New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-11-09

New YORK, Nov 3.-The prelates and ecclesi-
astics who composed the second penary council
Of the Roman Catholic Church, lately in Balt-
more, have issued pastoral letter under date of
October q.
This letter opens with discussion of the au-
thority of plenary councils and after quoting the
injunction of St. Paul, "Obey your preates," it
notifies the prayerful that when they are warned,
either collectively, as in the present instance, or
slngly, in the respective dl0ceses, to avoid secret
societies and all associations which are pronounced
to be unlawful, they cannot, the peril of their
souls, disregard the admonitions.
In treating of the relations Of the church to the
State, the pastoral claims that the church is the
great support of the temporal power, while it
complains that the State laws assume to regulate
the manner by which church property shall be
held, contrary to the CanOns and discipline of the
Catholic Church. 1t recites: These laws, how
ever, are, for the most part, based on principles
which the church cannot accept without depart
ing from her practice from the beginning, as soon
as she was permitted to enjoy liberty Of worship.
They are the expression OF aistrust Of eCclesi-
astical power as such, and are the fruit Of the |
misrepresentation which have been made of the |
action Of the church in past ages. Az Webl might
the civil power prescribe to her the doctrines she
is to teach, and the worship with which she is to
honor God, as to impose on her system of hold
ing her temporaites which is alien to her prn-
Ciplcs, and which is borrowed from those who
have rejected her authority. Instead OF seeking
to disprove the various reasons alleged for this
denial OF the churchs rights i'll some Of the States
we content ourselves with the formal protest we
hereby enter against it, and briefly remark that
| even in the snppositiOn which we by no means ad
nit that such denial was the result Of legitimate
motives, the denial itself is Incompatible with the
| full measure OF ecclesiastical or religious liberty
| which we are supposed to enjoy,
The pastoral directs that contribution in aid Of
the pope be taken up annually in all the congre-
cations The political changes in Italy re-
terred to trials and humiliatOas to the
/ holy father, while the fortunes OF the pope,
under these circumstances, is alluded to with pro-
fOuud interest.
The pastoral deyotes considerable space to the
sacrament Of matrnOny, and urges that marriage
be contracted before the alt48 OF God.
Touching upon the press, the pastoral then cites
the Council Of Trent requiring all books tAat
treat Of religion to be submitted to the diocesan,
Even then. it says, the book has no episcopal
sanction. It has merely the guarantee OF freedom
from error in faith or morals. Catholic journals
are not to be identified with the bishop who may
nd0rse them. This Endorsement merely designates
the paper as one in which the bishop will cause to
be inserted such official documents lie from
time to time may have to publish.
Inregard to education, religious teaching and
training regarded as indispensable. Tine
establishment Of Catholic industrial schools as
: prOteCtories is urged, to children from the
i sectarian retOrmatOriGs where they placed by
the courts, thence to be transferred to distant
localities and influences hostile to the religion in
which they have been baptized. An increase i'll
the number Of priests is desired, and young men
are urged to enter upon this vocation. The laity
, are urged to new fidelity and zeal, and to pay
{ more attention to the sacramentS OF the church.
= In regard to amusements, the prelates say: In
this connection we consider it to be our duty to
. warn our people against those amusements which
may easily become to them an occasion of sin,
and especially against those fashionable dances
which, as at present carried on, are revolving to
: every feeling of decenCy and prOpriety, and are
, fraught with the greatest danger to morals. We
! would also warn them most solemnly @agains
: the greatest abuses which have sprung up in the
l matter of fairs, excursions and picRics, in which
as too often conducted, the name of charity il
: made to cover up multitude Of sins. We fOrbit
all Catholics having anything to do with them
except when managed in accordance with the
T regulations of the ordinary, and under the lmme
, date supervision of their respective pastors
i The clergy are exhorted to unremitting zeal ant
: to blamelessness of life.
J In regard to freedmen, the pastoral holds tn
$ following language: "We must all feel that il
d some manner a new and most extended field o
l. charity and deyotedness has been opened to us b
d the emancipation Of the immense slave populatio
= Of the South. We could have wished that in at
III cordance with the action of the Catholic Churc
le in past ages, in regard to the serfs of Europe,
L more gradual system of emancipation could hav
been adopted, so that they might have been
~ some measure prepared to make a better use Q
q their freedom than they are likely to do now.
" " "Still the evils which must necessarily folio
~ upon the sudden liberation Of so large mutt
tude with their peculiar dispositions and habit!
a. only make the appeal to our christian charity an
- zeal presented by their f0rlOrn condition, til
Se more forcbe and imperative. We urge upc
the clergy and people OF our charge the most gel
le erOus cooperation with the plans which may /
gn adopted by the bishops of the diocese, in whiC
~ they are to extend to them that christian educ
ton and moral restraint which they so much star
= in need Of Our only regret in regard to this ma
~ ter Is that our means and opportunity of sprea
NJ NJ ing over them the protecting aud salutary inf
~ enCes of our holy religion are restricted.n
r. hearty eulogium is pronounced upon the r
~ ligiOus communities, and the pastoral says: ''N
y discharge grateful duty in rendering publ
le, testimony to the virtue and herOism of the
Gu Gu christian virgins whose lives shed the good cd
ess of Christ in every place, and whose devotedne
lni and spirit of sef-saCrifce have more, perhar
2m' than any other cause, contributed to effecta
pt, pc vorable change in the minds of thousands
e" tranged from our taith.'
nc The prelates conclude the pastoral by sayi
"S that they have promulgated new DEGREES in rega
to discipline, and clear statements of faith a
TER morals which, after submission to and appro1
Mt by the holy See, will be generally promulgated
-----as-se s~-------
!, GEN. JOHN G.. BRECkINRIDGE.-A gentlem
1ne who recently happened to be at the village
Niagara, in Canada, spent a few pleasant hol
i've tVe with the distinguished gentleman whose ma
her heads this article. 1t will be agreeable to
era friends of Gen Breckinridge to learn that at
5ed time referred to he was in the enjoyment of exc
ohe lent health, and never looked better. He v
ed; living in modest STYLE and giving his personal
req tention to the education of his children. He
ne since sailed to Europe, and in all probability '
eau settle for the present in the south OF France
her some locality having similar climate. He desiE
~ ~ to place his TWO young chlldfen az school IN op
en zerland.
me The reports which have been circulated
ess less large contributions of money made by his trie
1so- @ in the United States are wholly untrue or grea
htr hr exaggerated, for we learn that the money "
pos which he has been living since his sojourn
ON Canada was a few thousand dollars saved fl
lass his salary Confederate general, and obtai
r0r or in gold in Cuba-[Paris True Kentuckan.
VIC
y - =; GEN. GRANT AND THE PREsIDENCY.-We find
following absurd gossip in the New York
act respondence of the Boston Journal:
her A gentleman of this city, an intimate pers
use friend of Gen. Grants, called him in Washing
hGF notlong since. His purpose was to get the nut
the of Gen. Grant with the President in relation
her office in the city. Gen. Grant told him tral
leTs' that his name would be of no service to nm,
t4c an injury He said he had solicited very few ia
tle of the President, and to them np tayOrab'c
bned sponse returned. He said that enc day
areH' Johnson spoke with him in relation to it. lie
hef to Gen. Grant: ''You say that You are not
di5a didate for the presidency New promise
7 h's said the President, s'that you wiz nos let
hcrs, name be used in connection with that office
can will grant you any favor in my power to best
the TO this Gen, Grant replied 'Mr. Johnson,
'port- not candidate. But suppose the people
FAINT upon making me one, what ara | To do? An
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