The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-09-28
Particulars of the Arrest Of Fathet
!, Cummins in Louisiana, Missouri.

from the LOUISIANA True Tag, sept. lbtn-
On Sunday, the. third day of this month,
Rey. Mr.. Cummins, or ifyou please, Faith
er Cummins, ofrthe Catholic faith, preach
ed a-serinon, at his Church, in This city
without first having taken the ''oath OF
loyalty prescribed by the Constitution OF
the State. On Wednesday following (the
Circuit Court Of our county being in sess-
ion at Bowling Green,) the Grand Jury
found an indictmentagainst,, Father, and
Friday following he was arraigned before
his Honor, Judge Fagg, as a criminal
The indictment was read to him by the
| Circuit Attorney, and he was asked to
plead to it, and did SO by saying that he
was guilty. His Honor upon the bench
then asked the Father if be had anything
TO say why sentence shef.ld not he passed.
npon hinl.l and the Reverend Father
said he had, and proceeded to- deliver him
seifofa speech, the gist of which was that
he must he believed beforethc world when
he said that Phil. Sheridan toas @ Catholic.
He didn't tell us, however. that Phil. Sher-
idan never dfew his sword except to en-
force the law and to make those who set il
at defiance comply with its provisions
The Father labored to create the impress
ion that his arraignment as a violator OF
laws was a persecution of the Catholic
Church. Senator Henderson. in some very
sured the Father that he was greatly mis-
taken. that the provisions i'm the Constitu-
ton for the violation Of which he was ar
raigned applied AS we'll to the Protestant
as to the Catholic, and would, and ought
to be enforced against all alike. Mr.. Hen
derson was emphatic in his denial of the
tmischieyous doctrine that the clergy were
q above the laws. He declared against the
higher law doctrine, and said that Christ
himself, while upon earth, complied with
the laws of the country where he soiourn-
ed; that he paid tribute to Rome. and
when asked why he did so, replied, "Ren-
der unto Caesar the things thatare Caesars
and unto God the things that are God's.'
1t seeflis to us that Father Gummius
pays little heed to this injunction of the
Son of God. He is not willing to render
unto Caesar thetfings that are Caesars.
He il notwilling to be obedient to the laws
ofthe State. Impudently setting st def
ancs the authority of the State upon the
ridiculeusly false assumption that the laws
are an interference with his ecclesiastical
liberty Had he complied with the laws,
had he taken the ''Oath of Loyalty before
preaching, we ask, i'm the name of reason,
could he not have sene on and preached
the sairie faith he had always preached? i?
Most certainly so. He was not required
to abandon a singletenets off the Catholic
faith, and could preach and teach it in the
same way after as before taking the oath.
But no; he must go tojail. After his Hon
or had finet, him, and a motion in arrest
had been made by his counsel, he would
not give bail, but insisted on going to Jail,
and absolutely quarreled with the sheriff
because he did not imprison him prompt
ly enough. Father Cummins did not ap.
pear to hinselfto be as much of a martyr
as he desired to become. Wallting about
the. streets of Bowling Green, or giving
bond and returning to Louisiana, was not
martvrdom. lie must needs be a martyr,
and roundly abused the sheriff because he
would not put him in Jail. Late on Sstur-
day evening he was landed in JAIL, and
will remain there until he shall comply
with the laws for release. Everybody
seems perfectly Disguised with his course.
The role he has played has failed to excite
the least sympathy. in any quarter. The
solid people of this county with one accord
condemn his impudence. Sonia fe.r char
liable ones excuse him on the ground OF
I in, "