The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1866-10-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE
NEGROES. -;

Wig Ill lnc liluCtol IL
and religious Improvement OF the e.
mancipafed negroes Of the South,
and It is announced that this subject
will occupy a large share ofthe atten-
t;on Of the National Council of Catho-
lie Bishops and Archbishops to meet
IN BALTIMORE next week. The Rt.
Rev. AuGusr1N VERoT, Bishop of
Georgia, has addressed a lengthy let
ter to the clergy and laity Of the
Church, South, from which we make
the following extracts:
In advocating this course to be fol-
lowed with regard to the colored race,
let no one cimaginc that;we embrace and
adopt the doctrine Of those false phil
osophers and hypocriticalphiIan,t o
pists, who, under the name Of Abol. l.
Httionistg, have done so much mischief,
setting aside altogether the sacred
rule sta,o,, suut tacienda mdld ut e0e-
.,,ia,at 5ona." We hold those men,
g: not the people of the North at large
to be the true arthors of the contest
which has dclugcd the land in blood !;
they have been the true aggressors OF
the South and the unjust authors ,of
all the evils that have accrued to the
country, bound, consequently, to re-
pair ali the damages and losses which
H. r,rbos inflicted on the nation
When the Apostles spread themselves
over the world, they found slavery
established everywhere, and they did
not t,acll servants to shake OIL inc
woke of their, master, OF masters to
give up their pretended usurpatlon,
but they taught masters and servants
that they had one common master 10
whom they were accountable. and by
teaching kindness and charity to mas
ters and obedience. to servants, they
established peace everywhere ana a.
slavery was abolished, although, after
the lapse Of many centuries BY the
slow action of Christian principles on
Christian hearts, not because slavery
was considered as bad in itself ana d
absolutely. immoral in all cases, but
because Christians wished to give
civil and social equality to those
whose souls they considered as pre-,
cious as their own. This is a rational
and highly Christian victory, very
different from that in which, in the
rapid lapse of four years, more than
two millions Of meu have lost their
lives in order to free four millions OF
them. But injudicious and uul Just as
was the means adopted to obtain this
end, We embrace the condition fully,
sincerely, in good faith and irrevoea,
bly,; the more 50 as the slavery found
on the earth at the time of the propa,
CATION of the Christian religion, had
originated in legitimate titles, name,
ly: Capture in war, condemnation Tor
crimes, insolvency, or other reaEsona- n
bic causes and titles. whereas, Afri,
can slavery seems to have commenced
and to have been kept up by the cru
el and evidently unjust proceedings
of nen kidnapping other men mel to sell
them to the tiger-hearted authors and
abettors of the. slaye trade, CON
demned by the Holy Sec and forbid b,
den by ali enlightened nations, The
title Of former masters was very to1-
terins, and was nothing more than
prescription and the necessity Of up
holding the existing order of things
and avoiding social convulsions.> The
late eyeesfits have destroyed the last
vcstise, Of that title, and eFDoqaentfJ
the former state Of things can never
be reinstated without violating all
laws and all principles ofjustice.
Hence,we wish in all sincerity and
with: great earnestness, all kinds OF
blessings to the colored race, and We
exhort all to put away all prejudice,
all dislike, all sntipathy, all bitter
ness against their former servants
Away with all feelings Of chickering's,
envy or jealousy, which would e'!'l :'0 only
bespeak a narrow mind and the lack
ofjnoble and'efevated feelings. The
golden rule, love thy neighbor as thy
SELF, must not admit Of any exception,
and, therefore, we. call on the faithful
to send most fervent and reiterated
prayers to the throne Of Grace; that
III, 1fa.i:crs of the Council mayrecelye
,;.sI,t aud grace from The invisible j.
z1tal Of the Church, ts4rocure, theo
speedy and ctficacious eyangellzatlon
of the African race. .a
We know that the subject is beset
with great difficulties which might
appear iasurmountable to any one
- >.o,,, o,,, h az. Il hot therQ