa-
sional demands, or notices its claims and ex-
pectations as they find utterance at times on
the other side of the ocean.
I have just asserted that the negro vote,
when it shall become a vote, will be Protes-
tant The religious history Of the negro race
has a deep meaning. Romauism has, never
been able to do anything with the negro
race. The efforts of Rome to establish it.
self in Africa. stand out as perhaps the
most giaring and disastrous failure, and that
under the very best circumstances for sue
cess that the history Of religious missions
presents God has SO ordered II that like
total failure should characterize her efforts
In this country lie she has made none, it
was because there has been no room for
even the attempt With some inconsider
able exceptions in Maryland and Louisiana,
so small in number that we need not take
them into the account the whole negro pop
sulation is Protestant, fixed and unalterably
\ Protestant
I With these facts clearly seen, with these
results flowing from the triumph OF the
/ Union, Is 1t at all wonderful that the Romlsh
/ priesthood, taking their Instructions from
Il koIne, sheald see that their whole influence
Y and the influence of their Church should be
kI,ss